Deep Space · Admin › Finance › Delegation of Authority

Approval Workflows in Deep Space: Every Workflow, Examples and DoA Worksheets

Every record type Deep Space can send for internal approval, what each approval controls, example set-ups for businesses of different sizes, and worksheets to agree your own Delegation of Authority (DoA) before it is configured. Fill the worksheets in on this page, print them or save them as PDF, and send them to our support team if you would like us to set it up for you.

For finance and commercial leads For admins setting up DoA Updated November 2026

This is the planning guide

It tells you what can be approved and helps you decide how you want it approved. For how DoA behaves and where every setting is, see Delegation of Authority in Deep Space. Stuck at any point? Email help@deepspacegroup.ai and our support team will help, or set it up for you.

1How to use this guide

Delegation of Authority (DoA) is how Deep Space decides who has to approve a record before it moves on, and in what order. You set it up once for your company, by record type, and it applies across every project. This guide walks through every record type that can be approved, shows how other businesses typically set each one up, and gives you a worksheet for each so you can agree your own rules before anything is configured.

Read the list

Section 2 lists every approval workflow on one page. You do not have to use them all: most businesses start with purchase orders, subcontracts, variations and payment schedules, and add the rest later.
Agree your roles and limits first

Fill in Worksheet A (company and settings) and Worksheet B (who can approve up to what value). Most workflows lean on those limits, so they are the part worth getting right.
Go workflow by workflow

Each workflow section says what the approval controls, when it starts, which amount it uses and what happens on approval or rejection, then shows example set-ups. Fill in its Your set-up box (Worksheet C) as you go. Leave a box blank or tick Decide later if you are not sure.
Agree it and hand it over

Sign off Worksheet D. Then set it up yourself using Setting up DoA for your company, or send the worksheets to help@deepspacegroup.ai and our support team will configure it for you and run a test with you (section 22).

Filling in the worksheets on this page

Click any shaded box and type, or click a tick box. Your answers are saved in this browser on this device, so you can close the page and come back. Nothing you type is sent to Deep Space. To share them, print the worksheets or save them as PDF, or download your answers as a CSV file that opens in Excel. Prefer paper? Print the worksheets and fill them in by hand.

2Every approval workflow at a glance

These are all the record types Deep Space can send for internal approval. The first sixteen appear in the Entity type list on Admin › Finance › Delegation of Authority, and each one has its own workflow. Submittal sign-off is the one exception: it uses the approval engine but has no entry in that list yet (see section 19).

Workflow (as named in Deep Space)	Where it starts	What approval controls	Amount that drives DoA	With no workflow	Auto-approve can apply
Procurement and accounts payable
PO	PO Register: Send to Approval / Submit for Approval	Lets the PO be issued to the supplier	PO total, ex GST (Price TBC = $0)	Goes to the project's PM	Yes
PO Invoice	Invoice Register: Send for Authorisation	Authorises payment, creates the cost claim and sends the bill to Xero	Ticked lines, ex GST (printed total if lines couldn't be read)	Goes to the project's PM	Yes
Subcontract Agreement	Subcontract Register › Agreement tab: Submit for Internal Approval	Lets the subcontract be issued for signing	Contract value, ex GST	Goes to the project's PM	Yes
Tender Recommendation	Bid package › Recommendation tab: Submit for approval	Unlocks awarding the package	Recommended award value (enter ex GST)	Goes to the project's PM	Yes
Client side (head contract)
Head Contract (Client)	Head Contract Register › Agreement tab: Submit for Internal Approval	Records internal sign-off before the contract is issued or executed	Current contract sum, ex GST	If submitted: goes to the project's PM	Yes
HC Variation (Client)	Variations register: Submit Variation (or Submit for Internal Approval)	Lets the variation be submitted and sent to the client	Sell value to the client, ex GST (credits route to the lowest limit)	Goes to the project's PM	Yes
HC Progress Claim	Progress Claims to Client: Submit for Internal Approval	Unlocks Serve Payment Claim	Gross claimed this period (+ retention claimed back), ex GST	Goes to the project's PM	Yes
Client Payment Schedule	Client Payment Schedules: Submit for Approval	Unlocks Accept on the client's schedule	Amount the client scheduled (+ retention release), ex GST	Goes to the project's PM	Yes
PS Drawdown	Provisional Sum Register: Approve on a drawdown	Approves the drawdown against the allowance; over-runs become a variation	Drawdown sell value, ex GST	No approval: Approve works in one click	No
Subcontract side
Subcontract Variation	Subcontract Variations: Submit for Internal Approval	Lets the variation go to the subcontractor and onto the subcontract	Net variation value, ex GST (credits route to the lowest limit)	Goes to the project's PM	Yes
Subcontract Payment Schedule	Payment Schedules (Issued): Submit for Approval, after a subcontractor's claim	Accepts the schedule, certifies the claim and sends the bill to Xero	Certified total plus retention released, ex GST	No approval needed: Accept directly	Yes
Compliance and HSEQ
Company General Induction	Automatic, when a subcontractor company submits its general induction	Accepts or rejects the company's induction	None (role only)	Goes to workspace admins	No
SWMS	HSEQ › SWMS (Request Approval), or automatic from DS Site with SWMS sign-on	Accepts the SWMS; with SWMS sign-on, publishes it for sign-on	None (role only)	Only if requested: goes to the project's PM	No
Site Induction	HSEQ › Site Inductions (Request Approval)	Accepts the worker's site induction	None (role only)	Only if requested: goes to the project's PM	No
Permits to Work	HSEQ › Permits to Work (Request Approval)	Approves the permit before the work starts	None (role only)	Only if requested: goes to the project's PM	No
Plant Inductions	HSEQ › Plant Inductions (Request Approval)	Accepts the plant onto site	None (role only)	Only if requested: goes to the project's PM	No
Notices
Submittal sign-off	Notices › Submittals (Sign-off panel)	Lets a signature-required submittal be closed	None (role only)	Always the project's PM (no workflow possible yet)	No

Amounts are ex GST, so set your limits ex GST to match. The one exception is a supplier invoice whose lines Deep Space could not read: it uses the invoice total as printed. Records with no dollar value (inductions, HSEQ records and submittals) are routed by role only, so use Fixed role steps for them.

Auto-approve can apply refers to the optional setting Auto-approve within submitter's authority (DoA guide, section 7). It is off unless you turn it on.

3How a workflow is built, and the example limits used here

Every workflow is made of the same few parts. The DoA guide, section 3 explains each in full; this is the short version you need for the worksheets.

