Project Approval Tab Control

Location: /Project/Default.aspx?pid={ProjectId} (Approvals tab)

Navigation: Open any Packaging, Creative, or Cores-type project from the Dashboard or project search. Click the "Approvals" tab in the project details view. The specific approval interface varies based on project type - Packaging and Creative projects show the standard journey-based approval system, while Cores projects display the specialized core artwork approval workflow.

Overview

The Project Approval Tab Control is the staff-side interface for managing client artwork approval workflows within projects. This control enables project managers and designers to initiate approval journeys, assemble approval teams, upload artwork files for review, track approval progress, and manage the complete lifecycle of client approvals.

When creative work is ready for client review, staff members use this control to package artworks with their supporting documents, select the appropriate client reviewers from the configured approval team, set due dates, and initiate the approval journey. Once initiated, the control transitions to display real-time status showing which reviewers have approved, returned, or are still pending, along with any comments or marked-up files they've submitted.

The control adapts its interface based on project type: Packaging projects display packaging-specific artwork details (part numbers, structure types, label dimensions), Creative projects show marketing collateral specifications (print colors, sizes, quantities), and Cores projects present the specialized core artwork approval workflow used for core label translations and adaptations.

Business Value

Why Does This Matter to the Company?

1. Streamlined Client Communication - The approval system eliminates the inefficiencies of email-based review cycles where artwork files get lost in inboxes, versions become confused, and feedback arrives in inconsistent formats. By centralizing approval requests through a structured system, both staff and clients have a single source of truth for review status and feedback.
2. Accountability and Tracking - Every approval action is recorded with timestamps and user identification. When project timelines slip due to delayed client reviews, the system provides clear documentation of when approvals were requested, reminded, and completed. This accountability protects the agency in scope and timeline discussions.
3. Multi-Stage Review Support - Complex approval processes often require sequential reviews (marketing reviews first, then regulatory, then legal). The stage-based system supports these workflows, only advancing artworks to the next review tier after earlier stages complete. This prevents premature feedback from stakeholders who should review later in the process.
4. Automatic Notifications - When approvals are initiated, the system automatically emails designated reviewers with project details and artwork information. This removes manual notification tasks from project managers and ensures consistent, professional communication with clients.
5. Project Status Integration - Approval actions automatically update project status, keeping dashboards and reporting accurate without manual intervention. When clients complete reviews, the project advances to the appropriate next status, maintaining workflow integrity.
6. Approval History and Audit Trail - The complete history of approval journeys, including previous artworks, reviewer decisions, and revision cycles, remains accessible for reference. This historical record supports client discussions, quality reviews, and compliance requirements.

Business Benefits

For Project Managers

• Centralized Workflow Control: Initiate, monitor, and manage all client approvals from within the project interface rather than through scattered emails and spreadsheets
• Team Assembly Flexibility: Select individual reviewers for each journey or use pre-configured approval groups for clients with established review processes
• Draft Capability: Save approval setups as drafts when waiting for final artwork files, preserving team selections and notes for later submission
• Real-Time Status Visibility: See at a glance which reviewers have acted, which are pending, and whether any rejections require attention
• Time Tracking Integration: Log time spent preparing approvals directly when initiating journeys, capturing this work for billing

For Designers and Production Staff

• Simple File Upload: Attach artwork PDFs and reference documents directly to approval requests without complex file transfer processes
• Clear Feedback Access: View marked-up PDFs and written comments from reviewers directly in the approval interface
• Revision Workflow: When changes are requested, start new approval stages with updated files while maintaining the complete revision history
• Multiple Artwork Support: Send multiple artworks for approval simultaneously, appropriate for projects with numerous deliverables requiring concurrent review

For Account Managers

• Client Communication Support: Access approval history when discussing project timelines and revision cycles with clients
• Journey Documentation: The approval record documents which client representatives reviewed and approved final deliverables
• Undo Capability: When necessary, reverse finalized approvals to reopen journeys for additional changes (with appropriate permissions)

For Finance and Operations

• Timeline Documentation: Approval records provide evidence of client response times, supporting invoicing for extended review periods
• Status Accuracy: Automatic status updates ensure project reports and dashboards reflect actual approval states
• Audit Compliance: Complete approval trails support documentation requirements for regulated industries

Usage Scenarios

Scenario 1: Initiating a Standard Approval Journey

A project manager has received final artwork PDFs from the design team and needs client approval. They open the project, navigate to the Approvals tab, and find the "Send to Approvals" interface. They select an existing approval group ("Marketing Team") or individually add reviewers by selecting approval roles and assigning specific users. For each artwork item, they upload the main approval PDF and optionally a reference PDF (showing the artwork in context). They enter a due date, add notes for the reviewers explaining what changed or what to focus on, and click "Send to Approvals." The system creates the journey, notifies all stage-1 reviewers via email, and updates the project status to indicate it's in approval.

