Why enrollment approval drifts
A sequence enrollment looks like a small action: pick a contact, choose a cadence, press enroll. The approval that should come first rarely lives in the same place. The send record and the decision record sit in different systems and drift apart within a week.
When volume rises the gap widens. Reps enroll from saved views, assistants enroll from imported lists, and managers approve in chat. None of those paths leave a durable link between the person who authorized the send and the contact who received it.
The six fields every enrollment record needs
At minimum, record the contact identifier, the sequence name and version, the approving role, and the approval timestamp. Add the source list and the eligibility check that qualified the contact. Six fields are enough to reconstruct why a send was allowed.
Store the approval on the enrollment object, not in a message thread. If the platform cannot hold custom fields, keep a dated approval table keyed to the enrollment id and export it beside the sequence report. A screenshot is not a substitute for a keyed record.
What the assistant may do alone
Allow autonomous enrollment only for sequences that are pre-approved, contacts that pass every eligibility field, and segments that carry no legal or relationship risk. Everything else routes to the named owner with the evidence attached.
The assistant should never resolve a conflict between two lists, guess an opt-out status, or enroll a contact whose record is missing a source. Those are stop conditions, and every stop should be visible in the queue rather than handled quietly.
Handle the late approval
Late approvals happen when a manager confirms after the first send. Record the send time and the approval time separately, then mark the case as late rather than backdating the approval. The correction belongs in the enrollment log where a reviewer can see it.
If the sequence already delivered, the owner decides whether to pause, continue, or remove the contact. That decision needs a reason code so the monthly sample can separate a timing problem from an authorization problem.
Federal Trade Commission, CAN-SPAM Act compliance guide provides public guidance that can help test workflow assumptions.
Review the rule at month end
Pull a sample of enrollments, including at least one late approval and one rejected request. Check whether the approval field is populated, whether the approver had authority, and whether the source list matches the contact record.
Change one thing at a time. If most gaps come from imported lists, fix the import check before rewriting the policy. The review should end with one owner, one change, and one date for the next check.
Common questions
Who should approve a sequence enrollment?
The person accountable for the segment and the message, named in the written rule. An assistant can prepare the enrollment but cannot grant its own approval.
What belongs on the enrollment record?
Contact id, sequence name and version, approving role, approval time, source list, and the eligibility check that was used.
How should a late approval be recorded?
Keep the original send time and the later approval time, mark the case as late, and record the owner's decision about the contact.
Turn the guidance into a controlled role
Bring the workflow, systems, current owner, and known exceptions. We will help shape a focused first handoff.
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