Skip to main content

Automate CapEx lifecycle with capital expenditure approval software

eCapEx replaces spreadsheets, emails, and unstable SharePoint solutions with capital expenditure approval software that streamlines the CapEx and OpEx process from project prioritisation and budget setting to request submission/approval and post-investment review.

It offers near-limitless flexibility to meet varied customer-specific requirements covering the end-to-end CapEx lifecycle without lengthy development cycles.

Challenges of

Manual process

Inconsistent documentation

Requests can be submitted in various formats, often containing typographical errors, invalid formulas, and incomplete or incorrect information.

Lengthy approvals

An inefficient approval process due to manual routing and rework leads to extended cycle times, bottlenecks, and missed opportunities.

Limited visibility

A lack of visibility hampers the ability to monitor the status of a request and track progress, resulting in wasted time chasing updates.

Poor governance

Inconsistent documentation, limited accountability, and failure to adhere to policy can result in inadequate version control, unauthorised access, and poorly informed decision-making.

Slow and complex data manipulation

Administrators spend a significant amount of time rekeying, reformatting, and manipulating data to produce financial reports (which quickly become outdated as they are based on a point in time, not real-time).

Inadequate financial discipline

Manual processes lack oversight, posing a risk of budget overspending, increased costs, and missed targets.

capex-request-form-excel capex-request-form-ecapex
Benefits of

eCapEx

Standardised requests

Electronic forms replace Excel with built-in logic and real-time data validation to capture accurate data and instantly submit completed requests/business cases.

Expedite approvals

Accelerate approvals with automated routing that aligns with your authority matrix, along with notifications triggered by due dates and periods of inactivity.

Enhanced visibility

Increase transparency and tracking of individual projects and the entire CapEx portfolio through a centralised, web-based platform that provides a single source of truth.

Strengthen compliance

Standardised business cases, formalised procedures, rules-based approvals, audit trails, and role-based access controls ensure process compliance across business units, departments, and geographies, thereby minimising the risk of fines and penalties.

Quick and easy data exports

Automatic or scheduled data exports to pre-defined Excel templates or directly integrate with line-of-business (LOB) or business intelligence (BI) applications.

Enhanced budget management

eCapEx seemlessly links requests to uploaded budgets, tracks actuals against forecasts, detects overspending, and monitors cash flow and expenditure forecasts to provide a comprehensive view of financial performance. The platform effortlessly integrates with ERP and accounting software.

How it works

Step 1

CapEx planning

Early collaboration with colleagues to identify CapEx needs and submit new ideas/wish list proposals for early consent before a detailed business case/capital expenditure request.

Prioritise projects based on strategic alignment, risk profile, or financial metrics, e.g. internal rate of return (IRR), net present value (NPV), and payback period.

Evaluate and rank preliminary ideas based on weighted scores.

Step 2

CapEx budgeting

Create and collaborate on budgets based on your prioritised list of projects; import them at the beginning of the financial year, assign them to business units and asset categories, and then adjust, clawback, assign and re-assign throughout the year.

Effortlessly assign CapEx requests to budgets or pre-defined projects.

Learn more

Step 3

CapEx requests and approval

Automatically route capital expenditure requests/business cases through an approval, rejection, and clarification workflow.

Send notifications as each step starts and periodic reminders when necessary.

Set up internal governance, such as procedures, approval limit setting, escalation procedures, and total spend authorisations to suit your corporate Delegation of Authority (DOA).

Learn more

Step 4

CapEx management and reporting

Manage your entire CapEx portfolio in a single platform, eliminating data siloes across the organisation.

Configure and combine task lists, tabular data and chart/graph widgets to display real-time visibility of project status and key metrics. Apply filters and drill down to display data for more in-depth insight.

Download reports on-demand or schedule them for automatic distribution.

Learn more

Step 5

CapEx post-investment review (PIR)

Conduct a post-investment review after 12 or 24 months to provide feedback on the capital project and evaluate return on investment, benefits realisation, deficiencies, etc.

