Customer Approvals Portal

Overview

The Customer Approvals Portal is the client-facing interface for reviewing and approving artwork submitted by the creative services team. This dedicated portal provides customers with a focused workspace where they can view pending approval requests, review artwork PDFs, provide feedback through approvals or rejections, track items they've already reviewed, and access historical approval records.

The portal organizes approval tasks into four distinct views: My Journeys (approval cycles the customer initiated or is primarily responsible for), My Tasks (artworks requiring immediate review action), In Process (projects the customer has partially reviewed or is following), and Completed (historical record of finished approvals). This organization helps reviewers prioritize their work while maintaining visibility into the full approval landscape.

Each approval task displays the project context, artwork specifications, due dates, and any notes from the project team. Reviewers can view the artwork PDF directly in the browser, approve with a single click, or reject with comments and an optional marked-up PDF showing specific feedback. The interface is streamlined for the approval task at hand, showing only information relevant to the review decision.

Business Value

Why Does This Matter to the Company?

1. Professional Client Experience - The dedicated approval portal presents a polished, organized interface that reflects well on the agency. Rather than receiving attachments via email, clients access a professional system that demonstrates operational sophistication and respects their time with clear organization and efficient workflows.
2. Reduced Review Friction - By presenting artworks with their relevant context (project details, specifications, previous approvals) in a single interface, the portal eliminates the back-and-forth often required when clients receive disconnected approval requests. Faster, clearer reviews mean shorter project timelines.
3. Clear Feedback Capture - When clients reject artwork, the structured feedback mechanism (comments field plus PDF upload) ensures their concerns are documented in a retrievable format. This replaces ambiguous email feedback with actionable, documented revision requests.
4. Timeline Accountability - Due dates display prominently on each approval task, and the portal maintains records of when reviews were requested versus completed. This documentation supports timeline discussions and demonstrates agency responsiveness even when client reviews extend beyond planned dates.
5. Delegation Support - Large client organizations often have multiple stakeholders who need to review different aspects of creative work. The portal's role-based team structure ensures the right people see the right work, and the In Process view lets stakeholders track progress even on items they've already reviewed.
6. Compliance Documentation - For clients in regulated industries (pharmaceutical, financial services, food and beverage), the approval record provides documentation that appropriate stakeholders reviewed and approved final artwork. This supports regulatory compliance and audit requirements.

Business Benefits

For Client Reviewers

• Clear Task Prioritization: The My Tasks tab shows only items requiring immediate action, eliminating confusion about what needs review
• Visual Artwork Review: View PDFs directly in the browser without downloading files or needing special software
• Simple Approval Actions: Single-click approval or structured rejection with comments and marked file upload
• Due Date Visibility: See approval deadlines prominently displayed to manage workload timing
• Progress Tracking: The In Process tab shows items the reviewer has already addressed, confirming their feedback was captured

For Client Marketing Teams

• Project Overview: See all artworks within a project grouped together for context
• Team Coordination: Track which team members have reviewed and what decisions they made
• Notes Access: Read project manager notes explaining what changed or what to focus on
• Historical Reference: Access completed approvals to verify what was approved and when

For Client Approval Managers

• Status Visibility: Monitor approval progress across all pending projects
• Review Delegation: Approval roles ensure appropriate specialists (marketing, legal, regulatory) review relevant work
• Documentation Access: Completed approvals provide records for internal compliance and audit needs
• File Downloads: Download approved artwork files for internal reference or archive

For the Agency

• Reduced Support Requests: Self-service portal reduces client questions about approval status
• Professional Image: Dedicated system demonstrates operational maturity
• Timeline Documentation: Clear records of review request timing support scope discussions
• Feedback Quality: Structured rejection process captures actionable revision guidance

Usage Scenarios

Scenario 1: Reviewing and Approving Artwork

A brand manager receives an email notification that artwork is ready for review. They click the link to access the Customer Approvals Portal and navigate to the My Tasks tab. They see the pending approval with the project name, artwork description, and due date. Clicking the project expands to show the artwork details and embedded PDF viewer. After reviewing the artwork and confirming it meets brand standards, they click "APPROVE." The system records their approval with a timestamp, and the task moves from My Tasks to In Process (or Completed if they were the final reviewer).

Scenario 2: Rejecting Artwork with Feedback

A regulatory reviewer finds an issue with product claims on a label design. In the My Tasks tab, they locate the artwork and click to expand the view. Rather than clicking Approve, they click "REJECT" which opens a feedback form. They type their concern in the Comments field ("Claims on line 3 need legal disclaimer - see marked PDF"). They then use the file upload to attach a PDF where they've highlighted the problematic text with annotations. Clicking Submit sends this feedback to the project team, and the artwork status updates to show their rejection with the marked file available for download.

