ApprovalMax: Stop chasing approvals by automating finance workflows

What would happen if you never had to chase down approvals for financial documents again? For finance professionals, approvals can quickly consume valuable time and cause delays that impact overall productivity and results.

Consider the typical journey of an incoming invoice that needs payment. The process usually involves multiple touch points: the invoice reaches your primary contact, gets emailed to the first approver, moves through additional approval layers, and finally reaches finance for processing into QuickBooks Online. While this workflow should be straightforward, reality often tells a different story.

Invoices get buried in email inboxes, approvers go on leave unexpectedly, or documents simply fall through the cracks. Whether you manage approvals through email, workplace messaging, or spreadsheets, the core issue remains the same: manual processes are unreliable and time-intensive.

The hidden costs of manual approval processes

Manual approval workflows drain resources that could be better spent on strategic planning and decision-making. When your team spends hours each week tracking down approvals and following up on outstanding tasks, that time isn’t available for driving business growth or optimizing financial outcomes.

CHARITYacCOUNTS!, an accounting firm supporting nonprofit organizations, knows this challenge well. Before setting up automated approval workflows for clients, their processes required physical document handling and lots of email coordination. This email-based approach created inefficiencies.

"When you have to email a document, get it signed, then import a PDF into QuickBooks, it’s very time-consuming," said Stephanie Cooper, controller at CHARITYacCOUNTS!. By automating its approval process, the firm now saves an average of 3.8 days per client each month.

5 key benefits of automated approvals

1. Free up time for strategic work: Finance teams are under pressure to do more with less. As economic conditions shift and compliance challenges grow, freeing up time becomes critical. Automated approval systems get rid of the need for follow-up emails and repetitive admin work, allowing teams to focus on forecasting, budgeting, and other high-impact tasks.
2. Gain real-time visibility into workflows: Manual processes provide little insight into where documents are in the approval chain. Automated systems offer full visibility, helping you spot bottlenecks and manage cash flow more effectively. Knowing exactly which payments are pending approval ensures smoother financial operations.
3. Accelerate approval timelines: Speed is essential in financial processes. Automated systems such as ApprovalMax, a member of the Intuit Developer Growth Program, can approve 25% of bills within two hours and 50% within one day. Faster approvals mean quicker data entry, helping maintain up-to-date records without last-minute scrambles.
4. Minimize financial errors: Manual processes are prone to errors such as duplicate payments or missed discrepancies, which add up fast. Automated systems validate data and detect duplicates so only accurate, approved documents make it into your financial software.
5. Strengthen fraud detection: Financial fraud is on the rise, and traditional manual processes often lack the tools to prevent it. Automated systems use advanced detection to flag unusual activity, suspicious documents, or irregular patterns, providing an extra layer of protection for your organization.

Building efficiency that scales with growth

Growing businesses need approval processes that scale. Manual systems become cumbersome as transaction volumes grow and hierarchies expand. Automated workflows, on the other hand, maintain efficiency and consistency no matter the size, ensuring financial controls stay strong as your organization evolves.

Finance professionals who implement automated approval systems report significant gains in efficiency, compliance, and team satisfaction. With less time spent chasing approvals, you can focus on strategic initiatives that drive success.

A world without chasing approvals means faster, more efficient financial operations for your entire team. The technology to make this a reality is already here.

Ready to explore how ApprovalMax integrates with QuickBooks Online to automate your approval workflows? Start a trial today.