ApproveThis manages your Tend Integration approvals.

When Bureaucracy Meets Analytics

Let's be real – most approval processes exist because someone once messed up a big order or accidentally hired a clown instead of a contractor. But in 2024, using email chains and sticky notes for sign-offs is like bringing a fax machine to a AI conference. This is where ApproveThis and Tend turn "we need three signatures for this" into "done, here's the data."

ApproveThis handles the rubber-stamp work – routing requests, chasing down MIA approvers, keeping records. Tend tells you why any of this matters by showing what actually moves the needle with clients and projects. Together through Zapier, they turn approval bottlenecks into actual business intelligence.

Why Your Team Will Stop Hating Approvals

Mid-sized companies (50-5,000 employees) aren't startups anymore – you need guardrails. But you also can't afford the speed tax of manual processes. Here's what changes when you connect these tools:

Actual Accountability, Less Babysitting

ApproveThis tracks who approved what and when. Tend shows how that approval impacted client behavior or project timelines. No more "I thought Sarah was handling it" emails at 11 PM.

Decisions That Feed Future Strategy

Every approved vendor request or client contract in Tend becomes data. Next quarter, you'll know which approvals led to profitable deals vs. time sucks.

External Teams That Don't Ghost You

ApproveThis approvers don't need Tend licenses. Clients or contractors can approve directly via email without getting access to your whole CRM. Less security headaches, faster turnarounds.

Real Uses That Don't Feel Like Corporate Yoga

Use Case 1: New Client/Vendor Vetting

The Problem: Sales teams onboard new clients fast, ops needs to verify they're not sketchy. Chaos ensues.

The Fix: When Tend logs a new company, ApproveThis automatically routes compliance checks to legal/finance. Approval thresholds auto-approve low-risk clients under $5k. Manufacturing companies use this to approve raw material suppliers in 8 hours instead of 8 days.

Use Case 2: Event Budgets That Don't Blow Up

The Problem: Marketing plans a conference. Finance approves $20k. Catering costs triple overnight.

The Fix: Any new event in Tend triggers multi-tier approvals in ApproveThis. Calculated fields flag if A/V costs exceed 15% of total budget. Marketing agencies prevent "creative accounting" by junior staff.

Use Case 3: Contract Updates That Don't Get Lost

The Problem: Renewal terms get approved but never make it back into Tend. Sales ops manually hunts down PDFs.

The Fix: Completed approvals in ApproveThis auto-update Tend contact records. Conditional logic adds notes like "Approved with 10% discount" directly to the client profile. Consulting firms keep 200+ client SLAs synced without spreadsheets.

Department-Specific Wins

Sales Teams

New lead in Tend? Auto-approve discount tiers based on deal size. Approvers get context like "Client spent $500k last year" without leaving Outlook.

Operations

Vendor invoices hit approval thresholds? Tend tracks delivery performance metrics. Next quarter, auto-approve reliable suppliers under $10k.

Marketing

Event sponsorships require CMO sign-off... unless they include booth space. ApproveThis skips levels based on campaign type. Tend shows which approved sponsors drove demo requests.

Finance

ApproveThis enforces approval chains for PO approvals. Tend auto-flags clients with 60+ day payment history. No more "Can we make an exception?" calls.

Setting This Up Without Losing Your Mind

Zapier does the heavy lifting. Here's the 3-step process:

1. Connect Tend and ApproveThis to Zapier (15 minutes)
2. Set triggers: "New Company in Tend" or "Event Created"
3. Map key fields: Budget amounts, contact emails, approval tiers

Pro tip: Use ApproveThis' calculated fields to auto-flag requests needing extra scrutiny. Example: If a Tend event's catering budget exceeds $5k, require CMO approval regardless of total budget.

Why This Combo Doesn't Suck

Most approval tools just move the paperwork online. Here's what makes this different:

Approval Groups That Make Sense

Need 3 VPs to approve? Set parallel approvals so they can review simultaneously. Tend shows which approvers typically delay deals – route around bottlenecks.

Vacation Coverage That Works

ApproveThis auto-reassigns approvals if someone's OOO. Tend maintains context so substitutes aren't blindsided.

Email Approvals That Don't Get Buried

Approvers click approve/deny directly in email. Tend records the decision timestamp. No "I didn't see the notification" excuses.

Bottom Line: Approvals Should Make You Money, Not Waste Time

Companies between 50-5k employees use ApproveThis + Tend to:

• Cut approval times from days to hours
• Reduce compliance risks with audit trails
• Turn approval data into client insights

This isn't about adding more process – it's about making existing workflows actually accountable. And maybe preventing your team from accidentally approving another $10k clown invoice.

Next Steps

If you've got Tend and are tired of approval chaos:

Book a 15-minute demo to see real client examples

Or start a free trial – connects to Tend in under an hour

PS: Yes, approvers really don't need Tend licenses. No, we won't make you sit through a 2-hour sales pitch.