ApproveThis manages your ParcelPanel Integration approvals.

Let’s cut to the chase: approvals suck. Shipment tracking sucks slightly less. But when high-value orders get stuck in limbo because someone forgot to click “approve,” everyone loses – customers, teams, and your bottom line. That’s why connecting ApproveThis (your approval sheriff) with ParcelPanel (your shipment tracker) isn’t just smart – it’s survival mode for any Shopify brand scaling past 50 employees.

Why This Combo Works Like a Caffeine Shot for Operations

ParcelPanel tells you where your packages are. ApproveThis tells you who needs to make decisions about them. Together, they answer the two questions keeping operations managers awake at night: “Is it moving?” and “Who’s holding this up?”

Here’s the ugly truth most tools ignore: Shipment exceptions (delays, damages, customs issues) don’t happen in a vacuum. They require human decisions – fast ones. But when your approval process lives in email chains and your shipment data is buried in another tab? That’s how 3-day deliveries become 3-week nightmares.

The Nuts and Bolts: What Happens When You Connect Them

Through Zapier, ApproveThis becomes the decision layer on top of ParcelPanel’s tracking data. Translation: every time ParcelPanel flags a shipment issue (like a delayed container or a damaged SKU), ApproveThis automatically routes the problem to the right person – with all the context they need to say yes/no.

Real example: A $20k wholesale order gets held up in customs. ParcelPanel detects the delay. Instead of the warehouse manager Slack-bombing the CFO for approval to reship, ApproveThis:
1. Creates an approval request with the order value, customer contract terms
2. Routes it to finance + logistics leads based on $$ thresholds
3. Lets them approve/deny reshipment directly from email
4. Auto-updates ParcelPanel to proceed (or not)

Who Actually Benefits? (Spoiler: More Teams Than You’d Think)

Customer Support Teams

Ever had a CS rep promise expedited shipping because they didn’t realize the order needed VP sign-off? With this integration, compensation requests auto-route through approval workflows before your rep makes promises you can’t keep.

Logistics Managers

Shipment exceptions become approval tasks with deadlines. No more chasing down department heads for urgent decisions – the system hunts them down via email/Slack reminders until they respond.

Finance Teams

High-cost shipping overrides (think: air freighting a delayed product) get auto-flagged based on amount. CFOs approve/deny right from Outlook without jumping between 6 apps.

“Cool, But My Industry Is Different” – Let’s Debunk That

We’ve seen custom gear manufacturers use this setup to approve/reject last-minute design changes mid-shipment. Food & beverage companies trigger approvals when cold chain shipments risk temp excursions. Even B2B SaaS companies automate client approval loops for hardware deliveries tied to contract milestones.

The pattern? Anywhere a shipment status change requires a business decision, this integration cuts the approval time from days to hours. No more “I thought you handled that” gaps.

Setting This Up Without Losing Your Mind

If you can make a sandwich, you can connect these tools:

1. Zapier Setup: Create a Zap with ParcelPanel’s “Shipment Status Updated” trigger
2. Filter: Set conditions (only trigger on delays over 48hrs, damages, etc.)
3. ApproveThis Action: Map shipment data to approval request fields (order value, customer tier, issue type)
4. Test: Force a test shipment status change in ParcelPanel, verify the approval pops in ApproveThis

Pro Tip: Use ApproveThis’ calculated fields to auto-flag high-risk requests. Example: If shipment delay days × order value exceeds $10k, route directly to VP level.

Features You’ll Actually Use (No Bloatware Here)

While testing this integration, three ApproveThis features became non-negotiable:

• Approval Thresholds: Auto-approve small shipping cost overrides ($20 expedite fees) but escalate big ones ($2k freight charges)
• Vacation Delegation: Critical for global teams – if the logistics director’s on leave, requests auto-reroute without missing SLAs
• Email Approvals: External partners (3PLs, clients) can approve/deny without another app login

The Quiet Cost Killer: External Approvals

Here’s what most miss: Your 3PL provider doesn’t have (and shouldn’t have) access to your internal systems. But when a warehouse damages inventory, their manager needs to approve the claim. With ApproveThis:
- 3PL gets email with damage photos + claim amount
- They approve/deny right from inbox
- No ApproveThis license needed for them
- Audit trail auto-saves in your system

Try that with your current “shared spreadsheet” method.

Red Flags You’re Doing This Wrong

If your current process has any of these, it’s time to automate:
- Shipping exceptions result in 3+ forwarded emails
- Approvers regularly say “I didn’t see that request”
- Customer comps for shipping issues vary by rep’s mood
- You’ve had a shipment approved post-delivery (yes, it happens)

Straight Talk: When This Isn’t Magic

This integration won’t fix carrier reliability or make your CFO approve reckless spending. What it does: ensure every shipment-related decision happens with maximum speed and minimum BS. No more lost requests, forgotten follow-ups, or approval guesswork.

Your Move

If you’re handling over 100 shipments/month with even 5% requiring approvals, this pays for itself in hours saved monthly. The setup takes an afternoon. The alternative? Keep playing approval whack-a-mole every time a shipment hiccups.

Get ApproveThis, connect your ParcelPanel account via Zapier, and start automating decisions the next time a container ship gets stuck in the Suez... or whatever fresh hell 2024 has in store.

Or don’t. Your competitors certainly hope you prefer email chains.