ApproveThis manages your Lato Integration approvals.

When Approval Meets Itinerary Management

Let’s cut to the chase: approval processes suck when they’re manual. Especially in travel and tourism – an industry where last-minute changes, vendor contracts, and client requests can make or break a $10k booking. That’s why pairing ApproveThis with Lato isn’t just smart – it’s survival mode for companies tired of playing email tennis with "Approved?" follow-ups.

What Happens When You Connect These Two?

Imagine this: Your sales rep adds a new luxury resort partner in Lato. Before that vendor ever touches your client database, ApproveThis automatically routes it to your procurement lead. If they’re on vacation? The request jumps to their backup. Once approved, the contact auto-updates in Lato with a "Vendor Status: Verified" tag. No spreadsheets. No "Did you see my Slack?" No liability from unvetted partners.

Real Results for Mid-Sized Teams

A European tour operator we worked with used this integration to slash their vendor onboarding from 14 days to 48 hours. Their secret? Automating compliance checks through ApproveThis thresholds – any contract over €5k auto-escalates to legal, while standard approvals happen via email. Meanwhile, their Lato instance stayed clean without manual policing.

Four Ways This Combo Actually Works

1. New Contact? Automatic Approval Gate

Use Case: Sales teams adding new DMC partners (Destination Management Companies) in Lato.
Why It Matters: Ever had a junior salesperson accidentally onboard a vendor with terrible cancellation policies? Didn’t think so – because your approvals would’ve caught it. This Zap triggers an ApproveThis workflow whenever Lato gets a new contact, requiring sign-off from department heads before that vendor becomes bookable.

2. Change Control for Client Records

Use Case: Updating client travel preferences in Lato post-booking.
Why It Matters: A luxury travel agency uses this to prevent "Who changed Mrs. Smith’s room from ocean-view to parking lot?" disasters. Any Lato contact edit triggers an ApproveThis request to the account lead. Approvers get context: "Changed meal preferences from vegetarian to pescatarian" with one-click approval directly from their inbox.

3. Sync Approved Requests Back to Lato

Use Case: Post-approval CRM hygiene.
Why It Matters: When your operations team approves a custom itinerary in ApproveThis, this Zap auto-creates a Lato contact tagged "Approved Package: Safari VIP." No more "I approved it but forgot to update the CRM" gaps. Particularly clutch for franchises where regional teams need visibility into centrally-approved offerings.

4. Denied Requests That Actually Do Something

Use Case: Rejected vendor updates triggering cleanup.
Why It Matters: If a procurement request gets denied in ApproveThis, this integration automatically tags the Lato contact as "Rejected – Do Not Book" and alerts the requester. Prevents that awkward "But I thought you said no?" loop when someone tries to use the unapproved vendor months later.

Setting This Up Without Losing Your Mind

Here’s the beauty of Zapier – you’re not building the space shuttle. For the "New Lato Contact → Approval Request" flow:

1. Zapier Trigger: New Contact in Lato
2. Filter (Optional): Only route contacts tagged "Vendor" or "Partner"
3. Zapier Action: Create ApproveThis Request

Total setup time? 9 minutes. Cheat code: Use ApproveThis’s Calculated Fields to auto-flag high-risk vendors. Example: If Lato data shows a vendor score below 4/5, require dual approvals.

Who Actually Benefits? (Spoiler: Everyone)

Sales Teams

Close deals faster when you’re not waiting 3 days for legal to approve custom package terms. With ApproveThis thresholds, anything under $2k auto-approves based on their deal desk rules. Over $2k? Escalates instantly while sales moves to the next lead.

Operations Managers

Real example: A cruise line uses approval groups in ApproveThis to handle port changes. When Lato detects a route alteration, ApproveThis pings the port captain, head chef (for provisioning), and guest services – either in sequence or all at once. 83% faster crisis response during that Mediterranean storm season fiasco last year.

Customer Support

Ever had a support agent promise a comp upgrade they couldn’t approve? Ouch. Now, when a client requests changes via Lato’s notes, ApproveThis fires off to the right manager. Approval happens in email – no new logins – and Lato auto-updates the case. Customers get "Your request was approved" emails before the agent even reloads the page.

The Hidden Perk: External Approvals That Don’t Cost You

Here’s the kicker: When your external partners (travel bloggers, affiliate agents, etc.) need to approve co-marketing itineraries in Lato, they don’t need a Lato license. ApproveThis handles their sign-off via email while keeping everything synced. No more paying for 50 external Lato seats just so someone can click "Approve."

Common Objections (And Why They’re BS)

"We already have a process." Cool. Does it automatically reassign approvals when your key approver is leading a safari with spotty WiFi? ApproveThis’s vacation delegation does.
"Our team hates new tools." Good thing ApproveThis approvals happen in email. We once saw a 62-year-old tour guide approve $200k in vendor contracts using Gmail on a flip phone. True story.

Bottom Line

If your travel business still runs approvals through Slack threads or (shudder) paper forms, you’re not just slow – you’re risking compliance issues and client trust. The ApproveThis-Lato integration via Zapier fixes that without overhauling your existing systems.

Ready to stop playing approval tag? Get a custom demo showing how your specific workflows would run 3x faster. Or be adventurous and start a free trial – setup takes less time than booking a family of four through your current approval maze.