Resources · automationagenciesoperations
Automate client approvals agency - make waiting visible
To automate client approvals in an agency, run one queue that shows the approver, version, sent date, due date, and next escalation. A system can draft the request, watch the clock, and list overdue items. It cannot decide that silence means approval.
Waiting is work. If nobody owns the wait, a client delay becomes a delivery delay that looks like your team's problem.
What fields make an approval queue useful?#
Use a queue instead of asking people to search email threads.
| Field | Why it needs to be visible |
|---|---|
| Work item and version | Stops feedback landing on the wrong file |
| Named approver | Avoids sending a request to a group with no owner |
| Sent date and due date | Separates a fresh request from a late one |
| Decision needed | Makes the client action specific |
| Last reminder | Prevents two team members chasing at once |
| Delivery impact | Shows what will slip if it waits |
| Next human action | Gives an overdue item a real owner |
A clear version is important. An approval is only proof if the team can say what was approved. The same record protects a commercial change in scope-creep tracking.
What should happen when a client is late?#
Send one plain reminder that repeats the decision, the link, and the delivery effect. After that, show the item to the account owner with a suggested next action. The owner may call the client, move the deadline, or decide the work can continue without that decision.
Do not build a chain of automatic reminders that reads as pressure. The purpose is clarity, not a machine nagging a client. A delayed answer can be a client-side issue, a wrong approver, or an unclear request. A person is better placed to tell which.
How does the approval build actually go?#
We begin with the types of approval the agency really needs: creative, copy, budget, access, or scope. We write a plain request format for each one and name who can approve it. The team keeps those formats and the approval record.
The build creates a queue item when a reviewed file is ready. It drafts a short request with one link and one stated decision. It records the sent date and watches for a reply or a documented decision. It can send the agreed reminder once and then post the overdue queue to the account owner.
We shadow-run it using finished client work. The team checks whether the right person would have received the request, whether the file link is the correct version, and whether the reminder timing matches its relationship with clients. Only after those checks does the queue become the team's working list.
For sales-to-delivery decisions, use the verified project handover card before any client approval is requested. For repeatable tasks, link the approval to the proof-of-completion field in the recurring-work audit.
What can you do before buying a tool?#
List every item currently waiting for a client. Add the seven fields above. If the owner or next human action is blank, fix that first. A better queue often removes the need for another dashboard.
Where does this fit with the rest of the operation?#
The request format should be part of the clean first-week map in client onboarding. It also protects the capacity sequence in scaling an agency without hiring by making client-blocked work visible.