Route every AI system through the right level of review automatically. Risk-Tiered Approval Templates replace the single, one-size-fits-all approval gate with a framework that matches each AI system to an approval template based on its classified risk tier, so low-risk systems move quickly while high-risk systems receive the scrutiny they require.
A single approval workflow forces every AI system — from a low-risk productivity assistant to a high-risk automated decision system — through the same gates, the same evidence requirements, and the same reviewers. This slows the adoption of low-risk AI (often pushing teams to bypass governance entirely), gives genuinely high-risk systems insufficient depth of review, and overloads reviewers with low-value requests, increasing turnaround times across the board.
Risk-Tiered Approval Templates solve this by letting administrators define different approval paths for different risk levels. Each template specifies its own gates, reviewers, and required evidence, and is automatically applied to AI systems based on their risk tier — focusing review effort where it materially reduces risk.
Purpose
Risk-Tiered Approval Templates give organisations a consistent, risk-proportionate way to approve AI systems.
- Match the depth of review to the risk of each AI system across the Critical, High, Moderate, and Low tiers
- Accelerate adoption of low-risk AI with lighter-weight approval paths
- Apply deeper scrutiny — more gates, more reviewers, and more evidence — to high-risk and regulated use cases
- Reduce reviewer bottlenecks by removing unnecessary review steps from low-risk systems
- Make approvals enforceable, auditable controls rather than one-off documentation exercises
This ensures review effort is focused where it matters most, while maintaining a defensible, repeatable record of every approval.
How It Works
Two-Layer Design (Admin + AI Inventory)
Approval templates are authored centrally by administrators in the Approval Flow admin area, then applied to individual AI systems in the AI Inventory → Approval tab. Administrators define the rules once, and each AI system inherits the appropriate template automatically.
Risk-Tier Coverage
Each template specifies the risk tiers it covers — Critical, High, Moderate, or Low. A given risk tier can be covered by only one active template at a time, and the system prevents overlapping templates from claiming the same tier so routing always stays unambiguous.
Flexible Approval Models
When authoring a template, choose the model that fits the level of governance required:
- Per-gate approvers — an ordered series of gates, each with its own dedicated approver list
- Per-tier approvers — an ordered series of gates with approvers assigned by risk tier
- Approvers-only — no gates; a single list of approvers signs off the whole system (ideal for low-risk paths)
Configurable Gates and Evidence
For gated templates, define each gate with a name, the reviewer role responsible, the required artifact or evidence, and the order in which gates must be completed. This lets high-risk templates demand more rigorous evidence and additional reviewers, while low-risk templates stay lightweight.
Automatic Template Matching with Override
On each AI system's Approval tab, the platform automatically resolves which template applies. It uses any template you have explicitly assigned to that system; otherwise it applies the active template that covers the system's risk tier. If no template yet covers a system's risk tier, a banner prompts you to select one from a template picker.
List and Flow Views
Review an AI system's approval path as a step-by-step List or as a visual Flow. Flow view is available for gated templates, while approvers-only templates display as a simple list. The approvers shown are filtered to the system's specific risk tier, so reviewers only see what is relevant to them.
Gate Sign-Off
Each gate has a sign-off checkbox beside its step. Any user in the assigned reviewer group can complete a gate with a single click, and the platform records who completed it and when — creating a clear, auditable trail. An Edit in admin link lets administrators jump straight back to the template definition.
Guided Setup
A setup checklist indicator flags when an AI system's risk tier is not yet covered by a template, and clears automatically once a covering template exists — helping administrators quickly close any gaps in coverage.
Notes
- Risk tiers are Critical, High, Moderate, and Low; each tier is covered by exactly one active template at a
- Three template models are available: per-gate approvers, per-tier approvers, and approvers-only
- Templates can be created, edited, duplicated, and deleted from the Approval Flow admin area; duplicating a template creates an editable copy, making it easy to build a new path from an existing one AI systems automatically inherit the template that matches their risk tier unless a specific template is assigned
- Every gate sign-off is recorded with name & timestamp to support audit and reporting requirements
- Existing approval dashboards continue to work alongside the new templates
Only templates relevant to your subject type are shown during selection.