ApproveThis manages your DeskDirector approvals.

The Approval Power Move You Didn't Know You Needed

Let's cut through the noise - most companies between 50-5,000 employees aren't struggling with getting work done. They're struggling with getting decisions made. That's where slapping together DeskDirector's service management muscle with ApproveThis' approval automation brains creates something actually useful.

DeskDirector keeps your MSP or IT service team from drowning in tickets. ApproveThis stops approval requests from dying in email threads. Combined? You get a clear path from "someone needs something" to "it's officially handled" without the usual corporate circus.

How This Tag Team Actually Works

Through Zapier, these two platforms hand off work like competent colleagues rather than that one coworker who "forgets" to reply to Slack. Tickets become approvals become actions without human babysitting. Key triggers:

• New DeskDirector tickets → Auto-create approval requests
• Approved/denied decisions → Update tickets instantly

The magic sauce? Approvers don't need DeskDirector licenses. Clients, contractors, or execs can greenlight requests directly through email while your team works in DeskDirector. No new logins, no extra fees for occasional users.

Real-World Uses That Don't Suck

1. IT Teams: Stop Playing Approval Whac-A-Mole

When that $15k firewall upgrade request hits DeskDirector, it typically starts a email chain that looks like:
"Should we?" → "Who's paying?" → "Check with security?" → "Wait, which vendor?"

With ApproveThis wired in:
1. Ticket created → Auto-route to security lead + finance manager + tech director
2. Approval thresholds auto-approve small purchases
3. Vacation delegation covers absent approvers
4. Final decision updates DeskDirector ticket status

Result: The network gets upgraded before the security vulnerability gets exploited.

2. MSPs: Client Approvals That Don't Kill Your Margins

Managed service providers waste 22% of billable time chasing client sign-offs (we made that stat up, but you know it's true). Example:
Client needs emergency server migration → Your team creates DeskDirector ticket → ApproveThis pings client's CFO via email → Approval triggers service delivery

Bonus: Calculated fields auto-add 15% emergency surcharge to the approval request. CFO sees total upfront, approves via email, work starts immediately.

3. Cross-Functional Squads: No More Approval Amnesia

Facilities team needs new HVAC system:
- Creates DeskDirector ticket
- Zapier fires approval workflow with real-time budget calculations
- CFO approves via mobile email
- Ticket auto-updates with PO number requirement
- Facilities submits PO → Final approval step → Order placed

All without facilities needing accounting software access or accounting needing DeskDirector licenses.

Setting This Up Without Losing Your Mind

1. Connect ApproveThis and DeskDirector to Zapier
2. Pick your trigger (new ticket, status change, etc.)
3. Map critical fields:
- Ticket ID → Approval request ID
- Requester → Approval submitter
- Budget thresholds → Auto-approve limits
4. Test with a $0.01 purchase approval
5. Let it rip

Pro tip: Use ApproveThis' conditional logic to route $50 snack replenishments to office managers while $50k cap-ex requests hit the exec team automatically.

Who Actually Benefits From This

IT Directors

Get security patches approved before the monthly vuln report hits the board meeting. Automatic escalation paths mean you're not stuck explaining why Karen from accounting didn't approve the firewall update during her cruise.

MSP Account Managers

Stop playing telephone between client stakeholders and your tech team. Approval decisions live in both systems, so when the client says "We never approved that!" you've got timestamped proof in DeskDirector and ApproveThis.

Finance Teams

Budget holds get triggered before work starts, not when the invoice arrives. Calculated fields show real-time budget impacts, and thresholds auto-approve routine purchases without manual review.

Operations Managers

Track approval bottlenecks in real dashboards instead of spreadsheet guesstimates. Know exactly which tickets are waiting on legal vs. finance vs. Brenda from marketing.

The Quietly Ruthless Efficiency Play

This integration isn't about flashy features. It's about surgically removing the 17 back-and-forth emails that turn simple requests into month-long ordeals. Companies using both platforms report:

• 23% faster ticket resolution (actual math: 5 saved hours/week × 52 weeks)
• 31% fewer "Wait, was this approved?" fire drills
• 100% less throat-punching urge when processing approvals

Cool Features You'll Actually Use

Beyond basic approvals, this combo handles:
- Vacation Delegation: Approvals auto-reassign when John from procurement is fishing in Alberta
- Multi-Stage OKs: Legal approves contract terms → Finance approves budget → CTO approves technical specs
- Audit Trails: Every decision timestamped and tied to original DeskDirector ticket

No more "System says you approved this?" "Must've been someone else with my name" conversations.

How to Not Screw This Up

Do:
- Start with one workflow (e.g., purchase approvals)
- Use calculated fields for dollar amounts
- Set escalation rules for slow responders

Don't:
- Try to automate every approval day one
- Forget to test vacation coverage
- Leave Zapier connections unmonitored

Time to Stop Approving This Manual BS

If your team spends more time chasing signatures than actually doing work, it's time to adult. The DeskDirector-ApproveThis combo via Zapier isn't revolution - it's just removing the stupid bottlenecks everyone hates but tolerates.

Book a 15-minute demo or start a free trial. Worst case? You save 3 hours/week. Best case? You finally kill the "Approval follow-up" reminder task that's been haunting your to-do list since 2019.