Part	What it means when you fill in a worksheet
Step	Steps run in order, top to bottom. A record is approved when its last step is approved; a rejection at any step stops it.
Fixed role	You name the role or roles that approve this step, either a workspace role from Admin › Security (for example Construction Manager or Accounts) or a project Team role (for example the project's Project Manager). Anyone holding one of the roles can approve.
DoA-driven	You don't name a role. Deep Space looks at the amount and sends the step to the role with the lowest limit that still covers it on your Approval Thresholds (Worksheet B). Amounts above every limit go to Highest Authority. Large records escalate on their own.
All must approve	Fixed role steps only. Normally one approver closes the step. Tick Require all approvers when every role you listed must approve (for example two different directors).
Min amount	Fixed role steps only (a DoA-driven step has no Min amount). The step only runs when the record's amount is at least this figure, so senior sign-off can be kept for large records. If a record is below the Min amount on every step, it still goes to the first step.
Highest Authority	One or more roles who can approve any amount, catch amounts above every limit and rescue a step that is stuck. Always company-wide.
Project override	A project can have its own copy of a workflow or of the limits when it genuinely needs different rules (a joint venture, or a client with its own limits). Every other project keeps the company default.

One set of limits for every record type

Limits belong to roles, not to record types. A Project Manager with a $50,000 limit has that limit on every workflow that uses a DoA-driven step: purchase orders, subcontracts, variations and claims alike. If a role should have a different limit for one record type (for example, a PM may commit $50,000 of spend but only price $20,000 of variations to the client), build that workflow from Fixed role steps with Min amounts instead of a DoA-driven step:

Style	Who approves a $300,000 record	Use it when
DoA-driven step	One person: the role with the lowest limit that covers $300,000 (the General Manager, with the example limits below)	Your Worksheet B limits suit this record type
Fixed role steps with Min amounts	Everyone whose step's Min amount is $300,000 or less, in order (for example PM, then Construction Manager from $25,000, then MD from $250,000)	This record type needs its own limits, or you want each level to see the larger records

Credits and omissions have negative amounts, so a DoA-driven step sends them to the role with the lowest limit. Limits are compared as plain numbers, so enter them all in the currency you trade in.

If you don't set up a workflow

Nothing is blocked, but what happens depends on the record type, and the With no workflow column in section 2 shows each one. Most go to the project's Project Manager (from the project's Team) or, if there isn't one, to your workspace admins. Subcontract payment schedules and provisional sum drawdowns don't ask for approval at all until you set up a workflow for them. If you would rather record types without a workflow were approved straight away, turn on Skip approval when unconfigured (DoA guide, section 6).

The example limits used in this guide

The examples in each section use one fictional set of roles and limits so you can compare them. They are illustrations, not recommendations: use your own policy.

Role	Type of role	Limit (ex GST)	Example of a record it approves
Site Manager	Project Team role	$5,000	A $3,200 hire order
Project Manager	Project Team role	$50,000	A $42,000 supply order
Construction Manager	Workspace role	$250,000	A $180,000 subcontract
General Manager	Workspace role	$1,000,000	A $640,000 subcontract
Managing Director	Highest Authority	No limit	A $2.4m subcontract

Two more workspace roles appear in the examples without a limit of their own: Accounts (accounts payable) and Commercial Manager. A role only needs a limit if it should receive DoA-driven steps or be auto-approved within its own authority.

4Worksheet A: your company and settings

One copy per business entity. Each Deep Space workspace belongs to one legal entity (one ABN or NZBN) and has its own DoA, so if your group runs more than one workspace, fill in a set of worksheets for each, or note on Worksheet A that another entity should copy this one.

The two settings are explained in the DoA guide: Skip approval when unconfigured (section 6) and Auto-approve within submitter's authority (section 7). Both are off unless you turn them on. Auto-approve relaxes segregation of duties, so decide on it deliberately.

Worksheet AYour company and settings

Company (legal entity)ABN / NZBNDeep Space workspaceCurrency for limitsWho owns DoA in your businessWho signs off this set-up

Skip approval when unconfiguredOnOff (default)

Auto-approve within submitter's authorityOnOff (default)

Maximum auto-approve amount (if on)Roles to create or fill in Admin › Security

5Worksheet B: approval roles and limits

This is your DoA matrix: each role that holds spending authority and its limit. DoA-driven steps use it to route a record by value, and auto-approve uses it to decide what a submitter can clear themselves.

Workspace roles are your company roles in Admin › Security (for example Construction Manager, Commercial Manager, Accounts). Everyone holding the role shares its limit.
Project Team roles are the slots on each project's Team: Project Manager, Lead Estimator, Design Manager, Construction Manager, Site Manager, Site Engineer, Services Manager, Contracts Manager, Contract Admin, Quantity Surveyor, Junior Contract Administrator, Commercial Lead and HSEQ Lead. A limit on a Team role goes to whoever holds that slot on the record's project.
Give each role one limit, and enter limits ex GST in the currency you trade in. The same limit applies on every workflow that uses a DoA-driven step (see section 3 if a record type needs limits of its own).
Someone holding several roles is treated as having the highest of their limits when auto-approve looks at their own records.

Worksheet BApproval roles and limits

#	Role name	Workspace role or project Team role	Who holds it today	Limit (ex GST)	Notes
e.g.	Project Manager	Project Team role	Each project's PM (set on the project's Team)	$50,000	Commits spend on their own projects
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12

Highest Authority (can approve any amount, and rescue a stuck step)

Changing a limit later is easy and recorded: you add a new limit for the role and the old one is retired automatically, with its history kept.

6Purchase orders

ProcurementRouted by valueAuto-approve can apply

A purchase order commits project money to a supplier. Approval happens before the PO is sent to the supplier.

What it controls: Whether the PO can be issued to the supplier.
Where it starts: PO Register: click Send to Approval on the new PO form, or Submit for Approval on a draft PO. The PO moves to Pending Approval.
Amount used for DoA: The PO total ex GST (including any GST-free lines). A Price TBC PO goes at $0, which routes to the lowest limit.
When it is approved: The PO is Approved and can be sent to the supplier or for e-signature.
When it is rejected: The PO moves to Needs fixing with a Review Required badge. Only the person who requested it or a workspace manager can edit it and resubmit.
With no workflow set up: It still goes for approval: to the project's Project Manager, or your workspace admins if there is none. Turn on Skip approval when unconfigured to have it approved straight away instead.

Good to know

Before it can be submitted, a PO needs a supplier and at least one complete line with a cost code and an amount (or Price TBC ticked).
Separately from DoA, your commercial settings can require the project's head contract to be executed before purchase orders and subcontracts are issued.

