Document approval with escalation template

Steps in this flowchart

• Author submits document
• Template & metadata complete?
• Return to author
• Reviewer 1: subject expert
• Responded within 3 days?
• Send reminder
• Responded within 5 days?
• Escalate to reviewer manager
• Decision?
• Author revises
• Reviewer 2: legal & compliance
• Approved?
• Document owner final sign-off
• Publish to document management system
• Notify readers & record version
• Schedule annual review

How to use this flowchart template

1. Click Open in the editor. The flowchart opens on a new page in FlowDiagram — nothing is uploaded and there is no sign-up.
2. Rename, add or delete shapes and drag them where you want; connectors stay attached as things move.
3. Drop in vendor logos from the library — 1,160 of them, including every AWS, Azure and Google Cloud service icon — or restyle it with the colour and theme controls.
4. Prefer text? Edit the Mermaid source below and paste it in through ☰ → Import diagram (see the Mermaid editor); it imports as an editable diagram.
5. Export to PNG, SVG or PDF, or press Ctrl+L for a link that carries the whole diagram.

Mermaid source

The whole template is the text below. Paste it into FlowDiagram, keep it in Git next to the code it describes, or hand it to an AI assistant to extend.

flowchart TD
  DRAFT([Author submits document]) --> CHECK{Template & metadata complete?}
  CHECK -->|No| FIXDRAFT[Return to author]
  FIXDRAFT --> DRAFT
  CHECK -->|Yes| R1[Reviewer 1: subject expert]
  R1 --> T1{Responded within 3 days?}
  T1 -->|No| REMIND[Send reminder]
  REMIND --> T2{Responded within 5 days?}
  T2 -->|No| ESC[Escalate to reviewer manager]
  T1 -->|Yes| D1{Decision?}
  T2 -->|Yes| D1
  ESC --> D1
  D1 -->|Changes requested| REVISE[Author revises]
  REVISE --> R1
  D1 -->|Approved| R2[Reviewer 2: legal & compliance]
  R2 --> D2{Approved?}
  D2 -->|No| REVISE
  D2 -->|Yes| OWNER[Document owner final sign-off]
  OWNER --> PUBLISH[Publish to document management system]
  PUBLISH --> NOTIFY[Notify readers & record version]
  NOTIFY --> REVIEWDATE([Schedule annual review])

Related: AI flowchart generator · Mermaid editor · All flowcharts & process templates · All 521 templates