
ApproveThis manages your DocketManager Integration approvals.
April 17, 2025
Integration Category: Printing
When Approval Meets Execution
Let's cut to the chase: print businesses don't have time for approval bottlenecks. Between custom orders, rush jobs, and clients who change specs after you've already set plates, the last thing you need is another email chain with "URGENT" in the subject line.
That's why connecting ApproveThis with DocketManager through Zapier isn't just nice-to-have – it's like giving your shop floor supervisor a double espresso at 7AM. We're talking about turning approval lag into actual revenue by making decisions keep pace with production.
What Happens When MIS Meets Approval Automation
DocketManager handles the heavy lifting of print workflows - job tracking, material costing, client portals. ApproveThis does one thing brutally well: getting human decisions made fast. Together, they create closed-loop processes where every approval automatically triggers the next production step, and every production milestone can demand accountability.
Key differentiators:
- No license tax: Approvers (even client contacts) don't need DocketManager seats - they approve via email or portal
- Production-aware approvals: Dynamic fields adjust approval requirements based on real-time job costs
Real Workflows for Actual Print Shops
1. New Client Onboarding Without the Paper Chase
Scenario: A boutique agency submits a 50K specialty packaging order through DocketManager's web portal. Your credit team needs to vet them, production needs to confirm capacity, and sales wants to lock in the deposit.
The Fix: Auto-create a multi-stage ApproveThis workflow when DocketManager flags a new high-value client. Credit checks get parallel approvals from finance, production capacity requires sequential sign-offs from floor managers, and sales gets automatic deposit tracking. All without a single PDF form.
2. Rush Orders That Don't Break the Shop
Scenario: Friday at 4PM, an online order comes in for Monday delivery. Your standard approval process takes 6 hours. The press crew's already overtime.
The Fix: ApproveThis uses DocketManager's real-time job costing to apply approval thresholds. Orders under $5K with existing clients auto-approve. Over $5K? Escalate to production director's phone via SMS. Approved jobs auto-populate DocketManager with rush tags and priority flags.
3. Change Orders That Don't Derail Margins
Scenario: Client adds a last-minute UV coating spec after plate setup. Your account rep OKs it verbally, but production gets stuck waiting for updated PO.
The Fix: DocketManager triggers an ApproveThis workflow with cost delta calculations. The rep approves via email, which auto-updates the DocketManager job ticket and triggers a client e-signature for the change order. Accounting gets notified in real-time.
Setting Up the Handoff
Here's how to connect the dots in under 15 minutes:
- In Zapier, create a new Zap with DocketManager as trigger (new order, client add, etc.)
- Map critical data points (job ID, costs, client tier) to ApproveThis' custom fields
- Set approval rules based on your shop's actual thresholds - maybe $10K requires CEO review
- Configure DocketManager actions to fire on approval/rejection (update job status, notify teams)
Pro tip: Use ApproveThis' calculated fields to auto-flag jobs needing prepayment based on DocketManager's client credit terms.
Department-Level Wins
Production Floor
No more "Hey, did accounting clear that substrate upgrade?" Status lights in DocketManager turn green the second ApproveThis gives the all-clear. Late-shift supervisors get delegated authority when plant managers are OOO.
Sales & Account Management
Embed approval requests directly in client-facing DocketManager portals. Clients approve proofs or change orders without logging into another system. Automatic reminders nudge them before deadlines.
Finance & Operations
Require dual approvals for capital expenditures on new equipment. Auto-sync approved vendor contracts from ApproveThis to DocketManager's procurement module. Flag any job exceeding estimated margins for manual review.
Why This Isn't Just Another Integration
Most approval tools treat print workflows like any other office process. ApproveThis + DocketManager respects print's unique demands:
- Ink-on-paper deadlines: Approval delays directly impact machine time. Conditional routing skips hierarchy when clocks ticking.
- Material realities: Approval thresholds adjust based on real-time substrate costs from DocketManager's inventory
- Client-facing agility: Customers approve proofs or specs without getting access to internal systems
Getting to Done
This isn't about eliminating human decisions - it's about making those decisions matter faster. When an approval in ApproveThis can trigger a DocketManager job ticket update that the bindery line sees before their current job finishes, you're not just streamlining paperwork. You're literally accelerating physical production.
Ready to stop being a human router for approval requests? Book a 15-minute demo showing how we automate print shop approvals, or start a free trial and connect your DocketManager instance in under an hour.
Because in the print game, time isn't money - it's plate changes, drying cycles, and truck departure times. Let's make your approvals keep up.
Integrate with DocketManager Integration and get 90 days of ApproveThis for free.
After you create a Zapier integration, please email us at support@approve-this.com with your account name and we'll add 3 months of ApproveThis to your account. Limit one redemption per account.
Learn More
Best Approval Workflows for DocketManager
Suggested workflows (and their Zapier components) for DocketManager
Create approval requests for new customers in ApproveThis
Managing new customer onboarding can require various approvals. With this integration, automatically create an approval request in ApproveThis each time a new customer is added in DocketManager. This ensures consistent review and approval processes are followed for onboarding.
Zapier Components

Trigger
Customer Created
Triggers when a new Customer is created.
Action
Create Request
Creates a new request, probably with input from previous steps.
Initiate approval for online orders in ApproveThis
Ensure every online order is reviewed appropriately. This automation creates an approval request in ApproveThis for each online order placed through DocketManager, allowing relevant stakeholders to review and approve orders systematically.
Zapier Components

Trigger
Order Placed Online
Triggers when an Online Order is placed.
Action
Create Request
Creates a new request, probably with input from previous steps.
Add notes to orders for new approval requests
Keeping track of approval requests linked to orders is crucial. This integration adds a note to the respective order in DocketManager whenever a new approval request is initiated in ApproveThis, improving order tracking and coordination.
Zapier Components
Trigger
New Request
Triggers when a new approval request workflow is initiated.

Action
Create Order Note
Creates an Order Note
Request approvals for updated contacts in ApproveThis
Keep your contact information changes in check by requesting an approval every time a contact is updated in DocketManager with this automation. This ensures all modifications are thoroughly reviewed before final confirmation.
Zapier Components

Trigger
Contact Updated
Triggers when a Contact is modified.
Action
Create Request
Creates a new request, probably with input from previous steps.
Modify customers upon approval decision
Automatically update customer records in DocketManager based on the approval decisions made in ApproveThis. Streamline changes following an approval process to ensure information is current.
Zapier Components
Trigger
A Request Is Approved/Denied
Triggers when a request is approved or denied.

Action
Update Customer
Creates a Customer
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