Scenario 3: Tracking Multi-Reviewer Progress

A marketing director has approved their portion of a project's artwork but knows the legal team also needs to review. They navigate to the In Process tab to see the project. Expanding the project shows all artworks with status indicators for each reviewer. They can see that legal's review is still pending while their own approval is recorded. When legal completes their review, the item moves to Completed.

Scenario 4: Searching Historical Approvals

A client needs to verify when a particular artwork was approved for audit purposes. They navigate to the Completed tab and use the search function to find the project by name or number. Expanding the project shows the complete approval record including who approved, when they approved, and the artwork files that were approved. They can download the approved PDF for their records.

Scenario 5: Handling Core Label Translations

For core label projects (translation adaptations), the workflow is simplified. The My Tasks tab shows the core request details including language information, reference artwork, and translation specifics. The reviewer can approve the translation artwork or reject with comments and an optional replacement translation document. For translations, the rejection form includes an option to upload a Word document with corrected translation text, ensuring special characters are captured correctly.

Scenario 6: Managing Multiple Pending Reviews

A busy reviewer returns from vacation to find several pending approvals. The My Tasks tab lists all projects awaiting their review, organized by project. Each shows its due date, with overdue items visually highlighted. The reviewer can systematically work through each project, expanding to view artworks, making approval/rejection decisions, and tracking their progress as items move to In Process. The search function helps locate specific projects when clients ask about particular items.

Scenario 7: Viewing Approval Notes

A reviewer opens an approval task and sees notes from the project manager: "This is revision 2 addressing the color feedback from last week. Please focus on the updated blue tones in the header." These approver notes provide context that helps the reviewer focus their attention appropriately. The notes appear prominently at the top of the project section before the artwork details.

Industry Context

How Similar Functionality is Used Across Industries

Client Approval Portals Concept

Dedicated client-facing approval interfaces are standard practice in creative services, professional services, and any industry where external stakeholders must formally sign off on deliverables before final production or delivery.

Common Industry Practices

1. Advertising Agencies: Creative review portals (often called DAM or proofing systems) present campaign materials to clients for approval. Features like side-by-side version comparison, annotation tools, and multi-stakeholder routing are common.
2. Marketing Services Providers: Brand asset management systems include approval workflows where brand managers must sign off on marketing materials before they can be used. Role-based access ensures appropriate stakeholders review appropriate content.
3. Packaging Design Companies: Pre-press proofing systems present final artwork files to clients for print approval. Approval records serve as sign-off documentation protecting against "that's not what I approved" disputes.
4. Print Production: Soft proofing systems present color-accurate previews for client approval before committing to expensive print runs. Approval timestamps document when clients signed off.
5. Translation Services: Translation review portals present translated content for client approval with features for providing correction feedback in document format (to preserve special characters).

Industry Best Practices Implemented

• Task-Based Interface: Showing only items requiring action reduces cognitive load for busy reviewers
• In-Browser Preview: PDF viewing without downloads streamlines the review process
• Structured Feedback: Comment fields plus file upload capture comprehensive rejection feedback
• Audit Trail: Complete records of who approved what and when support compliance needs
• Role-Based Routing: Ensuring appropriate stakeholders review appropriate content
• Due Date Visibility: Prominent deadlines help reviewers prioritize their workload

Business Logic Details

Portal Access Control

The Customer Approvals Portal is restricted to appropriate users:

• User must be a customer account (not staff)
• User must be assigned to approval teams for at least one invoice group
• The access check verifies the user has current or historical involvement in approvals
• Users without approval involvement see an access denied message

Tab Organization

The portal organizes approval content into four views:

My Journeys Tab

• Shows approval journeys where the user has specific journey responsibilities
• Visible only when the user has qualifying journeys
• Provides highest-level oversight of approval cycles

My Tasks Tab

• Shows artworks requiring the user's approval action
• Filters to items where the user is a team member and hasn't yet responded
• Primary working interface for reviewers

In Process Tab

• Shows projects where the user has already responded but journey isn't complete
• Allows tracking progress on items after making a decision
• Shows other team members' responses and pending reviewers

Completed Tab

• Shows historically finished approval journeys
• Supports search and sort functions
• Provides audit trail access for compliance needs

Artwork Review Status

Individual artworks display status based on reviewer actions:

• Pending: Awaiting reviewer's decision (shows Approve/Reject buttons)
• Approved: Reviewer approved this artwork (shows checkmark)
• Returned: Reviewer rejected with feedback (shows rejection indicator)

