ApproveThis manages your Oyster Integration approvals.

When HR Meets Approval Automation

Let’s be real – managing approvals across time zones is like herding cats with jetpacks. Oyster’s great at handling global payroll and compliance, while ApproveThis actually gets those "urgent" expense reports signed off before your accountant starts mainlining espresso. Together? They’re the HR and finance tag team your distributed company needs.

We’re talking real-time approval chains that automatically route requests to the right people (whether they’re in Berlin or Bali), budget guardrails that prevent "creative" expense reporting, and audit trails that’ll make your compliance team weep with joy. And the best part? Approvers don’t need an Oyster license – just an email address.

Why This Combo Works

Oyster manages the messy details of global employment. ApproveThis manages the messy humans who need to sign off on things. Connect them through Zapier, and you’ve got an automation layer that:

• Converts Oyster expense submissions into approval workflows with one click
• Pushes approved requests back into Oyster without manual data entry

Example: Your Madrid-based designer submits a software purchase through Oyster. ApproveThis automatically routes it to their UK manager for approval, then notifies the US finance team once signed off. All before anyone has to chase down Slack.

Use Cases That Don’t Suck

1. Expense Approvals That Don’t Require Mind Reading

Scenario: A remote employee in Lagos submits a monthly expense report through Oyster. Instead of it getting lost in someone’s inbox:

ApproveThis automatically:

• Routes it to their department head based on cost center
• Flags anything over $500 for CFO review
• Auto-approves recurring SaaS payments under $100

Real impact: A 50-person tech startup reduced expense processing time from 11 days to 38 hours by setting approval thresholds matching their delegation of authority policy.

2. Contractor Paperwork Without the Paper

When onboarding Mexico City-based contractors through Oyster, ApproveThis handles:

- Legal team sign-off on NDAs
- Local compliance checks
- Equipment budget approvals

All while keeping the actual contract terms in Oyster synced with approval status. No more version control nightmares.

Setup That Won’t Make You Want to Cry

1. Create your approval templates in ApproveThis first – map them to common Oyster workflows (expenses, contractor agreements, equipment requests)
2. In Zapier, set Oyster as the trigger app for new submissions
3. Add ApproveThis as the action app to launch approval workflows
4. Set up a second Zap to push approved requests back into Oyster

Pro tip: Use ApproveThis’ calculated fields to auto-flag requests needing extra scrutiny. Example: “If contractor rate > $75/hr AND engagement duration > 6 months, require CTO approval.”

Who Actually Benefits?

HR Teams

Stop playing carrier pigeon between department heads and Oyster data. Set up location-specific approval chains that automatically respect regional compliance rules. Vacation delegation means approvals never stall when someone’s OOO – critical when managing teams across 15 time zones.

Finance Teams

Implement real budget control:
- Auto-approve recurring invoices under $1k
- Require dual signatures for wire transfers over $10k
- Get instant visibility into pending liabilities

Bonus: ApproveThis’ audit trails integrate perfectly with Oyster’s reporting for clean month-end closes.

Operations Teams

Create conditional approval paths for:
- Office leases (legal > finance > CEO)
- Equipment purchases (IT > department head)
- Vendor contracts (procurement > legal)

All while keeping Oyster updated without manual entry.

The Unsexy Advantages You’ll Learn to Love

- Approval Thresholds: Auto-approve routine requests so managers only see exceptions
- Mobile Approvals: Let executives sign off from their phones without needing Oyster access
- Compliance Safeguards: Ensure every Oyster contract has proper approvals before activation

Example: A 200-person e-commerce company eliminated $27k in duplicate software subscriptions by requiring IT approval for all Oyster-tracked SaaS purchases.

Common Questions (That Aren’t in the FAQ)

“What if approvers hate new tools?”
They approve via email. Zero learning curve.

“How does this work with our existing Oyster setup?”
No changes needed – it layers on top through Zapier.

“Can we customize approval rules per country?”
Yes. Set location-based thresholds and approvers once, forget about it.

Why This Isn’t Just Another Integration

Most approval tools create more work. ApproveThis actually reduces it by:
- Letting non-Oyster users approve requests (vendors, clients, execs)
- Syncing status updates bidirectionally
- Applying conditional logic that adapts to your actual policies

It’s the difference between having approval software and having an approval system that works while you sleep.

Getting Started Without the BS

1. Grab an ApproveThis trial – takes 4 minutes
2. Connect to Oyster via Zapier (we’ve got pre-built templates)
3. Map your first workflow:
  - Start with expense approvals
  - Add contractor onboarding next
4. Watch 30% of your approval-related emails disappear in week one

Not convinced? Book a 12-minute demo showing exactly how a 700-person company cut approval delays by 64%.

The Bottom Line

If you’re using Oyster, you’re already ahead of the distributed work game. Adding ApproveThis is like giving your entire approval process a productivity IV drip. Less chasing, fewer errors, zero excuse of “I didn’t see the request.”

Final thought: How many hours per week does your team waste on approval follow-ups? At $50/hour average salary, even 5 saved hours weekly = $13k/year. The math’s prettier than your last board presentation.