Streamline Coworking Operations with ApproveThis and Knowork

Why Approval Automation Matters for Coworking Spaces

Modern coworking spaces face a unique challenge: maintaining operational efficiency while delivering personalized experiences. Knowork excels at managing physical spaces and member relationships, while ApproveThis brings structure to decision-making processes. Together through Zapier, these platforms create a powerful system that eliminates approval bottlenecks while keeping financial controls and member experiences intact.

Strategic Synergy Between Platforms

Knowork handles the day-to-day operations of coworking spaces - bookings, member onboarding, billing, and cancellations. ApproveThis adds a layer of intelligent decision-making to these processes. The integration allows teams to:

• Embed financial controls directly into space reservations
• Maintain compliance with automated approval audits

What makes this combination particularly powerful is ApproveThis' email-based approval system. External stakeholders like property owners or client company approvers can review requests without needing access to Knowork's internal systems. This maintains security while enabling fast decisions.

Real-World Use Cases for Modern Workspaces

Premium Space Reservations

High-demand meeting rooms and event spaces often require oversight. When a Knowork booking triggers an approval request:

• ApproveThis checks against pre-set spending limits using calculated fields
• Routes requests to department heads based on booking type
• Automatically upgrades reservations when approvals exceed standard tiers

Example: A marketing agency books a 50-person event space through Knowork. ApproveThis routes the request to both the operations manager (for space availability) and finance lead (for budget approval), cutting approval time from 3 days to 4 hours.

Member Onboarding with Compliance Checks

Membership applications often require multiple verifications. The integration enables:

• Automatic background check initiation upon application submission
• Parallel approvals from community managers and security teams
• Custom welcome packages triggered by approval completion

Example: A coworking space specializing in regulated industries uses approval thresholds to flag applications from financial services members for additional compliance reviews.

Financial Controls for Flexible Workspaces

Dynamic pricing models demand responsive approval systems. Combined workflows:

• Compare invoice amounts against member usage history
• Escalate discounts above 15% to senior staff
• Automatically process approved payments through Knowork

Example: A member requests an extended stay discount. ApproveThis calculates the revenue impact in real-time and routes the request to the appropriate manager based on the amount.

Cancellation Management

Member retention meets operational reality through structured exits:

• Triggers exit interviews for high-value members
• Routes equipment return checklists to operations teams
• Approves final billing adjustments before processing

Example: When a enterprise client cancels 10 seats, ApproveThis requires CS director approval before updating Knowork's membership roster, triggering retention offers to the affected members.

Implementation Made Simple

Setting up the integration takes three steps:

1. Create Zapier connection between Knowork and ApproveThis
2. Map Knowork triggers (bookings, invoices, etc.) to ApproveThis actions
3. Configure approval rules and thresholds in ApproveThis

Most teams complete initial setup in under 90 minutes. The Zapier integration handles data mapping between systems, while ApproveThis' visual workflow builder makes approval logic configuration intuitive.

Cross-Functional Benefits

Operations Teams

Space managers gain real-time visibility into upcoming reservations with built-in approval status indicators. Automatic delegation during vacations prevents booking delays, while equipment purchase requests integrate directly with Knowork's inventory management.

Finance Departments

AP teams maintain control through approval thresholds while reducing manual invoice reviews. All approved transactions automatically sync back to Knowork's billing system with full audit trails. Calculated fields enable dynamic discount approvals based on member lifetime value.

Community Management

Member experience teams preserve brand consistency by approving special event promotions through the same system used for space approvals. New member applications route through customized approval chains that balance sales priorities with community fit.

Key Differentiators

What makes this integration stand out:

• No duplicate data entry between systems
• External approvers interact via email without needing Knowork access
• Real-time calculations enable dynamic approval logic

Unlike basic approval add-ons, ApproveThis brings enterprise-grade governance to Knowork's flexible environment. Approval thresholds adapt to fluctuating space rates, while vacation coverage ensures constant workflow momentum.

Getting Started

Begin with high-impact processes:

1. Member contract approvals
2. Event space reservations
3. Custom membership discounts

These provide quick wins while teams learn the system. Most users see 40% reduction in approval delays within the first month.

Technical Considerations

The Zapier integration supports bi-directional updates. Approved requests in ApproveThis can trigger Knowork actions like:

• Confirming bookings
• Activating member accounts
• Processing invoice payments

Rejected requests automatically notify requesters through Knowork's native messaging system when configured properly.

Future-Proofing Operations

As workspaces evolve, the integration adapts:

• Add new approval steps for emerging needs like ESG compliance checks
• Modify thresholds based on real-time space utilization data
• Expand approval chains to include external partners

This flexibility ensures coworking spaces can scale operations without overhauling processes.

Next Steps

Ready to transform your workspace operations? Start your ApproveThis free trial or explore Knowork's features. For integration assistance, book a personalized demo showing how approval automation can work for your specific use cases.

Connect your existing tools through Zapier's platform to maintain your current workflow while adding intelligent approval layers. The average implementation takes less than two hours but delivers continuous efficiency gains.