The form trap
A leave request, a budget overage and a contract signature all look like the same kind of object to a workflow tool: a form, a state machine, an approver. So most tools model them that way.
The trouble is they aren't the same. Each one is a different conversation between different people, with different stakes, audit requirements and escalation paths. Modelling them identically produces workflows that technically work and nobody trusts.
What an operating model gives you
- The **right approver** is derived from the org chart, not selected from a dropdown.
- **Delegations** survive holidays.
- **Out-of-band approvals** (e.g., line manager on leave, escalate to grandparent) happen automatically and are recorded.
- **Audit** is a free property of the approval, not a separate job.
What Twikkie does differently
Approvals in Twikkie are first-class across modules. The same engine routes:
- A PTO request.
- A new-hire offer.
- An expense over a threshold.
- A contract requiring legal review.
- A case-management escalation.
Each gets the right approver, the right escalation, and an audit trail that explains itself months later.
Where to start
If your current approvals live in email, an inbox or a chat thread, the first move isn't to buy a workflow tool. It's to model the operating moments first — who decides, who is informed, what evidence is needed — and then automate.
We've helped teams do this exercise in an afternoon. It usually produces a much smaller list of distinct approval shapes than people expect. That list is the configuration of your operating model.