ApproveThis manages your SMSPortal Integration approvals.

When Paperwork Meets Text Messages

Let’s be real – chasing down approvals feels like herding cats with a laser pointer. Someone’s on vacation, another’s buried in Slack, and that vendor keeps asking if you got their invoice. This is why pairing ApproveThis with SMSPortal isn’t just convenient – it’s borderline therapy for your approval processes.

ApproveThis handles the messy decision-making logistics. SMSPortal slaps a turbocharger on your communication. Together through Zapier, they create a system where approvals happen faster because everyone actually knows what’s going on. No more “I didn’t see the email” excuses when the update’s sitting in their text inbox.

Why Mid-Sized Companies Need This Combo

Companies between 50-5,000 employees hit a sweet spot: enough moving parts to need structure, but small enough that duct-tape solutions break fast. Here’s where this integration shines:

• Field teams: Approve purchase orders from a construction site via SMS
• Client services: Get instant alerts when clients approve proposals
• Procurement: Escalate urgent vendor payments via text alerts

The kicker? Approvers don’t need an SMSPortal license. They just need a phone – which they’re already glued to 12 hours a day.

Three Ways This Duo Saves Your Sanity

1. SMS Alerts for New Requests (Because Inboxes Are Black Holes)

When a new approval pops up in ApproveThis, Zapier triggers SMSPortal to text the responsible person. Real-world example: A logistics company uses this to notify warehouse managers about urgent shipment approvals. Since implementing, their average approval time dropped from 6 hours to 38 minutes.

ApproveThis bonus: Set up approval thresholds so only high-value requests trigger SMS alerts. Your $50 office chair order doesn’t need to blow up someone’s phone.

2. Turn Text Replies Into Approval Requests (Yes, Really)

Field reps can text project codes or expense amounts to your SMSPortal number. Zapier converts these into formatted ApproveThis requests. We’ve seen construction firms use this for on-site material approvals – superintendents text “APPROVE 4500 CONCRETE” and the system handles the rest.

Pro tip: Use calculated fields to auto-convert texted quantities into budget impact analyses.

3. Scheduled Outcome Notifications (No More Radio Silence)

Once an approval decision happens, SMSPortal schedules follow-up texts. Example: A healthcare provider schedules vaccine shipment confirmations to go out 2 days before delivery. Combines ApproveThis’ vacation delegation with SMS reminders so nothing falls through cracks.

Department-Specific Wins

HR Teams: Onboarding Overdrive

New hire equipment requests get approved via SMS. If a manager denies a request (looking at you, $300 ergonomic mouse), the candidate gets an immediate text alternative. Uses ApproveThis’ conditional logic to route denials for quick resolution.

Procurement: Vendor Peace Treaties

High-value PO approvals trigger SMS alerts to department heads. If no response within 2 hours (via ApproveThis’ escalation rules), the request auto-forwards to the CFO with an “URGENT” prefix in the text.

Client Services: Approval Theater

External clients get text notifications for contract sign-offs. They click a link to ApproveThis’ email-based approval – no account needed. One marketing agency reduced client approval cycles from 5 days to 9 hours using this method.

Setup That Doesn’t Require an IT Degree

1. Create your ApproveThis workflow (think: who needs to approve what, in which order)
2. In Zapier, choose “New Request” trigger from ApproveThis
3. Select SMSPortal’s “Send SMS” action
4. Map the approval details to the SMS template (keep it under 160 characters)
5. Test with a $1 test request → if your phone buzzes, you’re golden

For the SMS-to-approval flow:
- Set up SMSPortal’s “New Reply” trigger
- Connect to ApproveThis’ “Create Request” action
- Use calculated fields to parse text responses into dollar amounts or project codes

When Not to Use This Integration (Yes, Really)

This isn’t a magic wand. If your approval process is a tangled mess of 17 stakeholders arguing over every decision, fix that first. Also, SMS costs add up – use approval thresholds to only text for high-impact requests. And maybe don’t text your CEO about toner cartridge approvals at 2 AM.

The Bottom Line

ApproveThis + SMSPortal via Zapier works because it meets people where they already are – knee-deep in email and texts. It’s not about flashy AI promises. It’s about cutting the “where are we on this?” meetings by 80% and actually getting decisions made.

For companies scaling past 100 employees, this combo acts like guardrails – keeping processes moving without micromanaging. The integration costs less than the time your team spends weekly chasing approvers. And let’s be honest – watching an SMS approval chain resolve itself feels like black magic to most teams.

Your Move

If you’ve got more than 20 approvals happening weekly, it’s time. Book a 15-minute demo to see how approval automation actually works in the wild. Or start a free trial and connect SMSPortal yourself – we won’t make you talk to sales unless you want to.

Worst case? You’ll finally have proof that yes, Karen in accounting really does ignore all your emails.