Capital Expenditure Requests with Stratex Online

Formalize, govern, and release funding with confidence

Capital Expenditure Requests and
Their Role in Capital Planning

Capital expenditure requests (CERs) are formal approval mechanisms used to authorize funding for capital investments. Once a project has been evaluated and included in the project portfolio, the CER defines the approved budget, scope, and approval requirements needed to release funds and initiate execution.

CERs play a critical role in connecting capital planning decisions to project execution. The CapEx approval process ensures that investments are formally authorized in accordance with Delegation of Authority (DoA) policies, and are ready to progress into execution.

Stratex Online standardizes and automates this step in the capital planning process, ensuring that CapEx requests move seamlessly from decision to authorized funding with full governance, control and visibility.

Orora Logo
Hyster Yale Logo
Visy Logo
Alcon Logo
Pan Pac Forest Products Logo
Sunrice Chemical Logo
Reflections Holidays Logo
Fletcher Building Logo
Carbogen AMCIS logo

Stratex Online is trusted by finance teams, project managers, and executives worldwide to optimize CapEx request processes

Drive Better CapEx Decisions with
Integrated CapEx Requests

CapEx request processes are often delayed due to inefficient approval routing and incomplete and poor-quality requests. Workflows are manual, evaluation criteria are inconsistent, and governance is difficult to enforce. The result is missed opportunities, poor decisions, and limited visibility and control over how capital is being allocated.
To operate effectively, a CapEx request process must deliver three core capabilities:

Structured and Efficient Approval Workflows

Ensure requests are consistently routed to the right stakeholders based on defined roles, responsibilities, and approval thresholds.

Complete and Comparable Decision Context

Provide decision-makers with consistent, structured information to assess investments across financial, strategic, and risk dimensions.

Embedded Governance and Approval Control

Enforce Delegation of Authority policies and ensure all approvals are aligned with organizational requirements and fully auditable.

Structuring Your CapEx Request Process

An effective CER process ensures that funding decisions are consistently authorized, governed, and progressed without delay. A structured CER process typically includes four key steps:

Define Role-Based Approvals & Delegation of Authority

Establish approval roles and Delegation of Authority (DoA) requirements based on factors such as investment value, project type, and asset classification.


→ Define Approval Structure

Route Requests Through the Right Stakeholders

Ensure CapEx requests are directed to the appropriate stakeholders at each stage of the approval process, providing the right level of oversight and accountability.

→ Route to Stakeholders

Provide Complete Information for Decision-Making

Ensure each request includes the necessary financial, strategic, and supporting information required for informed and defensible approval decisions.


→ Enable Informed Decisions

Monitor Workflow Progress and Resolve Bottlenecks

Track the progress of requests through the approval process and ensure delays are identified and addressed so decisions continue to move forward.


→ Keep Approvals Moving

Define Role-Based Approvals & Delegation of Authority

Establish approval roles and Delegation of Authority (DoA) requirements based on factors such as investment value, project type, and asset classification.

→ Define Approval Structure

Route Requests Through the Right Stakeholders

Ensure CapEx requests are directed to the appropriate stakeholders at each stage of the approval process, providing the right level of oversight and accountability.

→ Route to Stakeholders

Provide Complete Information for Decision-Making

Ensure each request includes the necessary financial, strategic, and supporting information required for informed and defensible approval decisions.

→ Enable Informed Decisions

Monitor Workflow Progress and Resolve Bottlenecks

Track the progress of requests through the approval process and ensure delays are identified and addressed so decisions continue to move forward.

→ Keep Approvals Moving

Gaining a Single Source of Truth for CapEx Requests

Gaining a Single Source of Truth for Capital Expenditure Requests

Managing Capital Expenditure Requests across spreadsheets, email, and disconnected systems creates inconsistent data, limited visibility, and weak auditability. Without a single source of truth, finance teams lack confidence in approved funding and struggle to maintain control over capital allocation.

Centralizing CapEx requests establishes a single, authoritative record of approved investments, ensuring decisions remain visible, traceable, and governed over time. With a single source of truth for CapEx requests, finance teams can:

  • Maintain a complete record of approved CapEx requests, decisions, and audit history
  • Gain real-time visibility into approved and in-flight funding commitments
  • Ensure consistent application of approval policies and governance frameworks
  • Eliminate duplication and reliance on manual tracking processes

Case Study: How Our Client Enhanced CapEx Approval Efficiency

See the real-world impact of Stratex Online when adopted by leading organizations.

How Stratex Online Brings Structure and Control to CapEx Requests

Stratex Online provides a structured and configurable framework for managing capital expenditure requests, ensuring CapEx approval processes are governed, consistent, and aligned with organizational policies.

Governed Approval and Delegation Control

Define and enforce how capital expenditure requests are approved through a structured DoA framework. This ensures approval responsibilities are clearly defined, consistently applied, and aligned with organizational policy.

In Stratex Online, approval roles and sequences are defined centrally, ensuring consistency across all CapEx request workflows.

