An architectural guide for integrating authority management with HRIS, ERP/procurement, and identity systems so approvals are consistent and auditable.
Definition: A single source of truth for authority is a designated system of record that owns the authority rules (matrix) and delegation records, with other systems consuming or validating against it — so approvals, signatures, and access controls all reflect the same governed data.
Most authority problems are not policy problems — they're integration problems. When HR systems, approval workflows, and access controls each carry a different view of "who is allowed to do what," drift is inevitable.
McKinsey's research on decision-making found that growing organizational complexity has clouded accountabilities, making leaders less able to delegate decisions cleanly. A single source of truth for authority directly addresses this by creating one place where authority rules are defined and from which all other systems derive their enforcement logic.
It does not mean one system stores everything. It means: one place owns the authority rules and delegation records, other systems consume those rules or validate against them, and changes are versioned and auditable with clear effective dates.
| System Category | What It Owns | Authority Role | Common Integration Pattern |
|---|---|---|---|
| HRIS (people and roles) | Employment status, role, reporting line, entity assignment | Source of who people are and where they sit | Inbound feed: role changes trigger authority review |
| ERP / Procurement / CLM (approvals) | Approval routing, threshold enforcement, evidence capture | Where approvals happen day-to-day | Outbound feed: authority rules drive workflow routing |
| Identity & Access Management (permissions) | System access to initiate payments, change master data, admin functions | Where execution happens | Bidirectional: entitlements should align with authority grants |
When these three are not connected, you get the full spectrum of authority failures: HR changes that don't update delegations, workflow rules that diverge from the matrix, and system access that persists after authority is revoked.
This pattern reduces manual reconciliation and creates consistent approvals. According to the EY/Society for Corporate Governance study, 90 percent of companies have DOA policies but struggle with enforcement — and the enforcement gap is almost always an integration gap.
Our recommendation: Start with the HRIS integration. When HR role changes automatically trigger authority reviews, you eliminate the most common source of stale delegations. The ERP/workflow integration can follow once you have a clean, current authority baseline to enforce.
Aptly is designed to be the authority system of record and integrate with HRIS and operational systems, so approvals and delegations remain aligned. For pragmatic enforcement patterns, read Embedding Authority Checks into Workflows (Q&A).
HRIS integration. Role changes, terminations, and re-orgs are the most frequent triggers for authority updates. Connecting HRIS events to authority review workflows eliminates the single largest source of stale delegations and provides the clean baseline needed for downstream system integrations.
Yes. The authority system of record doesn't replace your ERP, procurement, or identity systems. It sits alongside them as the canonical source for who can approve and execute what. Other systems consume authority data through APIs, exports, or event-driven updates rather than maintaining their own independent authority logic.
Design fail-safe behavior upfront. For high-risk actions (payments, signing), a hard stop that blocks until validation is restored may be appropriate. For moderate-risk actions, a soft stop that allows execution with additional escalation and evidence requirements provides business continuity. For lower-risk actions, a monitor-only mode that flags exceptions for post-facto review may suffice.
At minimum: employment status (active, terminated, on leave), current role and title, reporting line, department and cost center, legal entity assignment, and location. Role change events (promotions, transfers, terminations) should flow as real-time or near-real-time events to trigger authority reviews automatically.
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