Example set-ups

Routed by value

Most builders: the simplest set-up

1Approve PO DoA-drivenBy value$3,200 → Site Manager · $42,000 → Project Manager · $180,000 → Construction Manager · $1.2m → MD

Commercial check, then by value

A second pair of eyes on cost codes and pricing

1Commercial check Fixed roleProject Team: Contract Admin or Quantity SurveyorAny one of them
2Authority sign-off DoA-drivenBy value

Fast lane for small orders

Busy sites with lots of small hire and consumables orders

1Approve PO DoA-drivenBy value

Plus Auto-approve within submitter's authority on, with a maximum of $2,000: a Site Manager's own $1,500 order is approved on submit; everything else routes as normal.

Director on large orders

Policies that need a director on big commitments

1Approve PO DoA-drivenBy value
2Director sign-off Fixed roleWorkspace role: Managing DirectorMin amount $500,000

Worksheet CYour set-up: Purchase ordersIn Deep Space: PO

Do you want this record type approved?Yes, set up a workflowNo / not usedDecide later

Step	Step name	Fixed role or DoA-driven	Role(s), and workspace or project Team	All must approve?	Min amount (Fixed role only)
1
2
3

Projects that need different rules (project override)Notes and questions for our support team

7Supplier invoices (PO Invoice)

ProcurementRouted by valueAuto-approve can apply

Supplier invoices that arrive in the Invoice Register and are matched to a purchase order. Approval authorises them for payment. (Subcontractor claims that arrive there are approved through Subcontract Payment Schedules instead.)

What it controls: Authorising the invoice for payment.
Where it starts: Invoice Register: on an invoice at Review Completed, click Send for Authorisation, then Confirm & Send. It moves to Sent for Authorisation.
Amount used for DoA: The amount being authorised: normally the ex-GST total of the invoice lines you ticked. If Deep Space could not read the invoice's lines, it uses the invoice total as printed, which includes GST. It must be more than $0, so credit notes don't go through this workflow.
When it is approved: Deep Space creates the cost claim, marks the invoice Payment Authorised and sends the bill to Xero (In Xero). If the Xero send fails, it stays Payment Authorised for you to push by hand.
When it is rejected: It goes back to Review Completed with the reason. Correct it (for example its coding or matched PO) and Send for Authorisation again. The register's own Reject button is different: it rejects the invoice outright, and that is final. If the invoice was out for authorisation, its approval is cancelled at the same time.
With no workflow set up: It still goes for approval: to the project's Project Manager, or your workspace admins if there is none. Turn on Skip approval when unconfigured to have it approved straight away instead.

Good to know

Before it can be sent: the invoice must be matched to an approved PO on the project, from the same supplier, and must fit within the PO's remaining balance (counting invoices already in approval). A red supplier identity check blocks it unless an admin records a reason.
While it is in approval, the invoice holds its share of the PO balance, so two invoices can't both use the same money.
Payment can't be authorised by hand while the approval is open. It happens automatically on the final approval.

Example set-ups

Accounts check, then by value

Most builders

1Accounts check Fixed roleWorkspace role: AccountsCoding, GST and PO match
2Approve for payment DoA-drivenBy value

PM confirms receipt, finance releases

Builders who want the site to confirm delivery

1Goods or services received Fixed roleProject Team: Project Manager or Site ManagerAny one of them
2Finance release Fixed roleWorkspace role: Financial ControllerMin amount $20,000

Accounts only

Builders whose DoA approves the spend at PO stage

1Accounts check Fixed roleWorkspace role: AccountsThe PO was already approved under DoA, and the invoice can't exceed it

Price TBC orders are the exception: they were approved at $0, so their first invoice sets the price. If you use Price TBC, keep a value-based step.

Worksheet CYour set-up: Supplier invoicesIn Deep Space: PO Invoice

Do you want this record type approved?Yes, set up a workflowNo / not usedDecide later

Step	Step name	Fixed role or DoA-driven	Role(s), and workspace or project Team	All must approve?	Min amount (Fixed role only)
1
2
3

Projects that need different rules (project override)Notes and questions for our support team

8Subcontract agreements

ProcurementRouted by valueAuto-approve can apply

Your internal sign-off of a subcontract before it is issued to the subcontractor for signing.

What it controls: Whether the subcontract can be issued for signing.
Where it starts: Subcontract Register: open the subcontract in Draft, go to the Agreement tab and click Submit for Internal Approval. It moves to Pending Approval.
Amount used for DoA: The contract value, ex GST. It must be more than $0.
When it is approved: The subcontract is Approved and goes on through issue and e-signature (Sent for Execution, then Executed).
When it is rejected: It goes back to Draft with the reason, so it can be fixed and resubmitted. Its value still shows as committed in the Budget Register.
With no workflow set up: It still goes for approval: to the project's Project Manager, or your workspace admins if there is none. Turn on Skip approval when unconfigured to have it approved straight away instead.

Good to know

Before it can be submitted, the subcontract needs a schedule of values.
A subcontract created by awarding a tender still needs this approval, even if the tender recommendation was approved.
Separately from DoA, your commercial settings can require the project's head contract to be executed before purchase orders and subcontracts are issued.

Example set-ups

Contract check, then by value

Builders with a contracts or commercial team

1Contract check Fixed roleProject Team: Contracts Manager
2Award sign-off DoA-drivenBy value

Routed by value

Smaller builders

1Award sign-off DoA-drivenBy value$180,000 → Construction Manager · $640,000 → General Manager · $2.4m → MD

Two directors above $1m

Policies that need two signatories on large subcontracts

1Award sign-off DoA-drivenBy value
2Board sign-off Fixed roleWorkspace roles: Managing Director and Finance DirectorRequire all approvers ticked; Min amount $1,000,000

Worksheet CYour set-up: Subcontract agreementsIn Deep Space: Subcontract Agreement

Do you want this record type approved?Yes, set up a workflowNo / not usedDecide later

Step	Step name	Fixed role or DoA-driven	Role(s), and workspace or project Team	All must approve?	Min amount (Fixed role only)
1
2
3

Projects that need different rules (project override)Notes and questions for our support team

9Tender recommendations (awarding a trade package)

ProcurementRouted by valueAuto-approve can apply

Your recommendation of which subcontractor should win a trade package, approved before the package is awarded.