Link the findings to the original request/business case with all information and supporting documentation instantly available.

Monitor the implementation of learnings and corrective actions.

CapEx budgeting

Add period budgets

Create/import CapEx budgets for the financial period and assign them to business units and asset categories with mid-period revisions available.

Link requests to uploaded budgets.

Track actuals

Track actuals vs forecast and closely monitor the remaining budget in the period, including any unplanned deviations at the project level.

Expenditure phasing

Outline the expected phasing of capital expenditure spend across the financial year for accurate cash flow forecasting.

Compare investments over multiple-year periods.

Overspend alerts

Get notified if your capital expenditure request will result in overspending and overruns.

Dynamically adapt approvals based on remaining budget status.

Planned / unplanned carry forward

Carry forward and re-assign the remaining budget into the next financial period.

Re-allocate budgets for emergency requests.

Manage all cost types

Handle various payment types such as CapEx/OpEx, write-downs, disposals, multi-year leases, acquisitions, new-hire, and legal settlements.

Budget types

Manage all budget types e.g. budgeted, unbudgeted, overrun/variance, and reassignment (to another business unit/department etc.)

CapEx request forms

capex-request-form

flexible-forms-greyscale
Standardised CapEx request forms

Eliminate spreadsheets and email approvals and create compelling business cases with standardised CapEx and OpEx request templates.

smart-forms-greyscale
Dynamic forms

Show/hide questions, lock fields, add skip logic, set mandatory/optional fields, and pre-populate fields, all based on conditional rules.

Highlight invalid fields and automatically validate data on input and/or submission.

payback
Auto-calculations

Auto-calculate amounts and prioritise projects based on IRR, NPV, payback period, EVA, RONA, Hurdle rates etc.

currency-conversion-greyscale
Currency conversion

Show figures in your local currency and global currency.

multi-lingual-greyscale
Multi-lingual

Automatic translation of capital expenditure approval form templates and user interfaces into your local language.

add-attachments
Add attachments

Upload attachments of any format (XLS, DOC etc.) to support the capital expenditure request e.g. supplier quotations etc.

capture-photographs
Capture photographs

Add images (JPG, PNG etc.) to the investment request to provide evidence.

printable-pdf-of-capex
Printable PDF
Generate printable PDFs of the submitted capital expenditure request form, including attachments.
save-for-later
Save for later

Save partially completed request forms and submit them later when further information is available.

form-locking
Form locking

Lock down capital expenditure request and justification forms with users no longer able to edit or modify the data.

supplier-quotations
Supplier quotations

Add quotes from potential vendors. Select a pre-approved vendor from the drop-down list or enter the supplier name, amount, notes, and reason for choosing the supplier.

Add additional rows as necessary (e.g., mandatory for three quotes).

emergency-capex-greyscale
Emergency CapEx

Escalate urgent/emergency requests via a modified workflow for prompt review and approval.

financial-details
Display budget position

Display the current budget position by business unit and category, showing the amount approved/available for the current period.

Highlight to the initiator/approver if the requested amount exceeds the remaining budget.

predicted-authorisation-path
Predicted authorisation path

Show the estimated approval steps dependent on the business unit, asset category, amount or any other fields and rules.

comment-log
Comment log

Add time-stamped notes to a capital expenditure request with the Q&As and comments visible to executives later in the approval chain.

Automate capital expenditure approvals

linear-workflow
Linear workflow
process-timeline-parallel-workflow-capex
Non-linear workflow
Automated CapEx approval workflow

Trigger highly configurable approval, rejection, and clarification workflows with conditions based on asset category, business unit, budgets, authorisation limits etc.

Add data integration steps to ingest data from other systems or export data to onward ERP, procurement, or purchasing systems.

Linear processes

Run CapEx approval steps sequentially when you need to receive one approval before another.

Non-linear workflow

Execute approval steps in parallel to benefit from greater efficiency and faster approvals.

The approval workflow provides early notification if a task is predicted to be late and dynamically takes direct action, escalating or re-routing activities to account for the predicted delay.

