Billing Cycle Approval Workflow for Housing Societies
Billing cycle approval workflow for housing societies
A billing approval workflow is a maker-checker control where one committee member previews and validates the maintenance invoices for a period, and a different member approves them before any bill reaches a resident. On Plinth the cycle moves through preview → submit → approve → issue → close, so a wrong amount, a missing owner, or a duplicate flat is caught before, not after, residents are billed.
Why societies need an approval step
In most societies the treasurer runs the maintenance bill alone, and the first time anyone else sees it is when an angry owner messages the group about a wrong figure. A single typo in a charge head, a flat with no owner in the roster, or a duplicated unit can turn a routine cycle into weeks of corrections and loss of trust. An approval gate makes billing dispute-proof: every issued cycle has a named submitter, a named approver, and a timestamped trail in the audit log.
How the workflow runs in Plinth
- Preview & validate — The treasurer opens the cycle and runs a preview. Plinth computes every flat's invoice (charge heads, GST, arrears) without issuing anything, and flags problems: duplicate flats, flats with no resident in the roster, unusually high or low amounts (outliers versus the median), and per-sq-ft heads missing a carpet area.
- Per-flat overrides — Need to exempt a new move-in or correct a one-off? Enter an amount override with a reason and re-run the preview. The override and reason are saved on the draft.
- Submit for approval — When the preview looks right, the treasurer submits the cycle.
- Approve (maker-checker) — A second admin reviews and approves. Plinth blocks the same person who submitted from approving, so there is always a real second pair of eyes.
- Issue — Only an approved cycle can be issued. Invoices go to residents and post to the society accounting ledger.
- Close — After collection, close the cycle to lock it.
Prefer the old one-step flow? It still exists as "Quick preview / Quick issue" for societies that don't want a second approver — the approval workflow is opt-in per cycle.
What gets validated before issue
| Check | What it catches |
|---|---|
| Duplicate flat | The same block + flat number entered twice in the roster |
| Missing resident | A flat with no owner recorded — likely an incomplete roster |
| Unusual amount | A total far above or below the median (e.g. a per-sq-ft data error) |
| Missing carpet area | A per-sq-ft charge head on a flat with no carpet area set |
Each flag is shown on the flat's row in the preview table, so the treasurer fixes the roster or charge head before anyone is billed.
How this fits the rest of billing
The approval workflow sits on top of the existing billing cycle tools — charge heads, GST line items, late fees, and receipts are unchanged. It only adds the preview-validate-approve gate between creating a cycle and issuing it. Online payment collection is still on the roadmap; today Plinth records offline payments and issues PDF receipts.
FAQ
Does every cycle need approval? No. The workflow is per cycle. Use "Quick issue" for small societies, or the full preview → approve gate when you want a second signatory.
Can the same person submit and approve? No. Plinth enforces maker-checker — the approver must be a different admin than the submitter.
Where is the approval recorded? In the cycle's approval history and the society audit log, with actor and timestamp for submit, approve, and reject actions.
Can I exempt one flat from a bill? Yes — enter a per-flat amount override with a reason during preview, then re-run the preview before submitting.
Ready to make billing dispute-proof? Set up billing approvals or read the step-by-step approval guide.