Best 5 approval automation software platforms to accelerate the flows

Think about everything your organization has ever done: the projects your team has completed, the milestones you’ve achieved, the daily tasks everyone takes care of to keep everything running. None of it would be possible without managers and leaders offering their approval and feedback every step of the way.

At some point, a decision-maker had to approve a new idea, a piece of content, or a payment, allowing a workflow to proceed to completion. With approval workflows, businesses can run faster and smoother — saving time and money and reducing stress for everyone involved.

But how can an organization design approval workflows? One of the easiest ways is by using approval workflow software. These tools ensure items, tasks, and projects get to the right team member for approval. Plus, they store detailed records and feedback in one place, creating order out of the often chaotic nature of project management.

Not sure which approval workflow software is right for you? Check out the five best.

1. Jotform Approvals

The basis of every workflow is a form. That’s why Jotform has created a new product — Jotform Approvals — that combines the power of online forms with automated approvals.

Jotform Approvals allows you to turn forms into tasks in an approval flow. With a drag-and-drop interface similar to the Form Builder, it’s easy to add and customize approval steps. You can track approvals via email, Jotform Inbox, Jotform Tables, or the Jotform Mobile Forms app.

You can set up automated email notifications for approvers and for the people submitting the prebuilt or custom forms. And you can even use conditional branching to direct your flow to perform different actions according to the way form respondents answer certain questions

2. admation

admation is a comprehensive tool that helps agencies manage complex workflows. The platform is tailor-made to handle campaign production cycles from beginning to end, including project conception and setup, resourcing, digital asset storage, online proofing, and even pesky client approvals.

Designed by agency insiders, admation allows users to track all of their projects from a single dashboard. The software includes an area for tracking approvals as well as features like templates, capacity planning, calendars, automated reminders, and task assignments.

3. Gain

Another approval workflow software platform made for agencies, Gain breaks down barriers between content creators and their clients’ internal processes by merging them into a single approval workflow. Agencies can first upload their content for clients, including digital and print ads, videos, branding assets, email newsletters, and social media posts. Clients can then view the content and leave detailed feedback in the same space, keeping all correspondence together.

You can fully automate approval workflows on Gain — and the platform will even follow up on behalf of the agency if a client hasn’t responded.

4. Screendragon

Screendragon is an approval workflow software platform that empowers teams with easy-to-customize, visual task management. By providing a framework that every user can configure to their liking, Screendragon makes it simple to create detailed processes without any coding.

The best part? Screendragon gives teams the ability to easily shift priorities, update timelines, and efficiently manage assignees — all from one screen. Created with approvals in mind, Screendragon captures all comments and decisions in one location, so you can implement feedback quickly. Users can mark up documents, graphics, and video files with notes directly in the platform, which means everyone can deliver feedback with a newfound level of precision.

5. Cflow

Cflow specializes in business automation, giving users the ability to build processes, set up automation rules, and track data to improve productivity. The app comes stocked with workflow templates for tasks such as purchase request approvals, vacation requests, expense approvals, and invoice approvals.

Plus, Cflow is built on a solid foundation of business process management methodologies, so as your organization grows, the workflow will automatically scale to match your evolving company.

How to choose the right approval workflow software

These approval workflow software solutions will help your organization operate more efficiently, but how do you decide which is best for you? It depends on the type of organization you run and what kind of capabilities you need. Jotform Approvals is perhaps the most versatile, especially with its mobile-friendly features.