How ApproveThis + ProcurementExpress.com Fix Your Broken Approval Processes

When Procurement Meets Approval Automation

Let’s be real – procurement teams aren’t exactly known for their speed. Between purchase orders stuck in email threads and budget approvals waiting on Karen from accounting’s vacation return, it’s a miracle anything gets bought before Q4 ends. That’s where pairing ApproveThis with ProcurementExpress.com through Zapier turns “we’re working on it” into “done before lunch.”

Why This Combo Works (When Others Don’t)

ProcurementExpress handles the what – purchase orders, budgets, invoices. ApproveThis handles the who – approvals, escalations, audit trails. Together, they solve the two biggest headaches in procurement:

• Speed: No more manual handoffs between systems
• Compliance: Automatic documentation of who approved what (and why)

The Killer Feature Everyone Misses

Here’s the thing most vendors won’t tell you: ApproveThis approvers don’t need ProcurementExpress licenses. When your manufacturing partner needs to sign off on a custom part order? Add them as approvers without the $25/user/month tax. CFO needs to approve budgets over $50K? They get the request in email – no new logins.

Real-World Use Cases That Actually Matter

1. Invoice Approvals That Don’t Require Mind Reading

The Problem: AP teams manually chasing down approvers while vendors send increasingly angry payment reminders.

The Fix: When ProcurementExpress flags an invoice needing approval, ApproveThis automatically:

• Routes it based on amount (under $1K auto-approves, over $10K goes to CFO)
• Sets 24-hour escalation rules
• Updates ProcurementExpress status without manual data entry

Who Cares: Construction companies managing 50+ subcontractor invoices monthly. Auto-route based on project budgets instead of playing approval roulette.

2. Purchase Orders That Actually Prevent Maverick Spending

The Problem: Employees buying $3K laptops because “IT said they needed it” without budget checks.

The Fix: New ProcurementExpress purchase orders trigger ApproveThis workflows that:

• Verify remaining department budget using calculated fields
• Require IT director + finance approval for tech purchases
• Auto-decline requests during budget freeze periods

Who Cares: Healthcare clinics purchasing medical equipment. Ensure compliance with procurement policies while keeping urgent orders moving.

3. Budget Approvals That Account for Actual Reality

The Problem: Quarterly budget reviews taking 3 weeks because nobody can find the original purchase requests.

The Fix: Approved budgets in ProcurementExpress automatically:

• Create ApprovalThis templates for common purchase types
• Enforce category-specific approvers (IT, facilities, etc.)
• Attach original quotes/contracts to approval records

Who Cares: Marketing agencies managing client budgets. Track $250K campaign spends against original approvals without spreadsheet acrobatics.

Setting This Up Without Losing Your Mind

Zapier keeps this integration from becoming an IT nightmare:

1. Connect both apps to Zapier (15 minutes tops)
2. Choose triggers:
   - New ProcurementExpress invoice/purchase order
   - Approved/denied requests in ApproveThis
3. Map critical fields:
   - Amounts → Approval thresholds
   - Vendor info → Approval comments
   - Category tags → Approval groups

Pro Tip They Don’t Tell You

Use ApproveThis’ calculated fields to auto-flag purchases that would exceed quarterly budgets. If marketing tries to approve a $50K ad spend when only $12K remains? Instant denial with a note to the CFO.

Why Your Teams Will Actually Use This

For Finance:

Real-time visibility into committed spend vs. approvals. No more budget surprises because someone forgot to log a PO.

For Operations:

Auto-reassign approvals when managers travel. Production doesn’t stop because someone’s hiking the Appalachian Trail.

For Procurement:

Audit trails showing who approved what – including email-based approvals from external partners. Perfect for ISO compliance reviews.

The Hidden Benefit You’re Not Considering

ApprovalThis’ vacation delegation feature prevents those “I’m OOO” reply-chain disasters. When your head of procurement takes parental leave, approvals automatically reroute – no IT tickets required.

When to Avoid This Integration (Yes, Really)

If your procurement process is “Venmo the intern and hope for the best,” you’re not ready. But if you’ve got:

• Multiple approval layers
• External partners needing limited access
• Actual compliance requirements

...this combo will save 8-14 hours/week on approval chasing alone.

Getting Started Without the BS

1. Sign up for ApproveThis (free 14-day trial)
2. Connect to ProcurementExpress via Zapier
3. Set up 1 critical workflow (invoice approvals work best)
4. Expand to other processes once the team stops complaining

Bottom Line: This isn’t another “productivity hack.” It’s how mid-sized companies finally get procurement to stop being the bottleneck. Less chasing, more doing – with proof of compliance baked in.

Ready to stop being human middleware? Book a 20-minute demo or start a trial. Your AP team will send you thank-you notes.