What it controls: Whether the package can be awarded.
Where it starts: On the bid package, Recommendation tab: click Generate recommendation, choose the recommended bidder and award value, then click Submit for approval.
Amount used for DoA: The recommended award value you enter. Bids are captured ex GST, so enter it ex GST. It must be more than $0.
When it is approved: Awarding is unlocked. If your workspace's award rule is on, only the recommended bidder can be awarded. Awarding creates a draft subcontract, which then needs its own Subcontract Agreement approval.
When it is rejected: The recommendation goes back to draft with the recommended bidder, value, notes and shortlist kept. Nothing on the package can be awarded, and no subcontract can be created from it, until a revised recommendation is approved.
With no workflow set up: It still goes for approval: to the project's Project Manager, or your workspace admins if there is none. Turn on Skip approval when unconfigured to have it approved straight away instead.

Good to know

While a recommendation is waiting for approval, the package can't be awarded.
The recommendation is frozen while it is in approval or approved. To change it, reset it to draft (the person who submitted it, a Highest Authority holder or a workspace manager can).

Example set-ups

Estimating review, then by value

Builders with an estimating team

1Estimating review Fixed roleProject Team: Lead Estimator
2Award approval DoA-drivenBy value

PM and commercial agree

Builders who want delivery and commercial both to agree

1Delivery agrees Fixed roleProject Team: Project Manager
2Commercial agrees Fixed roleWorkspace role: Commercial Manager

Routed by value

Smaller builders

1Award approval DoA-drivenBy value

Worksheet CYour set-up: Tender recommendationsIn Deep Space: Tender Recommendation

Do you want this record type approved?Yes, set up a workflowNo / not usedDecide later

Step	Step name	Fixed role or DoA-driven	Role(s), and workspace or project Team	All must approve?	Min amount (Fixed role only)
1
2
3

Projects that need different rules (project override)Notes and questions for our support team

10Head contracts (your contract with the client)

Client side (head contract)Routed by valueAuto-approve can apply

Your internal sign-off of a head contract with your client, typically your biggest commitment, before it is issued for signing or executed.

What it controls: Your internal approval of the contract. The contract's own status (draft, issued, executed) is separate and is not changed by the approval.
Where it starts: Head Contract Register: open the contract, go to the Agreement tab and, in the Internal approval card, click Submit for Internal Approval.
Amount used for DoA: The current contract sum, ex GST.
When it is approved: The Agreement tab shows "Internally approved — ready to issue."
When it is rejected: The Agreement tab shows a red box with the reason and Resubmit for approval. The contract itself is unchanged.
With no workflow set up: Submitting for internal approval sends it to the project's Project Manager, or your workspace admins if there is none.

Good to know

The approval is a record of sign-off. Deep Space does not stop someone sending the contract for e-signature or uploading the executed copy before it is approved, so make "wait for internal approval" part of your contract procedure.
With large contract sums, a DoA-driven step will usually land on your most senior limits or on Highest Authority. That is often exactly what you want.

Example set-ups

Commercial review, then the MD

Most builders

1Contract review Fixed roleWorkspace role: Commercial Manager
2Execute Fixed roleWorkspace role: Managing Director

Two directors sign

Companies whose policy needs two signatories

1Board sign-off Fixed roleWorkspace roles: Managing Director and Finance DirectorRequire all approvers ticked: both must approve

Routed by value

Builders with many small contracts (minor works, fitout)

1Contract sign-off DoA-drivenBy valueA $180,000 minor works contract goes to the Construction Manager; a $6m contract to the MD

Worksheet CYour set-up: Head contractsIn Deep Space: Head Contract (Client)

Do you want this record type approved?Yes, set up a workflowNo / not usedDecide later

Step	Step name	Fixed role or DoA-driven	Role(s), and workspace or project Team	All must approve?	Min amount (Fixed role only)
1
2
3

Projects that need different rules (project override)Notes and questions for our support team

11Head contract variations (variations to your client)

Client side (head contract)Routed by valueAuto-approve can apply

Your internal sign-off of a variation before it goes to the client: in effect, approving the price you are putting to them.

What it controls: Whether the variation can be submitted and sent to the client. The client's own approval is recorded separately, on the variation's status.
Where it starts: Variations register: open a Draft variation and click Submit Variation (or Submit for Internal Approval on its Approvals tab). The variation stays in Draft, marked In Review.
Amount used for DoA: The variation's sell value to the client (the total of its scope lines), ex GST. Credits are negative and go to the lowest limit.
When it is approved: It moves on to Submitted automatically, its new items are added to the head contract as pending, and Generate & Send Document unlocks so you can send it to the client.
When it is rejected: It stays in Draft with the reason and Resubmit for approval.
With no workflow set up: It still goes for approval, to the project's Project Manager (or your workspace admins), unless Skip approval when unconfigured is on, in which case it goes straight to Submitted.

Good to know

Before it can be submitted, the variation needs at least one scope line, and every line needs a valid cost code.
Your Worksheet B limits are about committing spend. If your authority to price work to a client is different, use Fixed role steps with Min amounts here instead of a DoA-driven step (see the third example).

Example set-ups

Routed by value

Builders whose spend limits also suit pricing

1Approve variation price DoA-drivenBy value

Commercial check, then by value

Builders with a commercial team

1Commercial check Fixed roleProject Team: Quantity Surveyor or Contracts ManagerAny one of them
2Authority sign-off DoA-drivenBy value

Pricing limits of their own

Builders with different pricing and spending authority

1PM sign-off Fixed roleProject Team: Project Manager
2Construction Manager Fixed roleWorkspace role: Construction ManagerMin amount $25,000
3Managing Director Fixed roleWorkspace role: Managing DirectorMin amount $250,000

A $40,000 variation needs the PM and the Construction Manager; a $300,000 one needs all three.

Worksheet CYour set-up: Head contract variationsIn Deep Space: HC Variation (Client)

Do you want this record type approved?Yes, set up a workflowNo / not usedDecide later

Step	Step name	Fixed role or DoA-driven	Role(s), and workspace or project Team	All must approve?	Min amount (Fixed role only)
1
2
3

Projects that need different rules (project override)Notes and questions for our support team

12Progress claims to your client

Client side (head contract)Routed by valueAuto-approve can apply

Your internal sign-off of a progress claim before it is served on the client and the payment-claim clock starts.

What it controls: Whether the claim can be served on the client.
Where it starts: Progress Claims to Client: open the claim in Draft and click Submit for Internal Approval.
Amount used for DoA: The gross amount claimed this period (before retention), plus any retention you are claiming back, ex GST. It must be more than $0.
When it is approved: Serve Payment Claim and Generate & Send unlock. The claim stays in Draft until you serve it.
When it is rejected: It stays in Draft, showing "Approval Rejected" with the reason and a resubmit option.
With no workflow set up: It still goes for approval, to the project's Project Manager (or your workspace admins), unless Skip approval when unconfigured is on.

