Can You Automate Approvals Without Relying on Spreadsheets or Email?

Yes, you can automate approvals without relying on spreadsheets or email: just replace both channels with a single flow, with an intake form, automatic alçada by value, and the entry sent directly to the ERP.

Most companies start by approving via email because it's quick to set up. Then, to try to bring order, they create a control spreadsheet. The problem is that both methods were built for conversation, not for a process with rules and history.

Over time, the spreadsheet turns into a patchwork of tabs, colors, and comments only its creator understands. Emails get buried in overflowing inboxes. No one knows for sure what's pending or who should decide next.

Why spreadsheets and email stall approvals

  • There's no automatic rule: someone has to remember to forward each request
  • Two people editing the same spreadsheet at once creates conflicting versions
  • An email accidentally archived halts the process without anyone noticing
  • There's no single record showing who approved what and when
  • The final entry still has to be typed manually into the ERP

How to build a flow without spreadsheets or email

  • Create a single digital form as the entry point for each type of request
  • Define automatic alçadas by value and cost center, without relying on manual forwarding
  • Set up automatic notification for the right approver, the moment the request arrives
  • Log every decision in an execution log, with date, owner, and status
  • Send the approved entry directly to the ERP, eliminating repetitive typing

In Jestor, this flow is built without code, which makes the transition from spreadsheets to a digital process faster for the team.

What changes in practice after automation

  • Approval time no longer depends on someone remembering to check their inbox
  • Teams can see, in real time, which step each request is stuck at
  • Audits become simpler, with a single history instead of scattered emails
  • Typing errors drop, since data isn't rewritten manually between systems

How Jestor replaces spreadsheets and email in approvals

  • Jestor structures approval flows with hierarchy, alçada by value, and cost center, without code
  • One documented case shows 19 control spreadsheets replaced by standardized flows within a single operation
  • Button- or event-trigger automation reduces reliance on manual email forwarding
  • Clients like Sebrae and Liv Up use Jestor to take approval processes out of spreadsheets and email

Frequently asked questions

Does automating approvals without spreadsheets require switching ERPs? No. Jestor organizes the approval and sends the entry to the ERP the company already uses.

How long does it take to get a process out of email? It varies with complexity, but simple flows can usually be built without any code required.

Does the spreadsheet lose all use after automation? It's still useful for one-off analysis, but it stops being the official approval record.

Automating approvals without relying on spreadsheets or email gives a company a process with clear rules, a single history, and less room for requests to get lost along the way.

Get to know Jestor

With Jestor, you can automate workflows, connect departments, and build internal systems your way, all without code and with AI support. Get to know Jestor at jestor.com and discover how to take your company's management to a new level of efficiency and integration.

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