Project Approval

In many businesses, approval workflows for new projects are complex, with numerous stakeholders involved. Digital approval tools improve oversight and efficiency when kicking off new projects.

Our template provides a simple and effective way to manage project requests. Streamline communications, request workflows, and project management with our intuitive approval app.

What is approval management software?

Approval management software creates a robust, digital process for handling new project requests. Employees can submit project initiation requests. Depending on your internal business rules, different stakeholders can then review and approve these.

In other words, project approval systems take your existing workflows and simplify them in an intuitive digital platform.

The key to an effective approval management system is replicating your existing workflows. This ensures that stakeholders can make informed approval or rejection decisions.

Why do businesses use approval systems?

All projects require approval of some kind. However, different kinds of projects need sign-off from different stakeholders. This can create confusion, as employees don’t necessarily know who to approach with approval requests.

Project approval systems are an effective way to cut internal admin costs. Digital approval workflows eliminate the need for most project request calls and meetings. This frees your team up to deal with more pressing work.

Digital approval workflows also cut the score for miscommunications. By gathering only the information you need to make an approval decision, you can greatly improve project management processes.

What should a project approval system contain?

Project approval tools essentially contain two elements:

1. A form for submitting new project requests,
2. A system for assigning, reviewing, and approving new requests.

The key thing is that different approval requests are assigned to the right stakeholders.

This means creating rules to automatically assign different project requests to different users. Rules can be based on budgets, categories, or other project variables in the project approval process.

Our project approval template

Our template is designed to streamline project initiation. Create effective, multi-stakeholder approval management tools in minutes.

Our template offers:

• Complex approval rules.
• Complete customization.
• Process automation.
• Intuitive UI.
• Tailored permissions.
• Third-party integrations.
• Responsive design.
• Optional self-hosting.
• Design customization.
• Efficient workflows.

Budibase is the smart way to digitize approval workflows. Our intuitive low-code platform makes it easy to create totally custom approval tools with minimal lead time.

Fast, efficient project requests

With our template, employees can initiate new projects in less time than it would take to book a request meeting. We’ve provided a simple and intuitive project request form, so your team can submit the exact right information, in seconds.

Our request form features clear and unambiguous data fields. The aim is to gather only key project details so that you can make an informed project decision. We’ve also added automatic rules to create escalation levels and project numbers, based on form data.

A fast user experience is crucial for app adoption. Give your team a fast and effective way to request new projects, ensuring maximum internal usage.

Advanced approval workflows

Different project requests need different levels of approval. In our template, each project request is automatically assigned an escalation level, based on its budget. This allows you to assign requests to the appropriate stakeholder.

We’ve also provided a separate set of app screens for managing requests. Users can quickly search and filter all requests, before reviewing, approving, declining, or escalating them.

Budibase also gives you complete flexibility to customize your approval workflows. For example, you can assign different requests based on their department or category. You might also set rules to automatically approve requests which meet defined criteria.

We’ve also provided a budget dashboard, for improved oversight over your project spending.

Project escalations

For project requests which fall outside of usual approval rules, we’ve provided an escalation function. Our escalation levels are based on requested budget thresholds. However, there may be exceptions to this.

For example, a request may need to be escalated if the proposed project carries a high level of risk.

Each request detail screen contains an escalation button. When this is pressed, the request’s escalation level increases. Requests can be deescalated in the same way. We’ve also provided a dedicated feed page, to quickly monitor escalations as they occur.

Multi-step approval forms

Our template uses multi-step form UIs for streamlined project approval. On the initial form step, all relevant request details are thoroughly detailed. Responsible users can then decide whether or not to take action.

In the second form step, users can approve, decline, or escalate requests, as well as leaving their rationale in comments.

Multi-step forms in Budibase make it easy to create highly detailed project approval workflows. Create different form steps for different kinds of project requests or escalation levels.

Process automation

Our project approval system template supports a wide range of automated processes. Use any in-app action to trigger our library of automations. Budibase also has a built-in JavaScript editor, to add your own custom functionality.

Give users the power to manipulate, query, and add to databases, with simple, intuitive actions.

