ApproveThis manages your Inkybay Integration approvals.

Let's get real: custom product orders are where workflow processes go to die. Between design approvals, inventory checks, and pricing sign-offs, most teams waste more time talking about work than actually doing it. That's why pairing ApproveThis' approval automation with Inkybay's custom product engine isn't just helpful - it's a straight-up power move for any company selling configured goods.

Why This Combo Works

Inkybay handles the messy work of custom orders - personalized mugs, branded merch, made-to-spec parts. ApproveThis handles the messy work of getting humans to make decisions. Together through Zapier, they automate the handoff between "we need this" and "let's build this."

What Changes Immediately

Teams stop playing approval tag. Custom order requests from Inkybay automatically route to the right approvers based on dollar amounts, departments, or project specs. Approvers can say yes/no via email without logging into another system. And crucially: clients or external partners can approve directly without you buying them Inkybay seats.

Real-World Use Cases That Don't Suck

1. Killing Custom Order Backlogs

Manufacturing companies using Inkybay for configured parts regularly get stuck waiting for engineering sign-off. One automotive supplier cut approval time from 3 days to 4 hours by:

• Auto-creating ApproveThis requests for every Inkybay order
• Routing >$5k orders to engineering leads first
• Using calculated fields to flag incompatible material combos

Their approvers get mobile-friendly requests showing exact specs, attached CAD files, and supplier notes. No more digging through inboxes.

2. Preventing Merch Disasters

A 200-person SaaS company uses Inkybay for client swag packs. Their old process? Slack pings that looked like this:

"Hey did we approve the 500 blue hoodies with the typo fixed? Also, who's covering the rush fee?"

Now:

• Inkybay orders auto-generate approval tasks in ApproveThis
• Design lead gets first approval (checks artwork)
• Ops manager approves budget impact
• Client gets final sign-off (via email - no account needed)

Bonus: Vacation delegation means summer Fridays don't bottleneck orders.

How To Set This Up Without Losing Your Mind

Connect Inkybay to ApproveThis in Zapier using either:

1. Order → Approval Flow: New Inkybay item triggers ApproveThis request
2. Approval → Order Flow: Approved requests auto-create Inkybay items

Most teams start with the first option. Pro tip: Use ApproveThis' calculated fields to auto-flag orders needing special review (like custom dyes exceeding safety thresholds).

Critical Settings

- Map Inkybay's SKU data to ApproveThis custom fields
- Set approval thresholds based on order value
- Enable email fallback for external partners
- Configure escalation rules for unanswered requests

Why Your Finance Team Will Care

Approval thresholds mean purchases under $500 auto-approve (if you want). Budget owners only see exceptions. Plus, every approved/denied request lives in ApproveThis' audit trail - no more lost spreadsheets come tax time.

What Your Ops Lead Needs To Know

Real-time tracking in ApproveThis shows exactly where each custom order is stuck. Is it awaiting client approval? Warehouse capacity check? The dashboard surfaces bottlenecks before they delay production.

The Client Experience Play

External approvers get clean email requests with embedded images/notes. They click "Approve" - done. No passwords, no portals, no 10PM "how do I login?!" texts. For enterprise clients, this looks pro as hell.

When To Consider This Combo

If any of these sound familiar:

"We keep fulfilling unapproved orders by accident"
"Client approvals take longer than production"
"Nobody knows who approved that $20k custom job"

You're leaving money and sanity on the table.

Limitations To Note

This isn't magic. You still need to:

- Define approval rules upfront (we help)
- Train staff on why approvals matter
- Audit workflows quarterly

But compared to email chains? It's night and day.

Getting Started

1. Sign up for ApproveThis (free trial available)
2. Connect to Inkybay via Zapier (15-minute setup)
3. Clone our pre-built templates for custom orders

Or book a demo to see how other manufacturers/retailers use it.

Final Reality Check

Approvals suck. But they suck less when:

- Clients can't ghost requests
- Approvers don't need new software
- You see bottlenecks in real time
- Vacationing doesn't mean work stops

That's the combo play. No hype, just fewer spreadsheet tantrums.