ApproveThis manages your 7shifts Integration approvals.

Why These Two Tools Are Better Together

Let’s cut through the noise: most restaurants and hospitality businesses still run on paper trails, sticky notes, and managers chasing people down for signatures. 7shifts already solves half the battle with scheduling and time tracking. ApproveThis handles the other half – getting decisions made fast without playing phone tag. Connect them through Zapier, and you’ve got a system where approvals happen as part of the workflow, not as an afterthought.

Think about how many decisions get bottlenecked in your operation. Finalizing payroll? Approving schedule changes? Validating overtime? These aren’t just admin tasks – they’re cash flow killers when they pile up. Combining 7shifts’ real-time data with ApproveThis’ structured approval chains turns “waiting on someone” into “done before you finish your coffee.”

What You’re Working With

ApproveThis Brings:

Zero-license approvers: Your GM doesn’t need a 7shifts login to approve payroll. Your vendor doesn’t need your HR software to sign off on contract changes. External approvals happen through email – no new logins, no extra costs.

Thresholds that actually work: Auto-approve schedule swaps under 2 hours. Escalate any overtime over $500 straight to the CFO. Set it once and let the system handle the edge cases.

Delegation that doesn’t suck: Sous chef on vacation? Approval rights automatically shift to the next in command. No more “I thought you were covering that” excuses.

7shifts Handles:

Live schedule updates: Shift changes, availability notes, and time-off requests all feed into one system that actually talks to your approval process.

Accurate time tracking: Every clock-in/out becomes a potential trigger for approvals – no more end-of-period surprises.

Payroll that doesn’t make you want to scream: Closed payroll periods automatically kick off approval workflows instead of manual spreadsheets.

Real Uses for Real Restaurants

1. Payroll Sign-Offs That Don’t Require a PhD

Scenario: A multi-location pizza chain closes payroll every two weeks. Before ApproveThis, this meant compiling reports in 7shifts, emailing them to 5 managers, then waiting 3 days for everyone to reply. Now? The second payroll closes in 7shifts, Zapier fires off individual approval requests with the necessary data attached. Approvers get a clear summary – total hours, labor costs, any overtime flags – and click approve/reject from their phone. No logins, no chasing.

2. Schedule Changes That Actually Stick

Scenario: A brewery pub group publishes schedules in 7shifts, but last-minute swaps kept causing coverage gaps. Now, any schedule update triggers an approval chain in ApproveThis. Managers review shift changes against sales forecasts and staffing budgets before giving the green light. If three people request the same day off? Approval groups ensure fair conflict resolution without group texts.

3. Overtime Alerts That Prevent Budget Meltdowns

Scenario: A hotel group was getting killed by unapproved overtime during peak seasons. Now, every time punch in 7shifts that pushes someone over 40 hours automatically routes through ApproveThis with calculated overtime costs. Department heads approve/deny with one click, and the system updates 7shifts automatically. Finance team stops getting heartburn every payroll cycle.

Setting This Up Without Losing Your Mind

1. Pick your pain point: Start with one workflow – payroll approvals are usually the quickest win.
2. Build the Zap: In Zapier, set 7shifts’ “Payroll Period Closed” as the trigger. Map key data points (total hours, labor cost, location) to ApproveThis’ approval request template.
3. Configure escalation rules: In ApproveThis, set thresholds to auto-approve small variances but flag anything over 5% budget difference.
4. Test with a single location: Run one payroll cycle through the new system, then scale to all units.

Pro tip: Use ApproveThis’ calculated fields to show percentage of labor cost against sales automatically. Approvers see the impact, not just the numbers.

Who Benefits (Besides Your Sanity)

Operations Teams

Stop being the middleman between 7shifts data and decision-makers. Approval trails auto-document compliance with labor laws and internal policies.

Finance Departments

Real-time visibility into labor costs before payroll runs. Escalate budget overages when they happen, not three weeks later.

HR Managers

Onboard new locations faster with standardized approval processes. Vacation delegation means no single point of failure in approval chains.

Why This Isn’t Just Another Integration

Most app connections just move data from A to B. This combo actually changes how decisions get made:

• Context matters: Approvers see 7shifts data within the approval request – no switching between apps
• Decisions stick: Approved payroll? The data flows back to 7shifts automatically. No duplicate data entry.

And let’s be real – in industries with 200% turnover rates, you need systems that work even when someone quits mid-shift. Approval chains automatically reroute based on current 7shifts roles, not your org chart from six months ago.

No-BS Next Steps

If you’re using 7shifts and still doing approvals through email chains or (god forbid) paper forms:

1. Register for ApproveThis – free trial covers basic workflows
2. Connect to 7shifts via Zapier – takes 15 minutes if you’ve got admin access to both tools
3. Pick one high-friction approval process to automate this week

Not sure where to start? Book a 20-minute demo. We’ll show you how other restaurant groups cut approval delays by 80% without adding more management overhead.