With Budibase, you can also use in-app actions to trigger automations in third-party apps.

Streamlined communications

Save costs with streamlined communications. Our template is designed to eliminate the need for most project approval calls and meetings. Request and approve new projects, without the need for manual communications.

For additional information is needed to approve a request, Budibase supports a range of advanced communications features.

Add your SMTP credentials to send automated emails to users when the status of their request changes. You can also use the mailto command to manually contact other users within our platform.

Check out our agency client portal to streamline communications during project delivery.

Responsive design

Our approval request system is fully mobile-friendly. All Budibase tools are mobile-responsive and compliant with key accessibility standards.

Design elements scale and resize to display perfectly on different screens and devices. With Budibase, it’s easy to create custom approval software, which your team can take with them anywhere.

You can also create tailored mobile user experiences using our conditionality features. Truncate screens or add additional form steps for mobile users, to create a more intuitive UX.

Dynamic filtering

Use dynamic filtering to easily search and find specific approval requests. Our filter component saves time, by making it easy to find the exact information you need. Use equals, contains, or numerical expressions to filter your project listings.

Search for individual requests by their project number, category, department, or budget. We’ve also added dynamic filters to our spend tracking panel. Quickly identify departments or projects which are over or underspending.

With dynamic filtering in Budibase, you can dramatically reduce the admin time involved in project approvals.

Why build approval systems in Budibase?

Budibase makes it easy to create effective, custom approval tools.

Our platform offers:

• Open-source approval software.
• Scalability.
• Quick deployment.
• Custom permissions.
• Flexible hosting.
• Mobile-responsive design.
• Security.
• Automation.
• Integrations.
• Low-code development.
• Support for external data sources.
• Total customization.
• Built-in JavaScript editor.

With Budibase, you can create a fully deployable project approval system in just a few minutes.

Open-source, low-code approval software

Budibase is the smart way to build internal business tools. Our open-source, low-code platform cuts lead times to a fraction of traditional development methods. Digitize your project approval workflows with our intuitive and cost-effective platform.

With Budibase, you have complete control over how you build your apps. Even better, you’ll actually own the finished product.

Infinite customization

Budibase offers complete customization. Use our low-code platform to add screens, features, integrations, or automations. With our low-code platform, it’s quick and easy to create the perfect approval tools for your needs.

Build an approval workflow based on your existing processes, for maximum efficiency and cost-savings.

Flexible deployment

With Budibase, you’re in control of how you host and deploy your business tools . Choose our Budibase Cloud platform or self-host your approval software. Deploy to your own infrastructure, using Kubernetes, Docker, Digital Ocean, and more.

Deploy your project approval system internally or as a web app. Use our template as a client-facing tool, or solely for internal users. With Budibase, it’s easy to deploy and host your app, however you need.

External data connectors

Budibase offers support for a wide range of external data sources. Connect to existing databases using MySQL, MSSQL, Postgresql, CouchDB, MongoDB, Airtable, S3, and more. We also offer Rest API support and direct CSV uploads.

Our external data connectors allow you to query, manipulate, and add to a wide range of databases.

Third-party integrations

Connect our approval system to your existing software stack. We support external app integrations using Zapier, Webhooks, and more. Budibase sits seamlessly alongside the tools your team already uses.

Use any in-app action to trigger external app automations, for maximum functionality.

You might also like our free customer account portal template .

Security

Security is critical for modern organizations. With Budibase you have complete flexibility to implement your desired security protocols. With custom access control and optional self-hosting, Budibase is the secure way to build low-code apps.

We also offer support for a wide range of password standards, including free SSO, OAuth, OpenID, and more.

Scalability

Budibase is built for scalability. As your approval workflows grow and change, our template can evolve with them. Our low-code app builder makes it easy to deploy new features, with minimal development time.

With Budibase, you have complete control over how your app changes over time. Say goodbye to waiting for off-the-shelf tools adopting the features you need.

Start using our template today

At Budibase, we’re changing the way businesses build software. With our open-source, low-code platform, you can create deployable custom workflow software, at a fraction of the cost.

To start using our project approval system template, simply click below.

Check out our pricing page to find out more about our enterprise support and SLA packages.