ApproveThis manages your SmartSuite Integration approvals.

Let’s cut to the chase: approvals suck. They’re the traffic jam in your workflow highway. Someone’s always on vacation, the budget spreadsheet is MIA, and the only thing getting “escalated” is everyone’s blood pressure. But what if you could automate the nagging parts and actually see where every request is stuck? That’s where ApproveThis and SmartSuite come in – like peanut butter and jelly for process nerds.

Why This Combo Works (Besides Saving Your Sanity)

SmartSuite’s great at organizing projects, but let’s be real – it’s not built to chase down Derek from Accounting for his blessing on the Q3 spend. ApproveThis doesn’t just automate “approve/deny” decisions. It adds guardrails:

Think conditional logic (auto-approve small expenses, escalate big ones), calculated fields (show the budget impact instantly), and delegation (because Derek’s always on a cruise). Connect them via Zapier, and you’ve got a system that actually works while you sleep.

Real Teams Using This, Right Now

1. The “Stop Ghosting My Requests” Workflow

Template: New ApproveThis request → Auto-create SmartSuite record
Who needs it: Marketing teams approving campaign spend, IT handling software requests
Why it slaps: Ever had a request vanish into Slack purgatory? Now every approval creates a SmartSuite record with deadlines, context, and files attached. The PMO team at a 200-person SaaS company uses this to cut approval follow-ups by 70%. Their secret? SmartSuite’s timeline view shows which approvals are bottlenecking launches.

2. The “We’re Not Mind Readers” Setup

Template: New SmartSuite record → Trigger ApproveThis request
Who needs it: Procurement teams, client services agencies
Why it’s genius: Client added a new deliverable in SmartSuite? Boom – approval request fires off with the actual specs attached. A mid-sized agency uses this to automatically route client change orders to the right department heads. No more “I didn’t see the updated SOW!” excuses.

3. The “This Meeting Could’ve Been an Email” Special

Template: SmartSuite record update → New approval round
Who needs it: Product teams, engineering, anyone dealing with scope creep
Why it matters: When specs change mid-sprint, approvals restart automatically. A manufacturing company reduced change order errors by 45% by using calculated fields to show cost impacts right in the approval email.

Setup That Won’t Make You Rage-Quit

If you can order DoorDash, you can do this:

• Pick your Zapier template (they’ve got the common ones pre-built)
• Map SmartSuite fields to ApproveThis (keep it simple – date, owner, $$ amount)
• Add conditional logic if you’re fancy (example: auto-approve anything under $1K)

Pro tip: Use ApproveThis’ approval thresholds so small requests don’t waste approvers’ time. SmartSuite’s custom fields help – like tagging requests as “urgent” to fast-track them.

Department-Specific Wins

Finance Teams:

ApproveThis’ calculated fields auto-show remaining budget. Combine with SmartSuite’s reporting to finally answer “Where’d all the money go?”

HR:

Onboarding checklists in SmartSuite trigger equipment approval workflows. Best part? Hiring managers approve via email without needing a SmartSuite login.

Client-Facing Teams:

External clients approve deliverables in ApproveThis (no guest logins needed). Status syncs to SmartSuite so the team knows when to start work.

The Nuts & Bolts You Care About

No extra licenses: Approvers get email links. Clients don’t need your SmartSuite seat.
Audit trails: Every decision logs in both tools. Compliance teams love this.
Mobile approvals: Because nobody’s chained to their desk.

“But What If…” Scenarios

Someone’s OOO? ApproveThis auto-reassigns based on org chart rules.
Need multiple sign-offs? Set parallel approvals for speed or sequential for control.
Changed your mind? Recall requests before they’re approved. No take-backsies after.

Bottom Line: This Isn’t Just Automation

It’s about finally having a single source of truth. SmartSuite shows the what and when. ApproveThis handles the who said yes. Together, they answer the question every manager hates: “Wait, did that get approved?”

Look – you’re not here to geek out on Zapier triggers. You’re here to stop chasing approvals and start hitting deadlines. So here’s your move: Get started with ApproveThis, connect your SmartSuite account, and automate one process this week. Or book a demo if you want to see the secret sauce first.

Either way, Derek from Accounting just got a little less power over your life. You’re welcome.