Gate the exception
Routine work should not ask for approval simply because AI touched it. Stop where value, risk, sensitivity, or uncertainty crosses a written boundary.
Field note · 7 min read
Design approval gates around decisions, not screens.
A generic “approve” button does not create governance. A useful approval gate has a reason for stopping, a named authority, the evidence needed to decide, and a defined outcome when nobody responds.
Discuss your use caseShow the delta
Reviewers need what changed from the normal path: the discount variance, missing document, late promise, or low-confidence match.
Name the authority
A team, role, and escalation path should own the decision before the first case arrives.
Keep options closed
Offer approved outcomes such as accept, reject, request more evidence, or reassign—without letting the agent invent a new policy.
Never infer consent
Timeouts and silence should hold or expire the request. They should never turn into execution.
Record the reason
The final record should preserve the decision, reviewer, time, rule version, and supporting evidence.
Start with one decision
Bring the workflow your team knows by heart.
We’ll map the systems, facts, rules, and approval point before discussing a pilot.