ApproveThis manages your DocketManager approvals.

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:

1. In Zapier, create a new Zap with DocketManager as trigger (new order, client add, etc.)
2. Map critical data points (job ID, costs, client tier) to ApproveThis' custom fields
3. Set approval rules based on your shop's actual thresholds - maybe $10K requires CEO review
4. 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.