Good to know

Claims are time-critical. Keep the route short and make sure each approver knows the claim date, so a missing approval never delays serving the claim.

Example set-ups

Commercial Manager reviews

Most builders

1Claim review Fixed roleWorkspace role: Commercial Manager

QS check, then a director for big claims

Larger projects

1QS check Fixed roleProject Team: Quantity Surveyor
2Director release Fixed roleWorkspace role: Managing DirectorMin amount $1,000,000

PM's own claims within authority

Builders using auto-approve

1Claim sign-off DoA-drivenBy valueWith auto-approve on, a claim within the submitter's own limit is approved on submit

Worksheet CYour set-up: Head contract progress claimsIn Deep Space: HC Progress Claim

Do you want this record type approved?Yes, set up a workflowNo / not usedDecide later

Step	Step name	Fixed role or DoA-driven	Role(s), and workspace or project Team	All must approve?	Min amount (Fixed role only)
1
2
3

Projects that need different rules (project override)Notes and questions for our support team

13Client payment schedules (the client's response to your claim)

Client side (head contract)Routed by valueAuto-approve can apply

When your client answers a progress claim with a payment schedule, this workflow signs off the amount they have scheduled before you accept it.

What it controls: Whether the client's schedule can be accepted. Approval does not accept it for you.
Where it starts: Client Payment Schedules: open the schedule (status Received) and click Submit for Approval. It stays Received, marked "Awaiting internal approval".
Amount used for DoA: The amount the client has scheduled (certified), plus any retention release, ex GST. A $0 schedule (fully disputed) is allowed.
When it is approved: It shows "Internally approved", and Accept unlocks. Accepting then certifies the claim and updates the head contract.
When it is rejected: It stays Received and editable, marked "Approval rejected", with a resubmit option.
With no workflow set up: It still goes for approval, to the project's Project Manager (or your workspace admins), unless Skip approval when unconfigured is on.

Good to know

If you disagree with the client's schedule, you can still dispute it.
A revised schedule from the client is a new record and needs its own approval.

Example set-ups

Commercial Manager accepts

Most builders

1Accept client's schedule Fixed roleWorkspace role: Commercial Manager

PM checks, Finance accepts

Builders where finance owns debtors

1Check against claim Fixed roleProject Team: Project Manager
2Finance acceptance Fixed roleWorkspace role: Financial Controller

Worksheet CYour set-up: Client payment schedulesIn Deep Space: Client Payment Schedule

Do you want this record type approved?Yes, set up a workflowNo / not usedDecide later

Step	Step name	Fixed role or DoA-driven	Role(s), and workspace or project Team	All must approve?	Min amount (Fixed role only)
1
2

Projects that need different rules (project override)Notes and questions for our support team

14Provisional sum drawdowns

Client side (head contract)Routed by value

A drawdown spends part of a provisional sum allowance in your head contract. Approving it confirms the amount that comes off the allowance, and any over-run becomes a variation to your client.

What it controls: Approving the drawdown itself: the final approval is the drawdown approval.
Where it starts: Provisional Sum Register › Drawdowns: click Approve on the drawdown. Deep Space answers "Internal approval required"; confirm with Submit for approval. The drawdown shows "In approval", and approvers see Review & approve. See Provisional Sums in Deep Space, section 6.
Amount used for DoA: The drawdown's sell value (with your margin), ex GST.
When it is approved: The drawdown is approved: the amount is claimed against the allowance, and if it runs over the allowance a provisional sum variation to your client is raised or updated.
When it is rejected: It goes back to Draft with the reason and a Resubmit button. You can edit it or delete it.
With no workflow set up: No approval is needed: Approve approves the drawdown straight away.

Good to know

Before it can be submitted, the allowance must be attached and every line needs a valid cost code.
If your client disputes the variation a drawdown raised, the drawdown goes back to Pending and needs a new approval before it can be approved again.
Auto-approve never applies to drawdowns.

Example set-ups

Routed by value

Most builders

1Approve drawdown DoA-drivenBy value

Commercial check first

Builders whose commercial team manages client allowances

1Commercial check Fixed roleWorkspace role: Commercial Manager
2Approve drawdown DoA-drivenBy value

Worksheet CYour set-up: Provisional sum drawdownsIn Deep Space: PS Drawdown

Do you want this record type approved?Yes, set up a workflowNo / not usedDecide later

Step	Step name	Fixed role or DoA-driven	Role(s), and workspace or project Team	All must approve?	Min amount (Fixed role only)
1
2

Projects that need different rules (project override)Notes and questions for our support team

15Subcontract variations

Subcontract sideRouted by valueAuto-approve can apply

Your internal sign-off of a variation to a subcontract before it is put to the subcontractor and added to the subcontract.

What it controls: Whether a variation you raise on a subcontract can go ahead. The subcontractor's own agreement is recorded separately, on the variation's status.
Where it starts: Subcontract Variations register: open a variation in Draft and click Submit for Internal Approval. Sending the variation to the subcontractor stays locked until it is approved.
Amount used for DoA: The variation's net value (the total of its scope lines), ex GST. Omissions and credits are negative and go to the lowest limit.
When it is approved: It moves on automatically to Pending Approval (waiting on the subcontractor), and its scope lines are added to the subcontract as pending.
When it is rejected: It stays in Draft with the approver's reason. Anyone who can edit it can fix it and click Resubmit for approval.
With no workflow set up: It still goes for approval: to the project's Project Manager, or your workspace admins if there is none. Turn on Skip approval when unconfigured to have it approved straight away instead.

Good to know

Variations created from a subcontractor's claim are already agreed and don't go through this workflow.
Because omissions are negative, they always go to the lowest limit, and with auto-approve on they are within everyone's own limit. If credits need senior review, add a Fixed role step with no Min amount.

Example set-ups

Routed by value

Most builders

1Authority sign-off DoA-drivenBy value: Site Manager → Project Manager → Construction Manager → General Manager → MD

PM review, then a senior check on large ones

Builders whose PMs own their subcontract budgets

1PM review Fixed roleProject Team: Project Manager
2Senior review Fixed roleWorkspace role: Construction ManagerMin amount $50,000: variations under $50,000 stop at the PM

Commercial check on everything

Builders with a dedicated commercial team

1Commercial check Fixed roleProject Team: Quantity Surveyor or Contract AdminAny one of them
2Authority sign-off DoA-drivenBy value

Worksheet CYour set-up: Subcontract variationsIn Deep Space: Subcontract Variation

Do you want this record type approved?Yes, set up a workflowNo / not usedDecide later

Step	Step name	Fixed role or DoA-driven	Role(s), and workspace or project Team	All must approve?	Min amount (Fixed role only)
1
2
3

Projects that need different rules (project override)Notes and questions for our support team

16Subcontract payment schedules (paying subcontractor claims)

Subcontract sideRouted by valueAuto-approve can apply

When a subcontractor's progress claim arrives, Deep Space creates a draft payment schedule for it. You decide each line (approve, part-approve or reject), and this workflow signs off the amount you are about to accept. It is how subcontractor claims get approved for payment.

