5 Steps to Turn the Approval Process via Email from a Headache into a Smooth Workflow

In this article, we’d like to talk to you about the approval process via email and how an automated workflow can streamline decision-making and eliminate inefficiencies.

In the intricate web of modern business, decisions are the lifeblood that keeps the organization thriving and growing. The approval process plays a pivotal role in this, as it determines whether a project, proposal, or idea gets the green light or meets a dead-end. Efficient workflow approvals ensure that businesses operate smoothly without unnecessary delays.

Email, a ubiquitous tool in today’s corporate landscape, has become the preferred channel for these crucial approvals. But are we making the most of this digital medium? In this article, we’ll explore the document approval process via email, from start to finish, shedding light on its impact, challenges, and the potential for automation to transform it into a lean, efficient workflow.

Email Approval Process and Its Issues

What Can Be the Subject of an Approval Request?

• Expenses
• Documents
• Bills, contracts, invoices, purchase orders
• Time off for your employees
• New vendors to collaborate with
• Marketing campaigns
• Social media posts
• Access requests (to a certain database or room)
• Meeting room reservations

This list really is endless, and often the answer is required RIGHT NOW. Requesting approval through email can lead to inefficiencies, delays, and frustration among team members who rely on prompt decisions to move forward.

But we all know how it works, right? You send an email to whoever is responsible for what you want approved and wait for… minutes, hours, days?

Facts That Will 100% Discourage You from Managing Your Approvals via Email Without Automation:

• The average person receives around 100-120 emails daily, not counting spam…
• After 48 hours, there’s little chance of a response. There’s a 90% likelihood that you’ll get a response within a day or two if the recipient is going to reply. (USC Viterbi School of Engineering research)
• Writing long emails may cause someone to skim over your message. And if it feels too cumbersome to read and reply, you may not get a response at all. (USC Viterbi School of Engineering research)
• Over half (58%) of employees say they’ve sent an email to the wrong person. (Tessian research)
• The average open rate for all industries is 18%. (Campaign Monitor, 2021)

Approval Requests Get Scattered Around Multiple Communication Channels and Devices

All those things combined give your seeking approval request a pretty low chance of being seen. Now, let’s add one more human factor here. If you’re working for a small company with, for example, ten-eleven employees, that problem probably does not affect you as much.

But what if it’s a 100+ employees business? One just might send a request to the WRONG PERSON. That’s completely normal: people can’t possibly know what each and every human in your company is responsible for, but you’re still losing money and time. Marketing teams, for example, might send an approval request for a marketing asset to the wrong department, delaying workflow approvals significantly.

To turn your approval process into a smooth stress-free automated workflow, you will have to make some changes in the way you approach it.

All those things combined give your approval request a pretty low chance of being seen. Now, let’s add one more human factor here. If you’re working for a small company with, for example, ten-eleven employees, that problem probably does not touch you.

But what if it’s a 100+ employees business? One just might send a request to a WRONG PERSON. That’s completely normal: people can’t possibly know what each and every human in your company is responsible for, but you’re still losing money. 

One can also simply forget to mention some details that are crucial for approval of this request. And then this wonderful emailing back and forth happens. And we’re back to 120 emails a day…

The most expensive thing for a business is always human hours. Instead of using them efficiently for the benefit of the company, your employee is getting blocked by a pending approval request and is just sitting there scrolling the news feed with a sad face. It’s a constant source of stress for your workers, it heavily influences their satisfaction with their job.

To turn your approval process into a smooth stress-free workflow, you will have to make some changes in the way you approach it. 

Top 5 Issues Created by Manual Approach to the Approval Process

The first thing that comes to mind is to directly address the existing issues. So, our five steps will be contingent on the most often occurring troubles a typical approval process creates.

1. The Issue: Wrong Approver

The Solution:

Make it clear to your team members who are the approvers in your workflows, and what their areas of responsibility are. That will ensure requests always get to the right person or, worst case, get redirected to the right person if a mistake occurs.

How to Achieve Without an Automation App:

Develop a guideline on requesting approval emails and spread it among your team members. Include in it the list of the designated approvers and their areas of responsibility.

2. The Issue: Approval Requests Are Scattered All Over Your Inbox and Often Get Overlooked

The Solution:

Keep all approval requests in one place: limited to ONE communication channel, properly stored and logged.

How to Achieve Without an Automation App:

Issue a memo that restricts approval requests to a single communication channel (for example, email). Requests submitted via any other communication channel CAN NOT be processed.

3. The Issue: Approval Requests with Insufficient Information

The Solution:

Make sure the approval requests have all the information necessary to make a decision by communicating to your team what data has to be included.

How to Achieve Without an Automation App:

In this case, emailing back and forth is, unfortunately, unavoidable. If any data are missing from the email, the approver will have to request them by answering the message. Make sure those emails are joined into a chain.

4. The Issue: Forgotten Requests

The Solution:

Send an email notification to remind the approvers about pending document approval requests. Send reminders as often as the priority and urgency of the approval stage requires.

How to Achieve Without an Automation App:

Requestors will have to make the reminders manually. There’s no other efficient way that does not involve automation.

5. The Issue: No Tracking or Accountability in the Approval Process

The Solution:

Make the approval process transparent, so that everyone can track the progress of requests.

How to Achieve Without an Automation App:

Create a Google sheet where all requests will be copied upon completion by a responsible team member. Attach screenshots of the approval or rejection emails to the history to avoid misunderstandings.

That Doesn’t Sound So Easy…

An automated workflow can completely transform this process. Here’s how:

• Speed and Efficiency: Approvals are routed automatically, reducing response times.
• Accuracy and Accountability: Audit trails ensure transparency.
• Email Templates & Notifications: Automated reminders keep requests from getting lost.
• Workflow Include Customization: Businesses can set rules for different types of marketing approvals.
• Brand Guidelines Compliance: Ensures marketing material follows company standards.

With automation, setting up an approval process takes only a few minutes, and you only have to do it once. Many new workflow approvals solutions, like Approveit, provide integrations that enhance your business processes, making your approvals seamless and hassle-free.

Give it a go! Who knows, maybe you’ll also end up saving 300K$ annually.