Scenario 2: Handling Client Feedback and Revisions

A client reviewer has returned an artwork with revision requests, uploading a marked-up PDF with annotations. The project manager opens the approval status view, sees the rejection with the reviewer's comments, and downloads the marked PDF to share with the design team. After the designer makes corrections, the manager returns to the Approvals tab. If all current-stage reviewers have responded, they can click "New Stage" to initiate the next review round, uploading the revised artwork and notifying reviewers of the updated files. The original stage responses remain in the history while the new stage begins fresh.

Scenario 3: Managing Multi-Stage Approval Processes

A pharmaceutical client requires marketing approval before regulatory review. The project manager sets up the approval team with marketing reviewers at Stage 1 and regulatory reviewers at Stage 2. When Stage 1 marketers approve, the journey status updates to reflect completion. The manager then clicks "New Stage" to advance to Stage 2, which notifies the regulatory reviewers. The complete approval chain remains visible, showing the sequential sign-offs required before final approval.

Scenario 4: Using Approval Groups for Recurring Clients

A client has a consistent approval team across all their projects. Rather than selecting individual reviewers each time, the project manager creates an Approval Group named "Acme Corp Standard Review." When starting new approvals for this client, they simply select the group from the dropdown, which populates all team members with their roles and stages. This accelerates setup and ensures consistent reviewer assignment.

Scenario 5: Saving Draft Approvals

A project manager needs to prepare an approval request but doesn't yet have all the final artwork files. They set up the approval team, enter the due date and notes, upload available files, and click "Save Draft." The system preserves all their settings. When remaining files arrive, they return to the Approvals tab, find their draft automatically restored, upload the final files, and send the approval. No setup work is lost.

Scenario 6: Finalizing Completed Approvals

All reviewers have approved the artwork. The project manager sees the "Closed" journey status and clicks "Finish Journey." This finalizes the approval, updates the project status to "Approval Finished," and records the completion timestamp. The artwork can now proceed to final delivery or production.

Scenario 7: Undoing Premature Finalization

After finishing a journey, the client requests one more change. The project manager uses "Undo Finalization" to reopen the journey, changing the status back to allow new stages. They can then initiate additional revision rounds without losing the existing approval history. After the new changes are approved, they finalize again.

Industry Context

How Similar Functionality is Used Across Industries

Creative Services Approval Workflows

Client approval of creative work is fundamental across advertising agencies, design studios, marketing services companies, and packaging design firms. Every creative deliverable typically requires explicit client sign-off before production, publication, or printing.

Common Industry Practices

1. Advertising Agencies: Campaign materials require multi-level client approval - brand managers, marketing directors, legal/compliance teams, and sometimes regional stakeholders. Staging approvers ensures each level sees finalized work before passing to the next.
2. Packaging Design Firms: Packaging artwork requires both marketing approval (brand consistency, messaging) and regulatory approval (ingredient lists, claims compliance). The multi-stage system mirrors these distinct review phases.
3. Marketing Services Providers: Producing collateral materials for retail, events, or promotions involves approval cycles with brand teams and sometimes retail partners. Version tracking through approval journeys documents which stakeholders approved which versions.
4. Print Production Companies: Pre-press operations require explicit client sign-off before committing to plate-making and print runs. The PDF-based approval with marked-up feedback directly supports pre-press workflows.

Industry Best Practices Implemented

• Central Document Repository: Approval artworks are stored centrally and served to reviewers rather than being emailed, eliminating version confusion
• Non-Destructive Feedback: Client mark-ups are uploaded as separate files, preserving the original artwork while capturing feedback
• Audit Trail: Complete records of who approved what and when support both operational and compliance needs
• Role-Based Review: Categorizing reviewers by role (Marketing, Legal, Finance) supports structured review processes
• Due Date Management: Explicit deadlines with automated notifications support timeline management

Business Logic Details

Journey Lifecycle

An approval journey progresses through defined states:

• Open: Journey created, reviewers notified, awaiting responses
• Pending: Some reviewers have responded, others still pending
• Closed: All reviewers in the current stage have responded (approved or returned)
• Finished: Journey manually finalized after completion
• Archived: Journey abandoned before completion

Journey Types

The system supports three journey types corresponding to project types:

