Tanner Workflow Map

What this page helps you work out This page guides you in pinpointing where your current workflow slows down, such as bottlenecks in task handoffs, delays in getting approvals, and time spent on manual administrative work. It helps you identify repetitive steps that could be automated to save time and reduce errors. By mapping out each task and approval stage clearly, you can see which parts of your process need improvement or streamlining. This insight supports better planning and decision-making, enabling your team to work more efficiently and deliver projects faster without sacrificing quality.

How automation changes this role Automation reduces time spent on low-value coordination tasks such as sending reminders, updating task statuses, managing approvals, documenting changes, and compiling reports. This allows the tanner to focus on their specialist work, maintaining quality, making key decisions, understanding client context, and handling exceptions. By streamlining routine communication and administrative steps, workflow automation keeps projects moving smoothly without adding complexity, freeing the tanner to concentrate on creative and technical aspects that require their expertise.

Core workflows to map - Intake and prioritization of new project briefs - Planning and scheduling of tasks and milestones - Managing multi-stage approval cycles with clients and internal teams - Organizing file versions and maintaining version control - Tracking task progress and updating status across teams - Coordinating review and feedback loops for creative deliverables - Generating regular project status and performance reports - Managing handoffs between departments and external partners.

Example workflow map Managing multi-stage approval cycles with clients and internal teams 1. Receive submission: Collect creative deliverables ready for review. 2. Notify reviewers: Alert clients and internal teams about pending approvals. 3. Collect feedback: Gather comments and requested changes from all stakeholders. 4. Update deliverables: Implement revisions based on feedback received. 5. Confirm approvals: Obtain final sign-off from all parties involved. 6. Archive records: Store approved versions and approval documentation for reference.

Task automation opportunities Automate intake forms for new briefs, automatic task creation and scheduling, sending reminders for pending approvals, file version checks, routing approvals to appropriate reviewers, updating task statuses across teams, and generating basic project status reports. Assist with summarizing review notes and client feedback, and drafting handoff checklists to streamline transitions between departments. Keep human-led tasks include nuanced decision-making during approvals, creative revisions, and final sign-offs requiring personal judgment and client interaction.

What should stay human-led Tanners must personally interpret client style preferences and nuanced feedback to guide design direction. Decisions involving production adjustments, managing exceptions, and ensuring adherence to brand quality standards require their expertise. Final delivery approvals depend on assessing risk factors and contextual client relationships, which demand empathy and trust built over time. Handling complex revisions and negotiating changes with clients also rely on Tanner’s judgment and communication skills, ensuring outcomes align precisely with client expectations and project goals.

Automation opportunities to assess Intake and prioritization: Verify completeness and accuracy of brief data, ensure clear criteria for prioritization, and confirm task ownership to prevent misrouting. Planning and scheduling: Check consistency in task naming and milestone definitions, and validate dependencies to avoid scheduling conflicts. Approval cycles: Review approval rules and stakeholder roles, confirm clarity in feedback channels, and assess risk of incorrect approvals. Version control: Ensure file naming conventions and version tracking are standardized to prevent confusion. Task progress tracking: Confirm update protocols and cross-team visibility to maintain accurate status reporting. Handoffs: Evaluate clarity in responsibilities and checklist completeness to minimize delays and errors during transitions.

Systems and data needed To enable effective automation for the Tanner role, foundational elements must be in place. These include standardized intake forms to capture complete and accurate briefs, task boards with clear ownership and prioritization criteria, and templates that enforce consistent naming conventions and milestone definitions. Approval rules and stakeholder roles must be well-defined, alongside established communication channels for feedback. Project data should be comprehensive and up-to-date, supporting reliable progress tracking and dependency validation. Permissions must be carefully assigned to ensure appropriate access and control. Clear handoff checklists and responsibilities are essential to minimize errors during transitions. These components collectively ensure automation can operate safely and efficiently.

Automation readiness scorecard Task repetition is moderate with routine steps suitable for automation. Process clarity is high for intake, scheduling, and reporting but lower in creative approvals. Data availability is good where standardized forms and templates exist. Approval complexity is significant due to multi-stage cycles and nuanced decisions. Risk if wrong is medium to high, especially in final approvals and client interactions. Tool integration needs are substantial to connect intake, task management, version control, and reporting systems. Overall automation readiness supports partial automation of administrative and tracking tasks but requires human oversight for judgment-intensive activities.