6 Reasons to Use the Microsoft Teams Approvals App
The Microsoft Teams Approvals app transforms how organizations handle sign-off workflows by embedding approval requests directly into the collaboration platform your team already uses every day. Whether you need purchase order authorizations, vacation requests, or document sign-offs, the Approvals app eliminates the back-and-forth emails and manual tracking that slow enterprises down. At EPC Group, we have deployed the Approvals app across Fortune 500 organizations and seen approval cycle times drop by as much as 60 percent.
1. Streamlined Workflow Without Leaving Teams
The most immediate advantage of the Approvals app is that it keeps everything inside Microsoft Teams. Instead of switching between email, a ticketing system, and a spreadsheet to track who approved what, your team members create, submit, and respond to approvals directly in a Teams chat or channel. This single-pane-of-glass approach reduces context switching and ensures nothing falls through the cracks.
- Create approval requests from the compose box in any chat or channel
- Approvers receive an actionable adaptive card they can approve or reject in one click
- The Approvals hub provides a centralized dashboard showing all sent and received requests
- Mobile support means approvers can act on requests from anywhere
2. Deep Integration with Power Automate
For enterprise organizations, the real power of the Approvals app surfaces when you connect it to Power Automate. You can build automated workflows that trigger approval requests based on events such as a new row in SharePoint, an expense exceeding a threshold, or a form submission. Power Automate supports sequential approvals, parallel approvals, and custom approval chains so you can mirror your organization's actual governance structure.
- Sequential approvals - Route requests through multiple levels of management in order
- Parallel approvals - Send to multiple approvers simultaneously and require all or any to approve
- Custom conditions - Route to different approvers based on amount, department, or project
- Automated escalation - Reassign or escalate if an approver does not respond within a defined time window
3. Built-In Audit Trail and Compliance
Every approval action is logged with a timestamp, the identity of the approver, and any comments they added. This is critical for organizations in regulated industries such as healthcare, finance, and government that must demonstrate compliance with frameworks like HIPAA, SOC 2, and FedRAMP. The audit trail is accessible through the Approvals hub and through Power Automate run history, giving you two layers of traceability.
For organizations subject to eDiscovery requirements, approval actions within Teams are captured in the Microsoft 365 compliance center, making them searchable and exportable alongside other Teams communications.
4. Custom Approval Templates for Repeatable Processes
The Approvals app supports custom templates that standardize your most common approval scenarios. Instead of building a request from scratch each time, team members select a template that pre-populates the required fields, approvers, and attachments. This reduces errors and ensures consistency across the organization.
- Expense approvals - Pre-set fields for amount, category, cost center, and receipts
- Time-off requests - Standardized date range, type of leave, and manager routing
- Document sign-offs - Attach files and require reviewers to confirm they have read the document
- IT change requests - Structured fields for impact assessment, rollback plan, and approver chain
5. E-Signature Support for Formal Approvals
Microsoft has integrated e-signature capabilities into the Approvals app through partnerships with DocuSign and Adobe Sign. This means you can send documents for formal signature directly from Teams without requiring a separate e-signature subscription workflow. For contracts, NDAs, and other legally binding documents, this integration eliminates an entire tool from your tech stack.
The e-signature flow works within the same adaptive card experience: the approver receives the document, reviews it, and signs it without leaving Teams. Signed documents are automatically stored in the location you specify, whether that is SharePoint, OneDrive, or a connected system.
6. Reduced Approval Bottlenecks with Real-Time Notifications
One of the biggest productivity killers in any organization is waiting for approvals. The Approvals app sends real-time notifications through Teams activity feed, push notifications on mobile, and email digests for users who are offline. This multi-channel notification approach means approvers see requests immediately and can act on them in seconds rather than days.
- Activity feed notifications appear as soon as a request is submitted
- Push notifications reach approvers on mobile devices instantly
- Reminder notifications can be configured for pending requests
- Status updates notify requesters the moment a decision is made
Why Choose EPC Group for Microsoft Teams Consulting
With 28+ years of Microsoft ecosystem expertise, EPC Group has helped hundreds of enterprises deploy and optimize Microsoft Teams, including advanced workflows built on the Approvals app and Power Automate. Our consultants understand the intersection of technology and governance, which means we do not just set up the tool -- we design approval workflows that align with your compliance requirements, organizational hierarchy, and business processes.
- Microsoft Gold Partner-level expertise across the entire M365 ecosystem
- Proven deployments in healthcare (HIPAA), finance (SOC 2), and government (FedRAMP)
- Custom Power Automate workflow design and implementation
- End-to-end training and change management for user adoption
- Ongoing managed services and support
Ready to Streamline Your Approval Workflows?
Contact EPC Group to discuss how the Microsoft Teams Approvals app can eliminate bottlenecks and enforce compliance across your organization. Our Microsoft-certified consultants will design a solution tailored to your specific business processes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Approvals app included in all Microsoft 365 plans?
The Approvals app is available in Microsoft Teams, which is included in Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Business Standard, Business Premium, E3, E5, F1, and F3 plans. However, advanced Power Automate workflows may require additional licensing depending on the connectors and volume of flows you need.
Can I use the Approvals app with external users or guests?
The Approvals app is currently designed for internal use within your Microsoft 365 tenant. Guest users cannot create or respond to approval requests directly. However, you can design Power Automate flows that send email-based approval requests to external parties when cross-organization sign-offs are required.
How do I set up multi-level approval chains?
Multi-level approval chains require Power Automate. You create a flow with sequential approval actions, where the output of one approval determines whether the request proceeds to the next level. You can configure conditions based on the approval response, amount thresholds, or other business logic to route requests through the appropriate chain of command.
Does the Approvals app integrate with third-party systems?
Yes, through Power Automate connectors. You can trigger approvals based on events in Salesforce, ServiceNow, SAP, Dynamics 365, and hundreds of other systems. Similarly, once an approval is granted, you can use Power Automate to push the result back to your ERP, CRM, or ITSM platform.
How long are approval records retained?
Approval records in the Approvals hub are retained for 28 days by default. However, when you use Power Automate, the flow run history retains records according to your plan's retention policy (typically 28 days for standard plans). For long-term compliance, we recommend configuring your flows to log approval data to SharePoint, Dataverse, or an Azure SQL database for permanent retention.