When Data Meets Decisions
Let’s be real: most approval processes suck. They’re either email chains that go cold, Slack threads that get buried, or spreadsheet labyrinths that even Theseus couldn’t navigate. Now imagine your BI team just dropped a critical report in Looker that needs sign-off from three departments by EOD. Cue the panic.
ApproveThis and Looker together? That’s your shortcut out of approval purgatory. We’re talking about automatically turning data points into actionable decisions – no chasing people down, no lost requests, no “I thought you were handling it.”
Why This Combo Doesn’t Just “Work” – It Actually Solves Things
Looker’s great at telling you what’s happening. ApproveThis is great at getting people to do something about it. Combine them through Zapier, and you’ve got a system where:
- Critical data updates trigger approval workflows automatically
- Approvers don’t need to log into Looker (or even know how to use it)
Example: Your finance team sets a Looker alert for when regional expenses exceed forecasts. The second that happens, ApproveThis fires off approval requests to department heads – with all the context they need baked into the request. No manual data dumps, no “what’s this about?” follow-ups.
Real-World Uses That Don’t Feel Like Corporate Fan Fiction
1. Retail: Inventory Orders That Don’t Require Mind Reading
A national retail chain uses Looker to track real-time inventory across 200 stores. When stock levels for high-margin products dip below threshold in any region:
- Looker detects the drop
- Zapier triggers an ApproveThis workflow
- Regional managers get an email with SKU details, vendor pricing, and profit margins
- They approve/deny reorders directly from their inbox
Result: 23% faster inventory turnover last quarter because buyers weren’t waiting for weekly meetings to greenlight orders.
2. Healthcare: Compliance Without the Paper Trail
A hospital network uses Looker to monitor patient readmission rates. When any facility’s numbers spike:
- Approval request auto-generated for the quality assurance team
- Includes comparative data from other locations
- Requires sign-off from both clinical and admin leads (using ApproveThis’ sequential approvals)
Bonus: If an approver’s OOO (vacation delegation), requests reroute instantly – no bottleneck.
3. Manufacturing: Supplier Approvals That Actually Prevent Fires
An automotive parts manufacturer integrates Looker’s supplier performance dashboards with ApproveThis. Now:
- Any supplier quality score below 4.2/5 triggers a procurement review
- Procurement directors get cost analysis + delivery timelines in the approval request
- Denied requests auto-alert legal to review contract terms
Setup That Won’t Make You Hate Technology
If you can order DoorDash, you can connect these systems:
- Open your Zapier account
- Choose a trigger from Looker (new data alert, user creation, etc.)
- Set ApproveThis as the action – map key data points to your approval template
- Test with a $5k approval threshold (so no one accidentally buys a yacht)
Pro tip: Use ApproveThis’ calculated fields to auto-flag requests that need extra scrutiny. Example: If Looker reports a 15% budget overrun, require CFO approval instead of just department heads.
Who Actually Benefits (Besides Your Sanity)
Finance Teams
Stop being the bad guys who say “no” all the time. Set approval thresholds in ApproveThis so routine expenses under $10k get auto-approved based on Looker’s budget data. Only escalate the exceptions.
IT & Security
New Looker user requests? ApproveThis handles the access approvals, then automatically provisions accounts once approved. No more shared passwords or “I didn’t know they left the company!”
Operations
When Looker spots a production bottleneck, route approval requests to shift managers with OT cost projections attached. Approvals happen before the line stops, not after.
The Part Where We Tell You What To Do Next
If you’re using Looker, you’re already data-driven. So here’s the data point that matters: Companies using ApproveThis + BI tools see approvals happen 4x faster. That’s 75% less time spent herding cats in Slack.
Register for ApproveThis, connect your Looker account via Zapier, and set up your first automation in under 20 minutes. Or if you’re the “talk to a human” type, book a demo – we’ll show you how to auto-approve 30% of requests by next Tuesday.
Either way, stop letting approval delays be the reason your team misses targets. The data’s already telling you what to do – time to act on it.
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