ApproveThis manages your Karbon Integration approvals.

When Practice Management Meets Approval Muscle

Let’s be real: accounting firms don’t get paid to chase down signatures or babysit approval bottlenecks. Yet here you are, stuck between Karbon’s killer workflow engine and a spreadsheet full of pending client requests. Enter ApproveThis – the approval layer that plugs directly into Karbon via Zapier to turn “Where’s that sign-off?” into “It’s already done.”

This isn’t about replacing Karbon. It’s about weaponizing it. Think of ApproveThis as the bouncer at your firm’s VIP section: automatically validating expense reports, client onboarding docs, or compliance checks before they ever hit your team’s radar. No more manual handoffs. No more approval limbo. Just decisions moving at the speed of your firm.

Why This Combo Doesn’t Just “Work” – It Wins

Karbon’s great at orchestrating work. ApproveThis is great at forcing decisions. Together? They turn accounting workflows into closed-loop systems where nothing slips through. Here’s the brass tacks:

• Approvals become part of the workflow, not a sidebar email chain
• Client data stays synced between systems without manual entry
• External clients/partners can approve without needing Karbon access

Take client onboarding. A new biz signs your engagement letter (in ApproveThis), gets vetted by compliance, then auto-creates their Karbon contact with all terms attached. Meanwhile, your team’s already billing instead of chasing paperwork.

Real-World Use Cases That Actually Matter

Generic “save time” claims are boring. Let’s talk specifics for firms who bill by the hour:

1. Client Onboarding Without the 20-Email Shuffle

Scenario: A mid-sized firm lands a new client. The engagement letter needs partner approval, compliance checks, and client e-signature.

The Fix:

ApproveThis triggers when Karbon flags a new client request. Routes the contract to:

1. Compliance lead (checks for conflicts)
2. Managing partner (approves terms)
3. Client (signs via email)

Once greenlit, Zapier dumps the signed doc into Karbon and creates the client contact. Time saved? About 3 days per onboarding.

2. Expense Audits That Don’t Require a PhD in Follow-Ups

Scenario: A staff accountant submits a $15k client expense. Needs partner approval per firm policy.

The Fix:

ApproveThis grabs the expense entry from Karbon, routes it based on amount:

• Under $5k? Auto-approved
• $5k-$15k? Senior manager + client approval
• Over $15k? Escalates to partner

Approvals happen via email (clients love this), then syncs back to Karbon as billable. No more “I didn’t see the Slack message” excuses.

3. Compliance Checks That Actually Prevent Disasters

Scenario: A team updates a high-risk client’s Karbon profile. Needs legal/compliance eyes before it’s final.

The Fix:

Any Karbon contact update triggers an ApproveThis workflow. Legal team gets a summary of changes, approves/denies right from Outlook. Denied? Task auto-creates in Karbon with revision notes. Approved? Karbon record updates instantly. Audit trail? Built-in.

Setup That Doesn’t Require IT (We Promise)

If you can make a Zapier account, you can do this:

1. Connect Karbon + ApproveThis in Zapier (zapier.com)
2. Pick your trigger (e.g., “New Organization Contact in Karbon”)
3. Set approval rules in ApproveThis (who approves what, thresholds, etc.)
4. Map fields (Karbon data → ApproveThis requests)

Pro tip: Use ApproveThis’ Calculated Fields to auto-flag high-risk requests. Example: If Karbon client status = “Under Audit”, require extra approvals automatically.

Who Wins (Besides Your Sanity)

Partners: Stop being a human reminder bot. Get approvals done via email while you’re on the 18th hole.

Managers: Know exactly which requests are stuck, why, and who to nudge – without 17 status meetings.

Clients: Approve invoices or docs from their phone without logging into some portal they’ll forget anyway.

Compliance: Sleep better knowing no high-risk client updates happen without their explicit OK.

Features That Make This Actually Work

ApproveThis isn’t just a “yes/no” button. Here’s the gritty stuff that matters:

Email-Based Approvals: Clients/partners approve via email – no accounts needed. Critical for firms working with external counsel or clients who still fax things.

Vacation Delegation: Partner OOO? Approvals auto-reassign so work doesn’t stall. No more “Sorry, I was on vacation” hold-ups.

Thresholds: Auto-approve expenses under $2k. Escalate anything over $25k. Because your time > rubber-stamping coffee runs.

Bottom Line: This Isn’t “Nice to Have”

For firms scaling past 50 people, manual approvals are a silent profit killer. Every hour your partner spends chasing signatures is an hour not spent on biz dev or high-value client work. Every compliance hiccup from rushed approvals risks your reputation.

ApproveThis + Karbon via Zapier fixes that. Not with buzzwords, but by hard-wiring approvals into the workflows you already run.

Ready to stop being a approval middleman? Get started with ApproveThis or book a 15-minute demo that’s actually useful.