Case management

Create separate workflows and forms but link them together under one case\project.

Consolidating related processes (e.g., CapEx approval, vendor approval, payment tracking) into a single case makes it easy to implement manageable processes individually – and yet for all the relevant parts to be viewed as a whole by the users.

Stage gates

From project ideation to close out, the platform connects all phases of your capital project as standalone – but interlinked – workflows and ensures the investment meets predefined criteria before moving to the next stage gate.

This supports strong governance and delivers better outcomes by allowing executives to check the business case is still viable at regular intervals.

Email notifications

Automatically alert users to new tasks with reminders/escalations based on inactivity and due dates.

View request history

Approvers can refer to the audit trail and previous comments associated with a capital expenditure submission when approving a request or looking back through the archives.

Mobile approvals

Notifications can include approve/reject links while replies can be automatically processed for keywords so participants can quickly complete tasks when out of the office/offline.

An iOS/Android mobile app is available.

Custom rules

Add custom rules to your approval workflow e.g., allow an administrator to cancel an approved request, returning the budget.

Other examples include auto-cancelling clarification or rejection steps after two weeks or purging rejected and unapproved requests over seven years old.

CapEx management and reporting

capex-management-and-reporting
User interfaces

Configurable web workspaces are customised to different user roles and serve as the primary interface to the system.

Authorised users can initiate new workflows, view dashboards, search archived requests, collaborate with colleagues, and manage the system.

Configurable dashboards

Configure and combine task lists, tabular data and chart/graph widgets to display real-time metrics about your entire CapEx portfolio such as status, cycle times, progress, and user/process performance.

This means you can track KPIs and make more informed decisions. You can also discover process bottlenecks and intervene, if needed, to keep things running smoothly.

Custom reporting

Apply filters and drill down to display data for more in-depth insight.

Download pre-configured reports on capital spending by region, country, cluster, division, business unit, category etc. Schedule reports for automatic distribution to colleagues.

Create unlimited ad-hoc custom reports e.g. a current position report showing the approved budget against requested and approved CapEx requests.

Export data

Export data to pre-defined Excel templates for reporting and analysis or integrate with other line-of-business (LOB) or business intelligence (BI) applications.

Collaborative document management

Centralised control, security, and management of supporting documents including justifications and risk assessments etc.

Collaborate with colleagues and simultaneously author/mark up documents, spreadsheets, and presentations.

microsoft
oracle
aws
sharepoint
microsoft-teams-logo
microsoft-dynamics-gp
excel
my-sql
postgre-sql
sql-server
one-drive
salesforce
box
dropbox
teradata
facebook
microsoft-access

    Application integration

    The system supports direct integration, web services and REST/SOAP calls, giving you access to a wide variety of in-house and third-party services.

    Its .NET-based Software Development Kit (SDK) enables near-limitless capabilities to create reusable custom tasks and integrations.

    Out-of-the-box integration with ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle, or Microsoft) to update actuals, procurement to approve vendors, and purchasing to raise payment requests etc.

    Additionally, you can export data to legacy systems through Robotic Process Automation (RPA) or flat file formats (e.g., CSV, Excel).

    Security and data protection

    Audit trails

    Track and record every transaction (reviews, edits, approvals/rejections, comments, and other actions) so they can be retraced later by managers, auditors, and regulators.

    Single sign-on (SSO)

    Support for SAML-based authentication for SSO with your existing corporate user directory.

    Integrate with directories such as on-premise Active Directory (AD) and cloud-based Microsoft Entra ID (formally Azure Active Directory).

    Data encryption

    The system uses standard web security protocols (such as HTTPS over TLS 1.3) to encrypt data in transit.

    Multiple layers of encryption are used for all data at rest.

    Multi-factor authentication (MFA)

    Integration with industry-standard identity and authentication platforms allows you to incorporate MFA into the user logon process.

    Role-based access controls

    Create named user accounts and set granular permissions to track activity and prevent unauthorised access to workspaces and sensitive documents.

