Project Management Software Murdered the Approval Process

The Problem With Sharing Project Management Systems With Clients

Has your agency ever tried to share a project management system with a client? How did it go?

Was the client able to successfully adopt it? Was the approval process improved?

Chances are, it wasn’t.

Agencies love project management software. It’s the perfect solution for creating, assigning, and managing tasks. It keeps everyone informed on project status and provides accountability for deadlines and responsibilities.

But sometimes, projects don’t go as planned:

• Deadlines are missed
• Requirements change
• Fingers are pointed

And, to be honest, it’s usually the client’s fault.

It’s tempting to think:

“If only our clients would use our project management system, these problems wouldn’t happen.”

But what actually happens when you sign your clients up for your project management software?

Radio silence.

Why Clients Hate Project Management Software

Seriously, they do.

Next time they get fired up about something, watch what happens. Will they message you in Basecamp, or will they send an email? Nine times out of 10, you’ll get an email so fast it’ll burn a mark in your inbox—followed immediately by a phone call.

And all you’ll be thinking is:

“I have to record this in Basecamp.”

In validation research with founders and creative directors from 15 top marketing agencies in Austin, TX, only one was able to successfully force clients to use their project management system—and even they didn’t have 100% success. Their secret? They made it a contractual obligation.

Why clients resist:

1. You’ll always respond faster via email
2. It takes too long to learn
3. It gives too much detail
4. It’s just another login
5. It disrupts their workflow

Clients want to stay in their inbox. They don’t want to be part of your system. It’s not about tech savviness—it’s about communication.

Clients don’t care about your task lists; they’re paying you to manage those.

They only want to:

• Review deliverables
• Approve deliverables

Task Management Isn’t the Solution

Project management tools like Basecamp and Asana are packed with features, but they’re built for internal coordination, not client approval. They:

• Are bulky and difficult to navigate
• Focus too much on internal tasks
• Overcomplicate the client experience

Adding more tasks to “improve” communication often kills the approval process instead. In 14 out of 15 cases, project management software didn’t improve communication.

The Real Solution: Approval Automation

Approval automation is designed for one thing—getting deliverables reviewed and approved quickly.

An effective automated approval system should:

1. Send deliverables through a client approval workflow automatically
2. Provide a digital platform for clients to submit feedback
3. Limit client responsibilities to:
   • Receiving an email
   • Submitting feedback
4. Provide an audit log of deliverable history
5. Not require client logins

How Ashore Solves the Problem

Ashore does all of the above—and more.

For your clients:

• No account required
• Only need an email address to view proofs

For your agency:

• Seamless integration with Zapier
• Connect Ashore to your project management software or other tools
• Keep your existing workflows while adding dedicated proofing capabilities

Try Ashore With Zapier

When Ashore’s approval automation works alongside your project management system, you get the best of both worlds:

• Task coordination
• Fast, client-friendly approvals

Try Ashore free today and see how dedicated approval software can finally improve your approval process.