Rippling

Overview

Managers can approve a wide range of requests, including time-off and expenses, through a single, unified Rippling mobile application. The platform is designed to consolidate various managerial approval workflows from its HR, Finance, and IT products into one centralized location on a manager's mobile device. This functionality stems from the system's underlying architecture, which is built on a single database that serves as the source of truth for all employee data and business processes. As a result, when an employee submits a request—whether for paid time off (PTO), an expense report, or a corporate card transaction—the system automatically routes it to the appropriate manager's approval queue within the mobile app. This centralized approach is intended to reduce administrative friction and delays that can occur when managers have to log into multiple, disparate systems or monitor various email threads to process routine requests.

Key Features

In terms of specific coverage, the Rippling mobile app explicitly supports approvals for time-related and financial requests. Managers can review and approve PTO requests submitted by their direct reports, and they can also view employee PTO balances and pay stubs directly within the app. The app also fully supports the submission and approval of expense reports and the management of corporate card transactions. The real-time policy validation is a key feature in this area, helping to ensure compliance before the manager's review. The platform's automation engine, Workflow Studio, further enhances this by allowing for highly customizable approval policies, such as routing requests differently based on an employee's specific job code. This level of customization ensures the approval workflow can adapt to complex organizational structures and rules.

Technical Specifications

Regarding device requests, the functionality is present but appears more focused on management and oversight rather than direct approval of new purchases within the mobile app. Rippling's Mobile Device Management (MDM) features provide administrators and managers with a dashboard to view IT inventory, see which devices are assigned to which employees, and enforce security policies like encryption or mandatory OS updates. While the platform's general marketing, especially following a mobile app redesign in August 2025, states that managers can handle 'all your approvals' from their phone, the specific documentation and feature descriptions more clearly emphasize approvals for PTO and expenses. The workflow for a new hardware purchase might be initiated or tracked within the system, but the explicit 'approve' action for a new device request from a manager's mobile app is not as clearly documented as it is for time-off and expense reports. The primary mobile IT function appears to be managing the lifecycle and security of existing devices.

How It Works

The mechanism for this unified approval system involves several integrated components. At its core, the unified database allows Rippling to maintain a complete and up-to-date organizational chart and define complex approval chains. Using 'Custom Permission Profiles,' administrators can configure who needs to approve what, ensuring requests are automatically sent to the correct individual or sequence of individuals. For financial approvals, such as expense reports, the system incorporates real-time policy checks. Before a request is even submitted, the platform can validate it against pre-set, role-based spending policies, flagging any potential violations of budget limits or category restrictions. This reduces the burden on managers to memorize and enforce these policies manually. The system also uses automated notifications and reminders to prompt managers to act on pending items, which is particularly important for time-sensitive approvals like timecard sign-offs required before a payroll run.

Use Cases

Limitations and Requirements

There are some limitations and dependencies to consider. The full, unified approval experience is contingent on an organization having implemented the relevant Rippling modules. For example, to approve expenses and view them alongside payroll data, the company must subscribe to both the Rippling HR and Rippling Spend modules. The comprehensive nature of the platform also means it may be more extensive than what is necessary for very small businesses or solo freelancers, suggesting its ideal fit is with small to medium-sized businesses that have more complex, multi-departmental approval needs. While the mobile app is designed for convenience, particularly complex approval chains involving multiple stages or detailed review might still be more easily managed via the desktop interface, which can offer a broader view of the entire workflow.

Comparison to Alternatives

Summary

In conclusion, Rippling does provide a single mobile app that allows managers to approve time-off and expense requests in a unified interface. This is made possible by the platform's single-database architecture, which centralizes requests from different business functions. The system includes automated routing, real-time policy validation, and customizable workflows. While the app also provides robust tools for managing IT devices, the direct approval of new hardware requests from a manager's mobile device is less explicitly detailed than the approval workflows for HR and finance tasks. The full functionality is dependent on the adoption of the corresponding Rippling product modules.