Approval Actions

When approving:

• System records approval timestamp and user
• Updates artwork status based on all reviewer decisions
• Notifies project team of approval
• Advances workflow if all reviewers responded

When rejecting:

• Comment field captures written feedback (required for some rejection types)
• File upload accepts marked PDF with annotations
• Translation upload accepts Word document for core translations
• System records rejection with all feedback content
• Notifies project team of rejection with feedback

Team Member Visibility

Reviewers see other team members' responses:

• Names of all team members on the journey
• Approval/rejection status for each member
• Timestamps of responses
• For rejections, linked marked files are viewable

File Access

The portal provides access to approval files:

• Artwork PDFs for review (embedded viewer)
• Reference PDFs for context
• Marked feedback PDFs from other reviewers
• Project files uploaded to the source project
• Download links for offline review if needed

Key Features

My Tasks Interface

Rejection Feedback Form

In Process View

Completed View

Visual Indicators

Functional Components

Project Expansion

Projects appear in accordion format:

• Click project header to expand/collapse
• Expanded view shows all artworks in the journey
• Lazy loading fetches details only when expanded
• Maintains expand state during page interactions

Embedded PDF Viewing

Artwork PDFs display in iframe viewers:

• Resizable frame for comfortable viewing
• Full PDF navigation within viewer
• Multiple PDFs can be viewed simultaneously
• Download available for offline review

Approval Action Processing

When clicking Approve:

1. System validates user can approve this item
2. Records approval with timestamp
3. Updates artwork status calculations
4. Refreshes task list to reflect change
5. Shows confirmation message
6. Item moves to appropriate tab (In Process or Completed)

Rejection Workflow

When clicking Reject:

1. Feedback form appears with comment field
2. User enters feedback text
3. User optionally uploads marked PDF
4. Submit processes rejection
5. System records rejection with all feedback
6. Notifies project team with feedback content
7. Item moves to In Process

Search Functionality

Search operates across:

• Project names and numbers
• Artwork descriptions
• Notes content

Options include:

• Standard search (contains match)
• Strict search (exact match)
• Results highlight matching text

Relationship to Other System Components

Project Approval Tab Control

The Customer Approvals Portal is the client-side complement to the Project Approval Tab Control:

• Staff initiates approvals through the Project Approval Tab
• Customers respond through this Customer Approvals Portal
• Both interfaces view the same underlying approval journey data
• Customer actions (approve/reject) appear in the Project Approval Tab status

Notification System

The portal works with automated notifications:

• Email notifications direct customers to the portal when approvals are ready
• Links in emails navigate directly to pending tasks
• Overdue approval reminder jobs may send additional notifications

User and Role Management

Customer access is managed through:

• Invoice group membership determines which projects are visible
• Approval role assignments control who reviews what
• Approval group configurations pre-define reviewer teams
• User account status (active/inactive) affects portal access

File Storage

Approval files are managed through cloud storage:

• Artwork PDFs uploaded by staff are served through the portal
• Marked feedback PDFs uploaded by customers are stored similarly
• File references are maintained in approval journey records
• Historical files remain accessible in Completed view

Project Status Updates

Customer approval actions trigger project status changes:

• Staff-side project status reflects approval progress
• Dashboard widgets show approval-related status counts
• Reporting includes approval timeline data

Summary

The Customer Approvals Portal provides client reviewers with a dedicated, professional interface for managing artwork approval tasks. By organizing pending work into clear categories, presenting artworks with full context and specifications, and enabling structured feedback through approvals or documented rejections, the portal transforms the approval process from scattered email exchanges into an efficient, documented workflow.

For client organizations using the portal, key benefits include:

• Task Clarity: Clear separation between pending tasks, in-progress items, and completed reviews
• Review Efficiency: In-browser PDF viewing and single-click approvals streamline the process
• Feedback Quality: Structured rejection with comments and marked files ensures actionable revision guidance
• Team Visibility: Multi-stakeholder projects show all reviewers' status for coordination
• Audit Support: Complete historical records support compliance and documentation requirements
• Professional Experience: Dedicated portal demonstrates agency operational sophistication

For the agency providing the portal, benefits include:

• Reduced Support Load: Self-service interface reduces client status inquiries
• Timeline Documentation: Clear records of request and response timing support scope discussions
• Feedback Clarity: Structured rejections provide actionable revision guidance
• Professional Differentiation: Dedicated approval system distinguishes the agency from competitors using email-based processes

The Customer Approvals Portal bridges the gap between agency workflows and client review needs, creating a seamless approval experience that respects client time while maintaining complete documentation of the approval process.