Approval Routing and Revision Load Control (Delivery)
A sequence with 7 steps: Map every client's internal approver chain before the first post enters the calendar.
By InnovaAI ResearchPublished
What are the steps?
Approval Routing and Revision Load Control (Delivery)
- 01
Map every client's internal approver chain before the first post enters the calendar
Record who drafts, who reviews, who has final sign-off, and who is only copied. Agencies that skip this step discover the real approver three revisions deep, after the retainer hours are already spent.
- 02
Set a per-post revision ceiling in the client agreement and enforce it in the platform
Two rounds is a workable default for most retainers. Configure the approval workflow so a third round requires a written change order, not a Slack message.
- 03
Stage content in batches with a fixed approval window rather than one post at a time
A weekly batch of 10 to 15 posts with a 48-hour review window gives the client one decision point instead of fifteen. Platforms with multi-client workspaces such as Sked Social or Planable let you hold the batch in a pending state until sign-off lands.
- 04
Route approvals through the platform's native approval state, not email threads
Email approvals lose version history and create ambiguity about which draft was approved. Tools like HeyOrca and Kontentino exist largely because agency delivery breaks when approval lives outside the scheduling layer.
- 05
Log revision reasons by category each week: factual correction, tone, visual, or strategy
Factual and tone revisions usually signal a missing brand guide. Strategy revisions signal a scope problem. The category mix tells you which fix to make.
- 06
Review revision load against retainer hours at the monthly account check
If a client averages more than three revision rounds per batch across two consecutive months, the account is underpriced or the brief is unclear. Both are fixable, but only if the number is visible.
- 07
Escalate chronic approver delay to the client sponsor with the delay data attached
Track days-in-pending per approver. When one approver holds 80 percent of the queue time, the conversation is about their process, not your turnaround.