ApproveThis manages your Time Tracker Integration approvals.

When Time Tracking Meets Approval Power

Let's cut to the chase: time tracking and approvals suck when they're separate. Employees log hours in Time Tracker. Managers chase approvals in email threads. Finance teams manually cross-check spreadsheets. It's a mess of missed deadlines, billing errors, and "I thought YOU approved that?" meetings.

ApproveThis plugs directly into Time Tracker via Zapier, turning those two disconnected systems into an actual workflow. We're not talking about some "nice-to-have" integration - this is about fixing the specific ways companies between 50-5,000 employees hemorrhage time and money through approval gaps.

Why This Combo Works for Grown-Up Companies

Time Tracker knows what hours get logged. ApproveThis controls whether those hours count. Together, they solve three core problems:

• Billing Accuracy: Prevent client disputes by requiring approvals before hours hit invoices
• Compliance: Auto-flag overtime, non-billable work, or off-project time

Example: A 200-person consulting firm uses approval thresholds to auto-approve standard client hours but require VP sign-off on any overtime. Saves 11 hours/week in manual review.

The Hidden Benefit Your Finance Team Will Love

ApproveThis approvers don't need Time Tracker licenses. Client contacts can approve hours directly via email without getting added to your Time Tracker plan. Cuts software costs and stops the "how do I log in?" support tickets.

Real Workflows for Actual Adults

No fluff. These are the exact setups we see working in mid-market companies:

1. Kill Manual Hourly Approvals (For Good)

The Problem: Project managers waste hours each week approving routine time entries in Time Tracker while urgent requests get buried.

The Fix: Zapier triggers an ApproveThis workflow when any timer reaches 8 hours. Basic approvals happen via email (no login needed), while complex entries get routed up the chain.

Who Uses This: Construction firms approving subcontractor hours, agencies tracking billable client work.

2. Compliance Without the Paperwork

The Problem: Legal teams need to verify time spent on sensitive client matters but hate micromanaging.

The Fix: Any Time Tracker entry tagged with "Client Confidential" auto-creates an approval request with mandatory sign-off from both the lead attorney and compliance officer. All decisions are audited automatically.

3. Stop Scope Creep in Real Time

The Problem: Developers exceed estimated hours on features, blowing project budgets.

The Fix: When a timer exceeds the task's estimated hours in Time Tracker, ApproveThis pings the product manager with options: approve extra time, pause work, or escalate. All before the next sprint planning.

Setting This Up Without Losing Your Mind

If you can set up an out-of-office email, you can handle this:

1. Connect Time Tracker and ApproveThis via Zapier (takes 4 minutes)
2. Choose your trigger: New timer, stopped timer, or specific tags/projects
3. Map Time Tracker fields to ApproveThis' request forms
4. Set approval rules: Who needs to sign off? What thresholds apply?

Pro Tip: Use ApproveThis' calculated fields to auto-flag entries that exceed budgeted hours or have mismatched client rates.

Why Your Teams Will Actually Use This

Most workflow tools fail because they demand behavior changes. This doesn't:

For Employees:

They keep using Time Tracker like normal. Approvals happen via email or Slack - no new app to learn. If their timer needs approval, they know immediately instead of finding out during payroll.

For Managers:

ApproveThis surfaces only the exceptions that need human judgment. Vacation delegation means approvals never stall because someone's OOO. Real-time dashboards show bottlenecks before they blow up.

For Finance/Operations:

Auto-export approved hours to your accounting software. Generate audit trails for compliance reports without manual digging. Slash the month-end close process by 2-3 days.

The Unsexy (But Critical) Details

We know you're vetting this for security and scalability. Here's what matters:

• Data Sync: ApproveThis mirrors Time Tracker's permissions - users only see requests they're allowed to
• Compliance: SOC 2 Type II certified. GDPR-ready data processing agreements available
• Scale: Handles 500+ concurrent approval workflows without performance hits

Getting Started Without the Sales Circus

You've got two options:

1. DIY: Start an ApproveThis trial, connect to Time Tracker via Zapier, and use pre-built templates. We'll even give you our exact client playbook.

2. Demo: Book a 15-minute walkthrough where we'll map your current approval process and show where this cuts steps.

No "strategy sessions" or consultant upsells. We're engineers, not philosophers.

The Bottom Line for Grown-Ups

If you're over 50 employees, manual time approvals are either costing you real money right now or about to blow up during your next audit. This integration isn't about features - it's about fixing one specific broken process that's been quietly draining resources.

ApproveThis + Time Tracker via Zapier gives you enforceable guardrails without the bureaucracy. Clients get accurate invoices. Employees get clear approval paths. Finance gets clean data. And you get to stop babysitting spreadsheets.