When Approval Management Meets Workflow Muscle
Let's be real – approvals are where productivity goes to die. Someone sends an email, CCs five people, and then...crickets. Three days later, you're chasing down sign-offs while deadlines circle the drain. This is why we built ApproveThis – to turn approval processes from time-sucks into actual workflows that move at business speed.
Now, connect that to Pipeline's cross-team workflow engine? Suddenly you've got a system where requests get handled before people even need to ask "Who's got eyes on this?" Here's the play-by-play:
- ApproveThis handles the decision-making: Who needs to approve what, in what order, with what rules.
- Pipeline moves the work forward: Routing tasks, updating records, keeping everyone aligned.
The kicker? Approvers in ApproveThis don't need Pipeline licenses. Huge for working with clients or contractors who shouldn't have full access to your internal systems. They get to approve via email or a simple dashboard, you keep control over who touches your core tools.
Three Ways This Combo Beats "Reply All" Culture
1. No More Stalled Requests in Pipeline Asks
Marketing teams: Imagine your designer submits a Pipeline Ask for a new campaign asset. Normally, this would ping-pong between creative director, legal, and the product team. Instead:
Pipeline triggers an ApproveThis workflow the second the Ask is created. Legal gets it first (because compliance can't be rushed), then creative, then product – all with automatic reminders. The designer sees real-time status updates without having to nudge anyone.
Why it works: ApproveThis' calculated fields can auto-flag Asks over $10K for CFO review. If the legal lead is OOO, vacation delegation reroutes it instantly. Pipeline stays updated without manual logging.
2. Procurement That Doesn't Require Mind Reading
Operations teams: When a department submits a hardware request via Pipeline, ApproveThis checks:
- Is this vendor pre-approved? (Auto-approved if yes)
- Does the cost exceed the team's budget? (Escalate to finance)
- Is the requester allowed to order this category? (IT vs facilities)
Approved? Pipeline automatically updates the Ask status and notifies procurement. Denied? The requester gets a reason via Pipeline notes, so they don't have to guess why.
Secret weapon: Approval thresholds mean small purchases get auto-approved based on your rules. Your team only handles exceptions.
3. Client Contracts That Actually Close
Professional services firms: Your project lead adds a Pipeline Ask for a client contract review. ApproveThis routes it to:
1. The account lead (checks scope) → 2. Legal (redlines terms) → 3. Client (external approver via email). Once signed off, Pipeline updates the deal stage and kicks off onboarding tasks.
Client-friendly touch: External partners approve via email – no logins, no learning your internal systems. You still get audit trails in ApproveThis.
Setup That Takes Less Time Than a Status Meeting
If you can connect two Lego pieces, you can set this up:
- Create a Zapier account (free tier works for testing)
- Connect Pipeline and ApproveThis as apps in Zapier
- Pick your trigger: "New Ask in Pipeline" → "Create Request in ApproveThis"
- Map critical fields: Ask ID, requester, amount, category
- Test with a real Ask – approve it and watch Pipeline update
Pro tip: Use ApproveThis' approval groups for multi-department reviews. Example: IT infrastructure requests might need security, finance, and architecture team sign-off – but in parallel, not sequentially.
Why This Isn't Just Another "Integration"
Most workflow tools just pass data around. This combo actually decides things. Here's where that matters:
For Finance Teams
PO approvals that auto-check budget remaining. If the request would exceed Q3 allocations, ApproveThis escalates before Procurement even sees it. Pipeline updates the Ask with the denial reason, so there's no back-and-forth.
For HR
New hire equipment Asks get approved based on role: Engineers get higher-spec laptops, execs get mobile plans. ApproveThis applies conditional rules, then Pipeline triggers the order with all specs pre-filled.
For Sales Ops
Deal discounts over 15% require VP approval. When a rep submits a Pipeline Ask, ApproveThis either auto-approves (for 10%) or routes up. Once approved, Pipeline updates the CRM deal record – no manual entry.
The Silent Killer of Profits? Stalled Decisions.
Every day a request sits waiting for approval costs money. Not just in delayed projects, but in the hidden tax of employees chasing updates. This integration fixes that by:
→ Making approval criteria crystal clear (no more "I didn't know I had to sign off on that")
→ Automating the busywork of routing and reminders
→ Letting approvers act from anywhere (email, Slack, carrier pigeon)
And because ApproveThis sits on top of Pipeline, you don't have to rebuild existing processes. Just add decision-making layers where they matter.
Ready to Stop Being a Human Routing Bot?
ApproveThis works because it's not another tool people have to log into. It's the decision layer that plugs into what you already use – like Pipeline. Approvers get what they need, when they need it, without the clutter.
→ Get started free (takes 8 minutes)
→ Book a live demo (see how agencies use it for client approvals)
P.S. The setup is reversible in two clicks. But after seeing approvals handled in hours, not days, you won't want to.
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