ApproveThis manages your OnePlan Integration approvals.

Why Your Project Managers Need This Integration Yesterday

Let’s be real: project management tools like OnePlan are fantastic for planning, but they weren’t built to handle the messy human layer of approvals. That’s where ApproveThis comes in. When you connect these two through Zapier, you’re not just automating workflows – you’re fixing the broken game of telephone between planning and getting shit done. For companies juggling multiple projects (hi, construction firms, marketing agencies, and anyone with more than three spreadsheets), this combo cuts through the red tape that slows down launches, budgets, and client deliverables.

The Nuts and Bolts of How They Work Together

OnePlan handles the “what” – project timelines, resource allocation, budget tracking. ApproveThis handles the “who” – approvals from stakeholders, clients, or finance teams. The Zapier integration acts as the translator between the two. Here’s why that matters:

• No more approval black holes: Plans updated in OnePlan automatically trigger approval requests in ApproveThis.
• Decisions actually stick: Approved/denied statuses in ApproveThis auto-update OnePlan tasks.

Example: A healthcare IT company uses OnePlan to manage EHR implementation timelines. When a change order hits $10K, ApproveThis automatically routes it to the CFO and legal via email (no OnePlan license required for them). The CFO approves it during her layover, and OnePlan reflects the greenlight before the PM even checks her inbox.

Four Use Cases That Actually Move the Needle

1. “Why Wasn’t This Approved Last Week?” – The Plan Update Dilemma

The Zap: OnePlan plan update → ApproveThis approval request.

Who Cares: Marketing agencies revising campaign timelines, manufacturing teams adjusting production schedules.

Real-World Fix: When a client asks for a last-minute scope change in OnePlan, ApproveThis pings the account lead AND the creative director simultaneously. First responder to approve/reject wins. No 48-hour email chains.

2. The “Oops, Forgot to Sign Off” Prevention

The Zap: ApproveThis new request → OnePlan step approval.

Who Cares: Software dev teams using OnePlan for sprint tracking. Legal teams reviewing contract milestones.

Real-World Fix: DevOps marks a deployment step complete in OnePlan? ApproveThis slaps an approval requirement on it before it moves to QA. Prevents “move fast and break things” from becoming “move fast and break compliance.”

3. The Change Order Shuffle (And How to Kill It)

The Zap: OnePlan step change → ApproveThis request.

Who Cares: Construction PMs, event planners, anyone dealing with volatile project elements.

Real-World Fix: A subcontractor updates a task in OnePlan to flag a material delay. ApproveThis immediately notifies the project lead and client rep. They review the delay impact (with real-time cost calculations via ApproveThis fields) and approve a revised timeline before the coffee gets cold.

4. The “Approved Doesn’t Mean Updated” Problem

The Zap: ApproveThis decision → Update OnePlan status.

Who Cares: Finance teams tracking budget approvals, product teams managing launch dependencies.

Real-World Fix: When ApproveThis gets a “yes” on a budget increase, OnePlan automatically adjusts the project’s financial dashboard. No manual data entry. No version control nightmares.

Setting This Up Without Losing Your Mind

Zapier’s doing the heavy lifting here. You’ll:

1. Connect OnePlan and ApproveThis to your Zapier account
2. Pick a trigger (e.g., “Plan Updated” in OnePlan)
3. Choose the action (“Create Request” in ApproveThis)
4. Map critical fields: Project ID, change details, budget impact
5. Test with a non-mission-critical project first

Pro Tip: Use ApproveThis’ calculated fields to auto-flag requests that exceed budget thresholds. Example: If a OnePlan task update pushes labor costs over $15K, route it directly to the VP instead of the team lead.

Who Benefits (Besides Your Sanity)

Project Managers: The Visibility Play

No more “I approved that yesterday!” lies. Every approval/rejection time-stamps in ApproveThis and reflects in OnePlan. Useful for audits, client check-ins, or explaining why Q3 goals got derailed.

Finance Teams: The Guardrails

Set ApproveThis thresholds to auto-route budget changes above $X to accounting. Since approvers don’t need OnePlan access, your CFO isn’t drowning in project management noise.

External Clients: The Illusion of Control

Clients get email approvals for milestone sign-offs (no logins). They feel involved without getting into the OnePlan weeds. Plus, vacation delegation means approvals don’t stall when their point person is offline.

Operations: The Fire Prevention

Auto-approve routine changes (e.g., shifting non-critical deadlines) but escalate anything affecting compliance deadlines. Reduces trivial requests clogging up leadership’s inbox.

The Bottom Line (No Fluff Edition)

ApproveThis + OnePlan via Zapier isn’t about flashy features. It’s about eliminating the 23% of project time wasted on approval bottlenecks (yes, that’s a real stat). For companies scaling past 100 employees, this is the difference between “We delivered on time” and “We’re renegotiating the contract because delays pissed off the client.”

Next Steps: If your project managers have ever used the phrase “approval purgatory,” register for ApproveThis and build your first Zap. Or, schedule a demo to see how conditional approvals work with your OnePlan setup.