What it controls: Accepting the scheduled amount. The final approval is the acceptance: nobody has to click Accept afterwards.
Where it starts: Payment Schedules (Issued): once every line is decided, click Submit for Approval. The schedule shows "Awaiting internal approval" and is read-only until the approval finishes.
Amount used for DoA: The total you are certifying across the lines, plus any retention you are releasing, ex GST and before retention is held back.
When it is approved: Deep Space accepts the schedule: the claim becomes Certified, the subcontract's claimed-to-date and retention are updated, the bill is sent to Xero (as a draft or authorised bill, depending on your Xero settings) and the schedule PDF is emailed to the subcontract's recipients. This takes a minute or two after the final click.
When it is rejected: It moves to Revise and Resubmit: change the line decisions and submit it again.
With no workflow set up: No approval is needed: you can Accept the schedule directly. Submit for Approval is still offered, and goes to the project's Project Manager.

Good to know

The person who submits a schedule cannot approve it. This is the only record type with that rule. A step marked Submitter can act on this step is exempt, for a hand-off such as "CA to send" (see the second example); the other exceptions are in the DoA guide, section 12.
Before it can be submitted: every line must be decided, the total must be more than $0, the subcontractor's bank details must be verified, and any red or amber solvency check must be acknowledged. Your payment readiness setting can add more checks.
Approval does not hold up serving the schedule on the subcontractor: Generate & Send stays available, so you can still meet your payment schedule deadline.
With a workflow set up, the Accept button is replaced by Submit for Approval, so every schedule is approved before it is accepted.

Example set-ups

PM approves, Accounts releases

Builders with a separate accounts team

1PM approve Fixed roleProject Team: Project Manager
2Finance release Fixed roleWorkspace role: AccountsIts approval accepts the schedule and sends the bill to Xero

Approve by value, then CA to send

Contract Admins who prepare schedules and send them out

1Approve scheduled amount DoA-drivenBy valueThe Contract Admin who submitted it cannot approve this step
2CA to send Fixed roleProject Team: Contract AdminSubmitter can act on this step ticked: the CA closes it, which accepts the schedule

Routed by value

Smaller builders

1Approve scheduled amount DoA-drivenBy value

Worksheet CYour set-up: Subcontract payment schedulesIn Deep Space: Subcontract Payment Schedule

Do you want this record type approved?Yes, set up a workflowNo / not usedDecide later

Step	Step name	Fixed role or DoA-driven	Role(s), and workspace or project Team	All must approve?	Min amount (Fixed role only)
1
2
3

Projects that need different rules (project override)Notes and questions for our support team

17Company general inductions

Compliance and HSEQRouted by role (no amount)

A subcontractor company's general induction: the company-level form a business completes before it works for you (as opposed to each worker's site induction).

What it controls: Whether the company's general induction is accepted.
Where it starts: Automatically. When a subcontractor company submits its general induction, Deep Space starts the approval itself; nobody has to request it. Reviewers can approve or reject from My Approvals or from the company's Induction tab in the Subcontractor Directory.
Amount used for DoA: None. It is routed by role only.
When it is approved: The induction is marked Approved on the company's record, and the company's contact is told the outcome by email.
When it is rejected: The induction is marked Rejected, and the company's contact is emailed the reviewer's comments and asked to contact you about the changes needed. It does not appear in anyone's Returned to me list.
With no workflow set up: It goes to your workspace admins, because there is no project Project Manager to fall back to.

Good to know

It is not tied to a project, so project Team roles do not apply. Use workspace roles such as HSEQ Manager or Procurement.
Auto-approve never applies to company inductions.

Example set-ups

HSEQ reviews

Most builders

1Review induction Fixed roleWorkspace role: HSEQ Manager

Procurement, then HSEQ

Builders who check commercial details (insurances, licences) before safety

1Commercial check Fixed roleWorkspace role: Procurement
2Safety acceptance Fixed roleWorkspace role: HSEQ Manager

Whoever gets to it first

Small teams

1Review induction Fixed roleWorkspace roles: HSEQ Manager or ProcurementAny one of them can approve

Worksheet CYour set-up: Company general inductionsIn Deep Space: Company General Induction

Do you want this record type approved?Yes, set up a workflowNo / not usedDecide later

Step	Step name	Fixed role or DoA-driven	Role(s), and workspace or project Team	All must approve?	Min amount (Fixed role only)
1
2
3

Projects that need different rules (project override)Notes and questions for our support team

18HSEQ records: SWMS, site inductions, permits to work and plant inductions

Compliance and HSEQRouted by role (no amount)

These four record types come from your HSEQ registers in Horizon, filled in by your team or by subcontractors and workers in DS Site. Each has its own workflow, and they behave the same way:

None of them carries a dollar value, so build them from Fixed role steps. A DoA-driven step has no amount to route by.
Someone requests the approval from the record with Request Approval (SWMS can also start on their own, see below). Approvers act from the record (View Approval Route) or from My Approvals.
Project Team roles work well here: the project's Site Manager or HSEQ Lead approves records for their own project.
Rejected HSEQ records don't appear in Returned to me; they follow your own HSEQ process. Auto-approve never applies.

SWMS (safe work method statements)

A subcontractor's safe work method statement for high-risk work, reviewed before the work starts.

What it controls: Whether the SWMS is accepted for the project.
Where it starts: HSEQ › SWMS: open the SWMS and click Request Approval. Where SWMS sign-on is switched on for your company, a SWMS submitted in DS Site starts its approval automatically, as long as a SWMS workflow is set up.
Amount used for DoA: None. It is routed by role only.
When it is approved: The SWMS status becomes Approved. With SWMS sign-on switched on, its files go onto the company's SWMS sign-on form in DS Site, ready for workers to sign on.
When it is rejected: The SWMS status becomes Rejected. With SWMS sign-on switched on, its files come off the sign-on form.
With no workflow set up: Request Approval still works and goes to the project's Project Manager (or your workspace admins). SWMS submitted in DS Site do not start an approval on their own: that needs a SWMS workflow.

