How to Automate Document Approvals Without Losing Your Mind (or Your Clients)

Let’s be honest: chasing signatures and approvals is like herding cats while juggling flaming spreadsheets. Zoho Sign handles the digital paperwork, but what happens after everyone signs? That’s where ApproveThis comes in – think of it as the bouncer at the door of your workflow, making sure nobody moves forward without a stamped ticket.

Why Zoho Sign + ApproveThis = Fewer Headaches

Zoho Sign gets documents signed. ApproveThis decides what happens next. Together, they turn “Hey, did that contract get approved?” into a process that actually works. Here’s the deal:

• No more approval black holes: Track every document from signature to final decision in one place.
• Clients don’t need another login: Approvers vote via email – perfect for external partners.

Real-World Use Cases That Don’t Suck

This isn’t about “streamlining synergies.” Here’s how actual teams use this combo:

1. Legal Teams: Stop Chasing Contract Approvals

The Problem: Your legal department approves 200+ contracts monthly. Half get stuck waiting for finance or department heads to OK changes.

The Fix: When a Zoho Sign document is completed, ApproveThis automatically routes it to the right approvers based on contract value or department. Legal gets notified if someone’s dragging their feet.

Bonus: Use Approval Thresholds to auto-approve NDAs under $50K without human involvement.

2. Procurement: From Purchase Order to Approved in 48 Hours

The Problem: Manufacturing companies need 6+ signatures for equipment purchases. Vendors get paid late because approvals get lost between email threads.

The Fix: Zoho Sign captures vendor signatures, then ApproveThis routes the PO to plant managers > procurement > CFO in sequence. Each approver sees real-time calculations of total cost impact.

Pro Tip: Vacation Delegation ensures the plant manager’s backup approves requests if they’re OOO.

3. HR: Onboarding That Doesn’t Make New Hates Quit

The Problem: New hire paperwork gets signed quickly… then sits waiting for IT, facilities, and payroll to set up access.

The Fix: Once an offer letter is signed in Zoho Sign, ApproveThis triggers checklists for each department. IT gets 24 hours to provision accounts before escalations kick in.

How This Works Without Breaking the Bank

Key detail: Approvers only need ApproveThis access – no extra Zoho Sign licenses required. Huge for:

• Client-facing agencies approving campaign budgets
• Healthcare providers managing vendor contracts

Setup in 15 Minutes (Seriously)

If you can set up a Zoom call, you can connect these tools via Zapier:

1. Create a Zap: Choose Zoho Sign’s “Document Signed” trigger
2. Add Step: Select ApproveThis’ “Create Request” action
3. Map fields (who needs to approve, deadlines, etc.)
4. Test with a dummy document

Done. Now approvals route automatically based on rules you set.

Features You’ll Actually Use

Beyond basic approvals, here’s where ApproveThis adds muscle:

Calculated Fields

Example: A signed sales contract in Zoho Sign triggers an approval request that automatically calculates commission splits based on deal size. No manual math.

Approval Groups

Marketing agencies love this: When a client signs a proposal, require consensus from creative, media, and accounting leads before kicking off the project.

When Not to Use This Combo

We’re honest here. Skip this if:

• Your team approves everything via Slack anyway (bless your chaotic hearts)
• You have <5 documents/month – overkill for tiny ops

Bottom Line for Busy People

Zoho Sign + ApproveThis via Zapier is for teams that:

• Lose sleep over compliance gaps
• Hate being the bottleneck in client projects
• Need to prove who approved what and when

It’s not sexy, but neither are audit fines. See if it fits your workflow with a 15-minute demo or free trial.

FAQ for the Skeptics

Q: Can external clients approve without a Zoho account?
A: Yes – they approve via email. Only your team needs Zoho Sign.

Q: What if our approval rules change monthly?
A: Update workflows in ApproveThis once – no Zapier edits needed.

Q: We use DocuSign. Same deal?
A: Yep. ApproveThis works with any e-sign tool via Zapier.