Isn't this potentially a great idea for a start-up?
A SaaS solution which simplifies / streamlines companies’ internal (and potentially external) approval processes.. I am no expert in this area but a quick google search shows only solutions which look cumbersome and overly complex (or come as part of large and probably fairly inflexible CRMs).
I would probably target SMEs first, ie the sort of companies mentioned in the article.
Anyway, if anyone thinks there may be an opportunity here and wants to talk about this a bit more, drop me an email (address in my profile).