Site Manager approves

Most projects

1Site review Fixed roleProject Team: Site Manager

Site, then HSEQ

High-risk construction work

1Site review Fixed roleProject Team: Site Manager
2HSEQ approval Fixed roleProject Team: HSEQ Lead

Worksheet CYour set-up: SWMSIn Deep Space: SWMS

Do you want this record type approved?Yes, set up a workflowNo / not usedDecide later

Step	Step name	Fixed role or DoA-driven	Role(s), and workspace or project Team	All must approve?	Min amount (Fixed role only)
1
2

Projects that need different rules (project override)Notes and questions for our support team

Site inductions

A worker's induction onto one of your projects.

What it controls: Whether the worker's site induction is accepted.
Where it starts: HSEQ › Site Inductions: open the induction and click Request Approval.
Amount used for DoA: None. It is routed by role only.
When it is approved: The induction shows the approval as Approved. Approve it from the induction itself (View Approval Route) and it is also marked Inducted.
When it is rejected: The induction shows the approval as Rejected.
With no workflow set up: Request Approval still works: it goes to the project's Project Manager, or your workspace admins if there is none.

Site Manager approves

Most projects

1Induction check Fixed roleProject Team: Site Manager

Site Manager or Site Engineer

Busy sites with several supervisors

1Induction check Fixed roleProject Team: Site Manager or Site EngineerAny one of them can approve

Worksheet CYour set-up: Site inductionsIn Deep Space: Site Induction

Do you want this record type approved?Yes, set up a workflowNo / not usedDecide later

Step	Step name	Fixed role or DoA-driven	Role(s), and workspace or project Team	All must approve?	Min amount (Fixed role only)
1
2

Projects that need different rules (project override)Notes and questions for our support team

Permits to work

A permit for high-risk work such as hot works, confined space entry or work at height.

What it controls: Whether the permit is approved before the work starts.
Where it starts: HSEQ › Permits to Work: open the permit and click Request Approval.
Amount used for DoA: None. It is routed by role only.
When it is approved: The permit shows the approval as Approved.
When it is rejected: The permit shows the approval as Rejected.
With no workflow set up: Request Approval still works: it goes to the project's Project Manager, or your workspace admins if there is none.

Good to know

Permit numbers, the permit list and linked forms are covered in Permits to Work in Deep Space.

Permit issuer approves

Most projects

1Issue permit Fixed roleProject Team: Site Manager

Two signatures

Companies whose permit procedure needs site and safety sign-off

1Issue permit Fixed roleProject Team: Site Manager and HSEQ LeadRequire all approvers ticked: both must approve

Worksheet CYour set-up: Permits to workIn Deep Space: Permits to Work

Do you want this record type approved?Yes, set up a workflowNo / not usedDecide later

Step	Step name	Fixed role or DoA-driven	Role(s), and workspace or project Team	All must approve?	Min amount (Fixed role only)
1
2

Projects that need different rules (project override)Notes and questions for our support team

Plant inductions

The acceptance of a piece of plant or equipment onto site (its pre-start induction).

What it controls: Whether the plant is accepted onto site.
Where it starts: HSEQ › Plant Inductions: open the plant induction and click Request Approval.
Amount used for DoA: None. It is routed by role only.
When it is approved: The plant induction shows the approval as Approved. Approve it from the plant induction itself and it is also marked Inducted.
When it is rejected: The plant induction shows the approval as Rejected.
With no workflow set up: Request Approval still works: it goes to the project's Project Manager, or your workspace admins if there is none.

Site Manager approves

Most projects

1Plant check Fixed roleProject Team: Site Manager

Site, then HSEQ for major plant

Sites with cranes or other major plant

1Plant check Fixed roleProject Team: Site Manager
2HSEQ acceptance Fixed roleProject Team: HSEQ Lead

Worksheet CYour set-up: Plant inductionsIn Deep Space: Plant Inductions

Do you want this record type approved?Yes, set up a workflowNo / not usedDecide later

Step	Step name	Fixed role or DoA-driven	Role(s), and workspace or project Team	All must approve?	Min amount (Fixed role only)
1
2

Projects that need different rules (project override)Notes and questions for our support team

19Submittal sign-off

NoticesRouted by role (no amount)

Your internal sign-off of a submittal (for example shop drawings, samples or product data) that is marked as needing a signature.

What it controls: The internal sign-off a signature-required submittal needs before it can be closed.
Where it starts: Notices › Submittals: on a submittal that requires a signature, use the Sign-off panel to send it for approval. The panel reads "Required before this submittal can be closed".
Amount used for DoA: None. It is routed by role only.
When it is approved: The sign-off is recorded on the submittal, and it can be closed.
When it is rejected: The rejection is recorded on the submittal, which stays open.
With no workflow set up: This is how it works today, because submittals have no workflow of their own: sign-off goes to the project's Project Manager, or your workspace admins if there is none.

Good to know

There is no Submittal entry in the Entity type list yet, so you can't build a workflow for it on the Delegation of Authority page. Sign-off goes to the project's Project Manager, or to your workspace admins when the project has no Project Manager.
If your submittals need a different sign-off route, write it in the worksheet below and our support team will tell you what can be set up.
Auto-approve never applies to submittals.

Example set-ups

What happens today

Every workspace

1Sign-off Fixed roleProject Team: Project Manager (automatic)Workspace admins if the project has no Project Manager

Worksheet CYour set-up: Submittal sign-offIn Deep Space: Submittal sign-off

Do you want this record type approved?Yes, set up a workflowNo / not usedDecide later

Step	Step name	Fixed role or DoA-driven	Role(s), and workspace or project Team	All must approve?	Min amount (Fixed role only)
1
2

Projects that need different rules (project override)Notes and questions for our support team

20A complete example

Here is one complete set-up for a fictional mid-sized builder, using the example limits from section 3. It shows how the pieces fit together; it is not a recommendation.

Settings and Highest Authority

Highest Authority: Managing Director.
Skip approval when unconfigured: Off. Anything without a workflow goes to the project's Project Manager.
Auto-approve within submitter's authority: Off. Every record goes through its workflow, whoever raised it.

