Approval workflows are formalized processes that ensure project tasks are completed on time, free of mistakes, and adhere to business and product standards. Manual approval workflows have limitations such as being harder to audit, slower, and less transparent than automated ones. Automated approval workflows can help with efficiency, consistency, and visibility, but creating them requires time and resources that could be spent on developing the product. A Slack-based workflow automation can be set up using a dedicated bot account and message templates, while tools like Courier make it easier to create automations without requiring custom code or development resources.