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When to escalate vendor exceptions
Not every red flag needs a director on the thread. Escalation works when the gate is written down and applied the same way on quiet Tuesdays and frantic Fridays.
Escalate immediately
- Bank detail changes paired with a new email domain on the vendor record.
- Payment holds overridden without a named approver in the accounts payable audit app log.
- Supplier contact insisting on urgency while refusing a call-back on a known number.
Handle in AP first
- Missing PO references on low-value invoices within policy.
- Narrative typos that match a known PO after a human check.
- VAT coding questions with a clear policy answer already published.
Write the escalation note
Include what you checked, what remains uncertain, and the decision you need. Avoid adjectives. Controllers move faster when the ask is a yes/no or a named owner assignment.