Determine when roles are required based on key attributes such as investment value, project type, investment reason, asset class, category, and budgeted status.

Assign individuals to approval roles based on the organizational structure, supporting both centralized and dynamic assignment.

Governed Approval and Delegation Control of Capital Expenditure Requests
CapEx requests require dynamic workflow and stakeholder alignment

Dynamic Workflow and Stakeholder Alignment

CapEx requests require input from multiple stakeholders across different approval stages. Ensure requests are routed to the appropriate stakeholders at each stage, maintaining clear accountability, consistent oversight, and alignment with organizational approval requirements.

Apply approval requirements at key decision points, ensuring the appropriate stakeholders are included as requests progress through the approval lifecycle.

Route requests dynamically based on attributes such as investment reason, type, and category, ensuring each request follows the most appropriate approval path including parallel approval where appropriate.

Record supporting documentation, including approval notes and committee decisions, to maintain a complete and auditable record of each request.

Complete Decision Context and Collaboration

Stratex Online ensures decision-makers have access to all relevant information required to assess and approve capital investments with confidence.

Provide secure, centralized access to all supporting documentation required for capital investment decisions, including designs, solution overviews, and supplier quotations.

  • Classify attachments with summaries for faster review
  • Mandate required documents based on project type
  • Preview files and provide templates to streamline completion

Capture the information that matters by adapting request structures to reflect organizational and industry-specific needs.

  • Customize standard fields and naming conventions
  • Add custom fields for additional classifications, values, or commentary
  • Control when fields are required based on request complexity

Ensure decision-makers have access to complete and validated information by enabling collaboration directly within the request.

  • Invite collaborators and endorsers to contribute
  • Capture questions, responses, and commentary in context
  • Engage key stakeholders early to strengthen decision quality
Complete Decision Context and Collaboration for Capital Expenditure Requests
Workflow Visibility Control and Responsiveness in capital expenditure requests

Workflow Visibility, Control, and Responsiveness

Maintain visibility and control over CapEx approval workflows while ensuring decisions continue to progress without delay. This enables organizations to identify bottlenecks, enforce accountability, and maintain governance across the approval process.

Ensure CapEx requests continue to move through the approval process without delay or disruption.

  • Track workflow status and identify bottlenecks in real time
  • Manage tasks and notifications to support timely action
  • Escalate or delegate approvals to maintain workflow continuity

Ensure all approval decisions are fully traceable, governed, and aligned with organizational requirements.

  • Maintain a complete audit trail of actions, approvals, and changes
  • Track updates with attributed users, timestamps, and history
  • Enable in-flight adjustments while preserving accountability

Protect sensitive capital investment information through controlled access and strict confidentiality settings.

  • Restrict access to authorized participants based on roles and classifications
  • Apply enhanced controls for highly confidential requests
  • Extend access dynamically through configurable authorization group

Ensure approval processes remain responsive, regardless of location or urgency.

  • Approve requests via mobile, email, or integrated platforms
  • Provide real-time notifications and task visibility
  • Prevent delays by enabling approvals from any device

Seamless Transition to Execution Systems

Ensure approved CapEx decisions move directly into execution without manual rework, delays, or data loss. This enables organizations to maintain continuity from CapEx approval through to project delivery.

Connect CapEx approvals directly to downstream systems such as ERP platforms, ensuring approved data flows seamlessly into execution.

  • Integrate with ERP and procurement systems via APIs and pre-built connectors
  • Eliminate manual data transfer and reduce translation errors
  • Maintain alignment between approved decisions and system records

Ensure approved investments are immediately ready for execution by automatically creating projects with the correct structure and budgets.

  • Create projects directly in ERP systems with approved budget allocations
  • Transfer key attributes, classifications, and financial data
  • Accelerate transition from approval to execution

Ensure financial data remains connected from approval through to delivery and analysis.

  • Track committed costs from procurement systems
  • Monitor actual expenditure and cashflows against approved CapEx requests
  • Maintain visibility across the full lifecycle of capital investment
CER Seamless Transition to Execution Systems

Where CapEx Requests Fit in the Capital Planning Lifecycle

Capital expenditure requests sit between project portfolio management and execution. They formalize funding approval for prioritized initiatives, ensuring decisions made during portfolio planning are translated into authorized projects and ongoing financial control.

Project Demand Management: Capture and prioritize investment ideas from across the entire organization.
Business Case Evaluation: Qualified initiatives are developed and evaluated using structured criteria across financial viability, strategic alignment, and risk.
Project Portfolio Management: Compare developed and evaluated business cases to prioritize investment selection under resource constraints.
Capital Expenditure Requests (CERs): Formally request and authorize approved funding.
Project Forecasting & Analysis: Analyze projected and actual capital spend to assess affordability over time.

Take Control of CapEx Request Approvals

Stratex Online ensures CapEx requests are evaluated, approved, and progressed with structure and oversight. Eliminate delays, enforce governance, and ensure every funding decision is supported by consistent data and the right approvals.

Our Latest Articles