OLOW Hotel ERP

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User Guide: Expense Manager ​

For: Department Heads, Cashiers, and Finance Controllers Role: Expense Approver Last Updated: January 27, 2026

Table of Contents ​

  1. Role Overview
  2. Workflow: Submit -> Approve -> Pay
  3. Budget Management
  4. Petty Cash Operations
  5. Reporting
  6. Troubleshooting

Role Overview ​

As an Expense Manager, you balance operational agility with financial control. You ensure staff have the funds they need (Petty Cash/Reimbursement) while preventing overspending via Budget controls.

Key Responsibilities ​

  • Approval: Reviewing claims for validity and receipts.
  • Payment: Disbursing cash or processing transfers.
  • Budgeting: Setting department limits and monitoring burn rate.

Module Access ​

  • ✅ Expense - Full access.
  • ✅ Accounting - Review Ledgers.

Workflow: Submit -> Approve -> Pay ​

The lifecycle of an expense claim.

1. Submitting a Claim (Staff) ​

  1. Navigate to Expense > Create.
  2. Category: "Housekeeping > Cleaning Supplies".
  3. Amount: $40.
  4. Proof: Upload photo of Receipt.
  5. Submit.
    • System: If < $50 (Auto-Limit), Auto-Approve. Else, Pending Approval.

2. Approving a Claim (Manager) ​

  1. Navigate to Expense > Approvals.
  2. Review:
    • Is the receipt valid?
    • Is the category correct?
    • Is it business-related?
  3. Action:
    • Approve: Validates the spend. Deducts from "Budget".
    • Reject: Returns to staff. Enter reason ("Receipt blurry").

3. Paying the Claim (Finance) ​

  1. Filter Status: Approved.
  2. Click Record Payment.
  3. Method:
    • Petty Cash: Hand cash to staff.
    • Bank Transfer: Send to staff account.
  4. Confirm:
    • System: Dr Expense, Cr Cash. Status -> PAID.

Budget Management ​

Setting Budgets ​

  1. Navigate to Expense > Budgets.
  2. Select Year (2026) and Month (February).
  3. Enter Limits per Category:
    • Marketing: $2,000.
    • Maintenance: $500.
  4. Save.

Monitoring ​

  • Dashboard: Shows "Green / Yellow / Red" bars.
  • Over-Budget: Logic is "Soft Limit". You can approve over budget, but the system logs a warning "Budget Exceeded by $100".

Petty Cash Operations ​

Handling the physical cash box.

Replenishing Petty Cash (Float) ​

  1. Withdraw $500 from Bank.
  2. Navigate to Accounting > Journal Entry.
  3. Debit: 1010 - Petty Cash ($500).
  4. Credit: 1020 - Bank ($500).
  5. Result: Petty Cash Balance increases.

Reconciliation ​

At end of week: System Balance (Start + Topup - Expenses) must equal Physical Count.

  • If Short: Post Expense "Cash Shortage".
  • If Over: Post Revenue "Cash Overage".

Reporting ​

Monthly Spend Report ​

  • Breakdown by Department (Who spent it?).
  • Breakdown by Category (What did we buy?).

Vendor Report ​

  • See total volume with specific suppliers (e.g., "how much did we pay City Power this year?").

Troubleshooting ​

IssueSolution
Wrong CategoryIf Approved: Void it and Re-create. If Pending: Reject it.
Lost ReceiptRequire "Lost Receipt Affidavit" form signed by Manager. Attach that as the image.
Double PaymentIf you paid twice, record the second as "Employee Advance" (Asset) to be deducted from next claim.

TIP

Audit Trail: Every action (Submit, Approve, Pay, Void) is stamped with User + Time. Do not share passwords, or you become liable for others' approvals.