Workflows

Workflow	Steps
PO	1 · Fixed role: project Team › Contract Admin or Quantity Surveyor "Commercial check" → 2 · DoA-driven "Authority sign-off"
PO Invoice	1 · Fixed role: Accounts "Accounts check" → 2 · DoA-driven "Approve for payment"
Subcontract Agreement	1 · Fixed role: project Team › Contracts Manager "Contract check" → 2 · DoA-driven "Award sign-off"
Tender Recommendation	1 · Fixed role: project Team › Lead Estimator "Estimating review" → 2 · DoA-driven "Award approval"
Head Contract (Client)	1 · Fixed role: Commercial Manager "Contract review" → 2 · Fixed role: Managing Director "Execute"
HC Variation (Client)	1 · DoA-driven "Approve variation price"
HC Progress Claim	1 · Fixed role: Commercial Manager "Claim review"
Client Payment Schedule	1 · Fixed role: Commercial Manager "Accept client's schedule"
Subcontract Variation	1 · Fixed role: project Team › Project Manager "PM review" → 2 · Fixed role: Construction Manager "Senior review", Min amount $50,000
Subcontract Payment Schedule	1 · Fixed role: project Team › Project Manager "PM approve" → 2 · Fixed role: Accounts "Finance release"
PS Drawdown	1 · DoA-driven "Approve drawdown"
Company General Induction	1 · Fixed role: HSEQ Manager "Review induction"
SWMS	1 · Fixed role: project Team › Site Manager "Site review" → 2 · Fixed role: project Team › HSEQ Lead "HSEQ approval"
Site Induction, Plant Inductions, Permits to Work	1 · Fixed role: project Team › Site Manager

With this set-up, a $42,000 purchase order is checked by the project's Contract Admin or Quantity Surveyor, then goes to the project's Project Manager (the lowest limit that covers $42,000). A $180,000 subcontract goes to the project's Contracts Manager for a contract check, then to the Construction Manager. A $640,000 subcontract goes to the Contracts Manager and then the General Manager. A $2.4m subcontract goes to the Contracts Manager and then the Managing Director as Highest Authority.

21Worksheet D: agree it and hand it over

When Worksheets A to C are agreed, record who signed it off. Then either set it up yourself or send it to our support team. Records already waiting for approval keep the route they started with; the new rules apply to records submitted after they are set up.

Worksheet DAgreed and ready to set up

We have agreed the roles, limits, Highest Authority, settings and workflows in Worksheets A to C.

Name	Role	Date

Next stepWe will set it up ourselvesPlease set it up for us (send to help@deepspacegroup.ai)

Go-live date we are aiming for

22Setting it up: yourself, or with our support team

Set it up yourself

Follow Setting up DoA for your company in the DoA guide, in its order: roles in Admin › Security, then the Approval Thresholds (Worksheet B), the Highest Authority, one workflow per record type (Worksheet C), the two settings (Worksheet A), and project overrides last. Use the Threshold simulator in the workflow editor to check each workflow with a few test amounts before you save.

Or let our support team set it up

Send us your worksheets

Email help@deepspacegroup.ai with the subject DoA set-up and your company name. Attach the worksheets as PDF, the CSV download from this page, or your existing DoA policy if you already have one written down. Partly filled worksheets are fine: tell us what is still undecided.
We check and configure it

We check the roles exist in Admin › Security and have the right people in them, then set up your limits, Highest Authority, workflows, settings and any project overrides. If something in the worksheets is unclear or would not behave the way you expect, we ask before we build it.
We test it with you

We walk through a few test amounts with you in the Threshold simulator, and through a real record of each important type if you like, so you can see who gets each approval.
You maintain it

After that, it is yours to keep up to date as people and limits change. Changing a limit or a workflow step takes a minute, and we are always happy to help.

Keep it running smoothly

Set the Highest Authority early. It is the safety net for large amounts and stuck steps.
Make sure every role you use has people in it, and every project has its Team filled in. A step whose role is empty goes to Highest Authority with a warning.
When someone is away, add an out-of-office rule on the Delegations tab (DoA guide, section 11) rather than changing the workflow.
When someone leaves or changes job, update their role in Admin › Security or the project Team. Approvals follow the role automatically.

23Approvals that are not set up in DoA

A few approvals in Deep Space have their own process and are not configured on the Delegation of Authority page. They are listed here so nothing is missed when you plan.

Approval	How it works	Where it is set up
Timesheets	A manager approves each worker's week, which locks it and posts the labour cost to the project. See Timesheets — Commercial User Guide.	The Timesheets module
Subcontractor progress claims	Not a separate approval: you approve the payment schedule you issue in response, through the Subcontract Payment Schedule workflow.	DoA (Subcontract Payment Schedule)
Your client's decisions	The client approving a variation or certifying a claim is recorded on the record's own status. DoA only governs your internal sign-off before it goes to the client.	The record itself (Head Contract registers)
Who can see and use each module	The Approve ticks on Admin › Security control access to pages, not who approves what or up to what value. That is always DoA.	Admin › Security

24Common questions

Do we have to set up every workflow?

No. Set up the ones your policy needs. A record type without a workflow goes to the project's Project Manager (or your workspace admins), or is approved straight away if you turn on Skip approval when unconfigured.

Are the amounts ex GST or inc GST?

Ex GST, so set your limits ex GST. The one exception is a supplier invoice whose lines Deep Space could not read, which uses the invoice total as printed. For tender recommendations you type the award value in yourself: enter it ex GST, like the bids.

Can we import our DoA from a spreadsheet or from another system?

There is no self-service import. Send your worksheets, the CSV from this page or your existing DoA policy to help@deepspacegroup.ai and our support team will set it up for you. After that you maintain it on the Delegation of Authority page.

Can someone approve a record they raised themselves?

Only Subcontract Payment Schedules block it. On every other record type, if the person who raised a record holds the role a step goes to, they can approve that step, and that includes a DoA-driven step: a Project Manager's own $30,000 order goes to the Project Manager tier, which is them. If your policy needs a second person, start the workflow with a Fixed role step for someone who doesn't raise that kind of record (for example, a Contract Admin raises POs and the Project Manager approves them), and keep auto-approve off.

What happens to records already waiting when we change a workflow?

They keep the route they started with. Changes apply to records submitted afterwards.

Can one project have different rules?

Yes, with a project override of the workflow or of the limits (DoA guide, section 4). Use it sparingly: once a project has its own copy, later changes to the company default do not reach it.

We run more than one company in Deep Space. Do we do this twice?

Yes. Each workspace (one per legal entity) has its own DoA. Fill in a set of worksheets for each, or tell us that one entity should copy another and we will set both up.

An approver is away or has left. What now?

For planned leave, add an out-of-office rule on the Delegations tab. For a stuck step, a Highest Authority holder can approve on the approver's behalf with a comment. When someone leaves, update their role in Admin › Security or the project Team (DoA guide, section 11).