Project manager
Engagement manager
Client success lead
Finance controller
Operations director
Program manager
This process is used when a project reaches a defined milestone that requires formal validation before subsequent work, funding, or resource allocation can proceed. It applies when deliverables must be reviewed by clients, sponsors, or internal stakeholders before the project moves to the next phase. It is triggered by the completion of a deliverable, the end of a project phase, or a contractual milestone tied to payment or performance. Ideal for professional services, consulting, construction, technology implementations, and any environment where project progression is gated by stakeholder acceptance.
Project managers or engagement managers typically submit milestone completion for review and coordinate any required evidence or documentation. Clients or project sponsors review deliverables and confirm acceptance. Quality reviewers or technical leads validate that deliverables meet specifications and quality standards. Finance controllers authorize payment release or budget advancement tied to milestone acceptance. Operations directors or program managers provide oversight when milestones affect cross-project dependencies or resource planning.
Reduced project delays by structuring milestone review as a defined process with clear owners and deadlines rather than informal check-ins. Clear deliverable accountability with every milestone traceable to who submitted, reviewed, accepted, and authorized advancement. Faster payment cycles by tying payment release directly to documented milestone acceptance rather than manual invoice reconciliation. Improved client confidence through transparent milestone review that confirms deliverable quality before the project moves forward.
Your version of this process may vary based on roles, systems, data, and approval paths. Moxo’s flow builder can be configured with AI agents, conditional branching, dynamic data references, and sophisticated logic to match how your organization runs this workflow. The steps below illustrate one example.
Milestone submission
The process begins when a project manager or engagement manager submits a milestone for review. The submission includes a description of the milestone, the deliverables completed, supporting evidence such as documents, reports, or test results, and any relevant project context. An AI agent can validate that all required documentation is attached and that the submission aligns with the milestone criteria defined in the project plan or contract.
Deliverable review
The submitted milestone is routed to the appropriate reviewers, which may include the client, project sponsor, or internal technical lead depending on the project structure. Reviewers evaluate whether the deliverables meet the defined acceptance criteria, quality standards, and contractual requirements. If deliverables require modification, reviewers provide specific feedback and the milestone returns to the project team for rework.
Quality or technical validation
For milestones involving technical deliverables, a quality reviewer or technical lead may perform an independent assessment. This evaluation confirms that deliverables meet specifications, comply with standards, and are ready for use or integration. If issues are identified, they are documented and the milestone enters a revision cycle.
Client or sponsor acceptance
Once internal validation is complete, the client or project sponsor formally accepts or rejects the milestone. Acceptance confirms that the deliverable meets expectations and that the project may advance. If the client requests changes, the feedback is routed back to the project team with clear requirements. An AI agent can summarize the review history and outstanding items for the client to support faster decision-making.
Financial authorization
For milestones tied to payment release or budget advancement, a finance controller reviews the acceptance and authorizes the corresponding financial action. This may include releasing a progress payment, advancing a billing milestone, or unlocking budget for the next project phase.
Closure and notification
Upon acceptance and financial authorization, the milestone is marked as complete. All stakeholders are notified, project records are updated, and any downstream workflows such as the next project phase or resource reallocation are initiated.
This process commonly relies on inputs such as project plans, deliverable documentation, acceptance criteria, test results, and contract terms. It may be triggered by events like a deliverable completion notification, a project phase gate, or a contractual milestone date. Systems such as a project management platform (Monday, Asana, Microsoft Project), a CRM (Salesforce), or an ERP (NetSuite, SAP) are commonly connected to provide project status, contract terms, and billing data.
Key decision points include whether submitted deliverables meet the acceptance criteria defined in the project plan or contract, whether identified issues require rework before the milestone can be accepted, whether client or sponsor feedback constitutes a rejection or a conditional acceptance with minor adjustments, and whether financial authorization is required before the project can advance to the next phase.
Ambiguous acceptance criteria where milestones are submitted for review without clearly defined deliverable standards, leading to subjective and inconsistent evaluation. Client review delays where milestone submissions sit with the client without clear deadlines or follow-up, stalling project advancement and payment cycles. Disconnected financial release where milestone acceptance and payment authorization happen in separate systems with no formal linkage, causing payment delays despite accepted deliverables. Rework cycles without resolution where repeated revision rounds lack consolidated feedback, causing the project team to address issues piecemeal rather than comprehensively.
Orchestrates milestone review across project teams, clients, and finance within a single workflow, replacing the informal email and meeting-based review that typically delays project advancement.
Routes milestone submissions to the right reviewers based on project type, deliverable category, or contractual structure, ensuring the appropriate stakeholders evaluate each milestone.
AI agents validate submission completeness and summarize review history for decision-makers, accelerating acceptance and reducing the back-and-forth on missing documentation.
Supports rework loops with consolidated feedback so that rejected milestones return to the project team with all reviewer comments in context, enabling comprehensive revisions.
Connects milestone acceptance to financial authorization within the same workflow, ensuring payment release or budget advancement is triggered immediately upon acceptance.
Notifies all stakeholders upon milestone closure and initiates downstream project workflows, eliminating manual handoffs between project phases.