    Powerful technology

    The platform runs on the well-supported and reliable Windows, IIS, SQL and ASP.NET platforms from Microsoft. This means we can leverage the inherent security, scalability and reliability features in the capital expenditure approval and tracking software.

    Hosting

    The CapEx software is available on-premise or cloud-hosted.

    The cloud-hosted option (with a 99.9% uptime guarantee) includes ongoing technical support and maintenance with system updates/enhancements automatically rolled out to users.

    UK and worldwide data centres

    Our data centres are UK-based and fully compliant with UK GDPR, ISO 27001, and Cyber Essentials. The underlying platform, Process Director, is SOC2 certified.

    If you prefer, we can host your capital expenditure software within the Microsoft Azure global infrastructure, allowing you to keep your business-critical data in any region and comply with relevant legislation.

    As an IT support group, we offer our business colleagues choices. The decision to select Process Director/Cloud Edition was made by the Divisional CFO, as the prototype of the CapEx process worked to his satisfaction. From an IT perspective, we were also genuinely pleased with the pilot

    Chris Broe
    Group CIO
    Rentokil Initial

    I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to you and your team for your dedication, due diligence, professional insights, and relentless efforts in making this project a smooth and successful endeavour. Your commitment and expertise have been truly invaluable

    Aung Kyaw Moe
    Vice President, Global IT Infrastructure & Cybersecurity
    Millennium Hotels and Resorts

    professional-services

    Professional services

    Our professional services team are here to make your implementation as smooth as possible.

    While the platform is incredibly intuitive, many clients do not have the time or resources to build the solution themselves.

    At ePC, we have a team of experts available to support you with demonstrations, requirements gathering, proof of concept (PoC), statement of work (SOW), development, externally accessible prototypes, system testing, user acceptance testing (UAT), and training/support/documentation.

    Whether you prefer to build the system internally or require our professional services team to deliver a customised solution, we can streamline your CapEx lifecycle – without lengthy development cycles.

    Stars
    I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to you and your team for your dedication, due diligence, professional insights, and relentless efforts in making this project a smooth and successful endeavour. Your commitment and expertise have been truly invaluable
    Aung Kyaw Moe, Vice President, Global IT Infrastructure & Cybersecurity, Millennium Hotels and Resorts
    Stars
    As an IT support group, we offer our business colleagues choices. The decision to select Process Director/Cloud Edition was made by the Divisional CFO, as the prototype of the CapEx process worked to his satisfaction. From an IT perspective, we were also genuinely pleased with the pilot
    Chris Broe, Group Chief Information Officer, Rentokil Initial
    Stars
    We love the simplicity of the system. The actual form has not changed much. You now complete it online. It still captures all the same information. Crucially, the quality of submitted requests has improved as certain fields are auto-filled, calculated automatically or contain rules such as a mandatory field or display a warning if certain conditions are not met. We’ve made the process tighter and more consistent
    Nick Taylor, Finance Director, Millennium Hotels and Resorts
    Stars
    I have been really impressed by the speed with which this capability has been developed and how flexible it has been to meet our requirements
    Hilton Hess, Finance Director, Rentokil Initial
    Stars
    Great working with you and would definitely recommend ePC going forward, which is a credit to your technical knowledge, customer service and patience
    Struan Robertson, Group Accountant, Millennium Hotels and Resorts
      gartner-peer-insights

      gartner-peer-insights-star-rating

      4.8 / 5

      16 reviews

      Capterra-logo

      capterra-star-rating

      4.5 / 5

      40 reviews

      G2

      g2-star-rating

      4.7 / 5

      29 reviews

      Contact us

      Are you looking to automate CapEx approval processes?

      To demonstrate the value of eCapEx to key decision-makers in your organisation, we invite you to book a free, no-obligation demonstration to see how the capital expenditure approval software can meet your requirements.

      Alternatively, please call 03300 100 000 to discuss your requirements.






        We will not share your details outside of our organisation and will only contact you to discuss your enquiry. Read our privacy policy.