Google Workspace offers a built-in approvals feature. But when it comes to enterprise document workflows, there’s more to consider than just checking “approved” or “not approved.” This article explores what matters when approving documents in a business setting—and how Google’s basic tool measures up to a more robust platform like Collavate.
Table of Content
- Why Do Businesses Need an Approval Process in Document Collaboration?
- Google Approvals vs. Collavate: At a glance
- What Other Features Should You Consider?
- Conclusion: Which Service Works Best?
Why Do Businesses Need an Approval Process in Document Collaboration?
In a company setting, it’s crucial to track who approved what, and when. Clear approvals reduce confusion and bring accountability. Yet many organizations often have complex review chains—managers, department heads, multiple reviewers, simultaneous reviews by teams—and all those layers add real challenges:
- It’s hard to tell who reviewed and approved the document and when.
- Edited documents often lead to uncertainty: do they need to be reapproved?
- Because checking the status of all documents under review takes time and effort, managing everything manually becomes burdensome.
Especially in organizations that use approvals frequently, having someone manually oversee every document’s approval journey becomes nearly impossible. If you also require converting final documents to PDF or maintaining archival copies—standard needs in many enterprises—the complexity grows even more.
So, document approval services are not just about stamping an approval—they’re critical for simplifying collaboration, improving control, and strengthening trust in document workflows.
Which Product Should You Choose to Approve Google Documents?
In Google Docs collaboration, the approval process is no longer optional—it’s essential.
For companies using Google Workspace, the built-in Approvals feature is available at no extra cost with the Business Standard plan or higher. (Please note that Gmail personal accounts and Business Starter or lower plans do not include the Approvals feature.)
The built-in approval function in Google Docs focuses on assigning multiple reviewers in sequence and recording only the final approval or rejection. This makes it useful for simple collaboration between individuals or small teams.
However, in real enterprise environments, the needs are more complex. The basic approval feature provided in Google Docs alone cannot fully meet these requirements. That’s why organizations need a more specialized document approval service—one that supports a wide range of workflows, from simple approvals to complex enterprise-level cases. Such services allow businesses to flexibly adapt approval flows to their unique needs while ensuring that finalized documents are securely stored.
Checklist for Choosing a Google Document Approval Solution
When it comes to choosing a document approval solution, what key factors should your business keep in mind?
- Integration with Google Workspace — Does it glide seamlessly with Drive, Gmail, Calendar, and other tools your organization already uses?
- Workflow flexibility — Can it support department or team-level approvals, multi-step flows, and parallel approvals?
- Security & audit trail — Is there a clear record of who approved what and when? Are final documents securely stored?
- Ease of use and cost structure — Are your users going to find it simple enough to use? Is the pricing scalable as your organization grows?
Google Approvals vs. Collavate: At a glance
| Google Approvals | Collavate | |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Approval per individual document | Bundled approval of documents & related attachments/files |
| Reviewer Types | Individual users only | Users, departments/groups |
| Workflow Types | Sequential, single-step only | Sequential, parallel, group customized flows |
| Template Availability | Not available | Allows templates with preset approvers |
| Document Permissions / Locking | Document locking after approval | Document locking after approval, permission control by stage, centralized document management |
| Ease of Use | Native in Google Docs, simple setup | Uses Google Docs but adds powerful features in a familiar environment |
| Communication | Built-in commenting in Google Docs | Dedicated posts for document communication, alerts, etc. |
| Pricing | Included with Google Workspace Business plan or above | Separate subscription (per user / tiered) required |
| Customization | Not available | Extensive options for customization |
| Support | 24/7 but sometimes slower response | Faster service & more responsive support |
| Compliance & Security | Meets international standards | Adds enterprise-level compliance (HIPAA, GDPR etc.) |
Differences in Workflow
Google Approvals: Basic & Simple
Suitable for organizations new to document workflows or who only need simple approval tracking. You select a reviewer, and each assigned reviewer approves in turn.
👍 Strengths: free with the right Google plan, minimal configuration.
❌ Limitation: only supports one-step, sequential approval. Lack of templates or centralized control.
Collavate: Designed for Enterprise
Unlike Google Approvals, Collavate is designed as an enterprise-grade document approval platform.
It goes beyond simple approvals to support complex business workflows such as department-level approvals, multi-user simultaneous approvals, and both sequential and parallel approval chains.
Most importantly, while working seamlessly with Google Docs, Collavate also integrates with multiple file formats such as PDF and MS Office, delivering powerful interoperability in real-world business environments.
👍 Strengths: Customizable approval lines, centralized management, compliance support, and admin dashboards
❌ Limitation: Requires a separate subscription (but provides enterprise-level capabilities)
When Collavate Offers the Most Value
- Multiple reviewers or departments must approve documents, either in sequence or in parallel
- Organizations need strong audit trails and strict compliance (HIPAA, GDPR etc.)
- Admins want dashboard visibility over approval status across the organization
- You want standardized workflows using reusable templates
What Other Features Should You Consider?
Centralized Document Management
Collavate centralizes documents under a single administrator account, providing fine-grained control over all approval-related activities and processes.
Even in complex workflows, access permissions can be fully automated according to user settings.
Through the administrator dashboard, Collavate offers visibility into all approval statuses and provides a wide range of tools to oversee approval activities. This level of control and management precision is not available with Google’s basic approval feature.
Document Templates
Collavate also addresses the lack of a native template system in Google by offering powerful template automation within Google Workspace.
Any Google Document, Spreadsheet, or Presentation can be converted into a reusable template, allowing organizations to standardize critical document workflows and manage them centrally. This reduces friction and errors while streamlining business processes.
Conclusion: Which Service Works Best?
For individuals or small teams using approvals only occasionally, Google Approvals may be enough. But if your organization needs standardization, more control, rigorous auditing, and secure document governance—Collavate is the superior option.
👉 Start your 30-day free trial of Collavate today and see firsthand how our advanced approval tools can meet your enterprise’s needs.
