Why the bill stays pending
In this Charted AP Automation configuration, Super Approve with Approve set to Approval Request completes the current request. Approval History then shows the next group request as Pending Approval, while the bill remains Pending Approval. Check both rows in Approval History and the overall Approval Status (AWA) field.
Before you start
This walkthrough uses Charted AP Automation for NetSuite, an installed SuiteApp with its own AWA statuses and controls. Confirm your installed version, approval route and role before using these steps. Standard NetSuite vendor-bill approval and SuiteApprovals can behave differently.
You need an editable prepared bill routed through the demonstrated employee request followed by the Operations Review group request. The configured override user Alex Morgan needs authority to use Super Approve and access to both requests in the bill’s Approval History subtab. The user also needs access to the request audit, OOO Delegation, Bulk Approval and Bills Dashboard pages for the later inspection steps. The example uses an open posting period configured for the example. It does not demonstrate a backdated bill or a period warning.
Alex Morgan and Example Supply Co. are fictional example names. The screens reconstruct the demonstrated workflow with independent vendors, amounts and dates. The notification examples illustrate content; this recording sends no email.
01 · Save, then submit
Review bill UT-68429 from Redwood Utility Services for 586.72. The expense lines allocate 184.20 to Portland and 402.52 to Salem, using department Facilities.
Click Save. It assigns transaction number 8234. Confirm Approval Status (AWA) is Not Submitted, then click Submit for Approval. Saving alone has not created an approval request.
Wait for the Submitted for Approval confirmation. Open Approval History and check the initial employee request for Maya Chen. Verify that Approval Status (AWA) on the bill is Pending Approval and the initial employee request is pending in the Approval History subtab.
02 · Complete the current request
From the bill, click Super Approve. Keep Approve set to Approval Request. Enter Reviewed statement and allocation. in Super Approval Reason, then click Ok.
If the action is unavailable or fails, check the configured override authority and installed workflow. Do not substitute a standard approval action and assume it has the same scope.
03 · Verify the next request
Open the bill’s Approval History subtab again. Maya Chen's employee request is Super Approved, with Alex Morgan as the actor and the saved reason in Comments. The Operations Review - Any group request is Pending Approval.
Check Approval Status (AWA) on the bill. It still reads Pending Approval because the next request remains open. The recording does not complete that group request or establish final approval, posting or payment eligibility.
The reconstructed notification example displays the previous action and comment. Its Approve and Reject links are not used in this walkthrough; the example does not verify delivery or email-based approval.
04 · Check the request audit
Use the demonstrated installed SuiteApp path Setup > Approval Workflow Automation > Approval Request Audit Trail > Search. Compare the request statuses, Date Closed and Closed By. The completed employee request has a closure date and Alex Morgan as the closing user. The next group request remains pending.
The audit list's Approvers column describes Employee or Group. Active Approvers lists the people. A missing row may be filtered out; it does not prove that the request does not exist.
05 · Inspect the remaining workspace pages
Use the installed SuiteApp menu Charted > AP Automation > OOO Delegation. Enter the example dates November 9–13, 2026 and Priya Lewis as a proposed delegate. Leave for Bulk Approval without clicking Save and confirm Leave when warned about unsaved changes. This does not activate delegation or test how requests would be routed during an absence.
In Bulk Approval, find UT-68429. Keep its checkbox clear. This walkthrough inspects the pending queue without approving or rejecting selected rows.
Return through Charted > AP Automation > Home and open Bills Dashboard. Review, Submit and Approve are separate queues. The example bill has left Submit and belongs in Approve while its next request is pending. The counters describe the independent example data, not a required account-wide total.
Return to the bill and verify the same final result: the first request is Super Approved, the next group is Pending Approval, the reason is retained, and the overall bill remains Pending Approval.
Common questions
Does Save submit the bill for approval?
In this Charted configuration, Save generates the transaction number and leaves Approval Status (AWA) as Not Submitted. Submit for Approval is a separate action that starts the demonstrated route.
Does Super Approve approve the whole bill?
With Approval Request selected in this example, it completes the current employee request. The next group remains pending. Check the displayed scope and your installed configuration before applying the same interpretation elsewhere.
Does Any mean the group is already approved?
No. The demonstrated next request is explicitly Pending Approval. This walkthrough does not exercise a group member's approval or establish the configured completion rule.
Where can I find the reason and who performed the override?
Approval History retains the reason in Comments and shows Alex Morgan with the Super Approved status. The request audit also shows the closure date and closing user.
Did this walkthrough enable delegation or process the bulk queue?
The delegation form was left unsaved, and no bulk rows were selected or processed. Those pages provide context for the pending request; they do not establish delegated or bulk approval behavior.
Why might my controls or statuses differ?
Installed SuiteApps, versions, roles, approval routes and custom forms affect the available controls. Confirm those prerequisites when your account differs from the example. A role-restricted queue or filtered audit view can also hide a request.