• Packaging Journeys: Review packaging artworks with product specifications, structure details, and packaging level information
• Creative Journeys: Review marketing collateral with print specifications, quantities, and creative descriptions
• Cores Journeys: Simplified approval for core label translations with single-approver workflows

Staging System

Approval teams support multiple stages for sequential review:

• Stage 1: First-tier reviewers who see the initial submission
• Stage 2+: Additional reviewers who see work only after earlier stages complete
• Reviewers at each stage see artworks simultaneously (parallel review within stage)
• New stages are initiated manually by staff when ready for escalation

Artwork Status Tracking

Individual artworks within a journey track their approval status:

• Open: Awaiting reviewer action
• Approved: All designated reviewers have approved
• Returned: At least one reviewer has requested changes

Project Status Integration

Approval actions trigger automatic project status updates:

• Send to Approvals: Status changes to "Sent to Approvers" (2.3)
• Approval Completed: Status changes to "Approval Completed" (2.7)
• All Approved (Cores): Status changes to "Approval Finished" (2.8)
• All Returned (Cores): Status changes to "Returned to Draft"

Team Member Management

Approval teams can be modified during active journeys:

• Add new reviewers to the current stage
• Edit reviewer roles and stage assignments
• Remove reviewers who shouldn't be included
• Changes take effect immediately for new notifications

Notification System

The system sends automatic email notifications:

• Journey Start: All Stage 1 reviewers receive notification with project name, artwork details, and approval notes
• New Stage: Reviewers advancing to active status receive notification
• Project manager (journey creator) is copied on notifications

Key Features

Approval Setup Interface

Approval Status Display

Journey History

Visual Indicators

Functional Components

Starting New Journeys

When no active journey exists, the interface displays:

• Team member selection controls
• Artwork list with file upload controls per artwork
• Journey configuration (due date, hours, notes)
• "Send to Approvals" button to initiate
• "Save Draft" button to preserve setup

Active Journey Display

During an active approval journey, the interface shows:

• Current stage indicator with due date
• Grid of artworks with approval status per reviewer
• Reviewer response details (timestamps, comments, marked files)
• Action buttons for journey management

Journey Management Actions

File Management

For each artwork in the journey:

• Artwork PDF: Main file for reviewer approval
• Reference PDF: Supporting context document (optional)
• Marked PDF: Uploaded by reviewers with feedback annotations

Files are stored in cloud storage and served to reviewers through the customer portal.

Draft System

Draft approvals preserve:

• Selected team members with roles and stages
• Entered due dates, hours, and notes
• Uploaded artwork files

Drafts are automatically restored when returning to the Approvals tab, allowing incremental preparation.

Relationship to Other System Components

Customer Approvals Portal

The Project Approval Tab Control creates journeys that customers access through the Customer Approvals Portal. The relationship is:

• Staff initiates journeys through this control
• Customers review and respond through their portal
• Customer responses appear back in this control's status display
• Both interfaces work with the same underlying journey data

Project Status System

Approval actions integrate with project status:

• Sending to approvals updates status automatically
• Completion updates reflect approval outcomes
• Status history shows approval-related entries
• Dashboard widgets reflect approval states

Notification System

The approval system triggers automated communications:

• Email notifications to reviewers when journeys start
• CC notifications to project managers
• Reminder systems for overdue approvals (via background jobs)

Invoice Groups

Approval teams are scoped by invoice group (client organization):

• Reviewers must be users in the project's invoice group
• Approval roles are configured per invoice group
• Approval groups are saved per invoice group for reuse

Time Tracking

Approval initiation supports time logging:

• Hours field records preparation time
• Activity selector categorizes the work
• Time records connect to project billing

Activity Logging

All approval actions are logged:

• Journey creation with timestamp and user
• Reviewer additions and removals
• Status changes and finalization
• Complete audit trail for compliance

Summary

The Project Approval Tab Control serves as the staff-side command center for managing client artwork approval workflows. By providing structured journey creation, flexible team assembly, multi-stage review support, and real-time status visibility, the control transforms client approval processes from unstructured email exchanges into managed, documented workflows.

For companies delivering creative services, the approval system addresses key business challenges:

• Process Efficiency: Structured approval initiation replaces ad-hoc email processes
• Timeline Management: Due dates and automatic notifications keep reviews on track
• Feedback Clarity: Marked PDFs and written comments arrive in consistent format
• Documentation: Complete approval records support client discussions and compliance
• Status Integration: Automatic project updates maintain accurate dashboards and reports
• Team Flexibility: Individual selection or approval groups support varied client needs

The Project Approval Tab Control enables creative services organizations to deliver professional, documented approval experiences to their clients while maintaining internal control over review timelines, revision cycles, and project status accuracy.