ApproveThis manages your ProjectManager Integration approvals.

When Project Management Meets Approval Muscle

Let's cut through the corporate jargon: ProjectManager helps you do the work, while ApproveThis ensures you approve the right work. Together? They're like that rare coworker duo who actually make each other better instead of clogging your Slack with pointless threads.

ProjectManager teams live in Gantt charts and task lists. ApproveThis crews live in "Who signed off on this?" and "Why hasn't accounting reviewed the PO yet?" Connect them through Zapier, and you create a bridge between planning and permission – two things that usually move at completely different speeds.

Why This Combo Doesn't Suck

Most approval processes fail because they're either:

• Too rigid: "The system says we need 3 signatures for a $50 expense!"
• Too chaotic: "Check Slack, email, carrier pigeon – maybe Janet approved it?"

ApproveThis fixes this by letting you build rules that actually make sense (conditional approvals, dollar thresholds, automatic escalations). ProjectManager keeps everyone on track after the approval. Zapier moves data between them before your coffee gets cold.

Real-world math: If your team wastes 3 hours weekly chasing approvals manually, this integration pays for itself by Thursday morning.

Use Cases That Don't Feel Like Corporate Brainwashing

1. New Project? Get Sign-Off Before the First Meeting

How it works: Project created in ProjectManager → Auto-sends to ApproveThis → Stakeholders approve/deny via email → Project auto-activates or gets flagged.

Who cares: Marketing agencies pitching big campaigns. Nothing worse than pre-selling a project that legal nukes two weeks later.

Secret sauce: Use ApproveThis' calculated fields to auto-flag projects exceeding budget caps before they ever hit a PM's desk.

2. Approved Tasks = Instant Action Items

How it works: Approval granted in ApproveThis → Task automatically updates in ProjectManager with notes, deadlines, assignees.

Who cares: Construction firms dealing with change orders. Electrician needs client approval before ripping out a wall? Now the foreman knows immediately when it's greenlit.

Pro tip: Set up approval groups in ApproveThis so critical tasks need both department heads and external clients to sign off – without anyone needing a ProjectManager login.

3. Rejected Requests That Don't Ghost People

How it works: Denied in ApproveThis → ProjectManager task gets tagged with rejection reasons → PM gets alerted to revise scope.

Who cares: Software teams dealing with feature creep. Product says no to that "urgent" button color change? The ticket doesn't just vanish – it documents the "no" so stakeholders stop asking.

Setting This Up Without Calling IT

If you can microwave popcorn, you can connect these apps:

1. Grab your Zapier account (free tier works)
2. Pick a trigger from ProjectManager (new project, task update, etc.)
3. Choose ApproveThis as the action – usually "Create Request"
4. Map fields: Project name → Approval title, budget → calculated field, etc.
5. Test with a real project. If it breaks, tweak and retry. No rockets exploded.

Time commitment: First setup takes 15 minutes. Each additional workflow? 5 minutes. Beats the 3-hour weekly approval meetings you're currently hosting.

Department-Specific Wins

Finance Teams

Connect ProjectManager's budget updates to ApproveThis' thresholds. Example: If a project exceeds its allocated budget by 10%, auto-pause it until CFO approval. No more end-of-quarter surprises.

Operations Managers

Use vacation delegation in ApproveThis so project approvals never stall because someone's hiking the Alps. Approval power temporarily shifts to their backup – who gets context via auto-created ProjectManager tasks.

External Clients

Clients approve project milestones via ApproveThis' email links (no login needed). Approved? ProjectManager auto-unlocks the next phase. Denied? Task list gets updated with their feedback. No more "Did you get my email?" calls.

What This Isn't

Let's manage expectations:

❌ Not a psychic crystal ball: It won't predict if your VP will randomly veto something. But it will make them do it faster.

❌ Not a babysitter: If your approval process is fundamentally broken (looking at you, 17-step purchase orders), this just makes the mess happen quicker. Fix your rules first.

✅ Actually useful: Teams between 50-5,000 employees report cutting approval delays by 60% using this combo. The secret? Less chasing, more doing.

Cool Features You'll Actually Use

ApproveThis isn't just another approval log. When connected to ProjectManager:

Email approvals with context: Approvers get ProjectManager task links in approval emails. They can check specs without logging into yet another system.

Escalation protocols: If a task approval sits idle for 48 hours, ApproveThis bumps it to the next in command. ProjectManager automatically adjusts deadlines based on delays.

Audit trails that don't suck: Every approval decision in ApproveThis logs who approved what – and connects directly to the ProjectManager task history. Compliance teams rejoice.

Getting Started Without the Sales Pitch

Two paths:

1. DIY: Grab an ApproveThis trial, connect to your ProjectManager via Zapier, and build one approval workflow. Takes 20 minutes.

2. Demo: If you'd rather see how other teams in your industry use this, book a 15-minute walkthrough. We'll show you the shortcuts so you don't waste time on useless features.

Either way: Start with one process – expense reports or project kickoffs. Prove it works, then scale. Your team didn't adopt Slack overnight; they won't overhaul approvals in a day either.

The Bottom Line

Projects move fast. Approvals move slow. Connecting ProjectManager and ApproveThis through Zapier is like giving your approvals a caffeine shot – they still happen in the right order, just without the unbearable lag.

This isn't about eliminating human decisions. It's about eliminating the 17 follow-up emails and spreadsheet trackers that turn simple "yes/no" decisions into multi-day sagas. Your team has better things to do than play approval tag – like actually completing projects on time.