Scattered Agency Workflows to One Internal Operations System
Shyamal Jasani
Verified
Project Overview
A digital agency was managing website, SEO, content, approvals and operational work across several disconnected systems.
The information existed, but teams had to move between tools, spreadsheets and manual follow-ups to understand what was happening, what was blocked and what needed approval.
The goal was to create one internal operations system that gave the team a clear view of projects, execution and approvals without replacing the tools already powering the business.
How It Started
The project started with mapping the agency’s existing workflows across website delivery, SEO, content and paid campaigns.
The main problems were not missing features. They were fragmented information and weak visibility.
Teams were dealing with:
approvals spread across different places
unclear ownership
manual QA tracking
limited visibility into project progress
disconnected SEO and content workflows
repeated follow-ups for status updates
operational data already living inside Airtable
The system had to bring these workflows together without forcing the team to rebuild everything from scratch.
The Approach
1. Mapping the existing operation
We broke the agency workflow into the areas people actually worked in every day:
Work Queue
Projects
Approval Center
Content
SEO
Websites
SOPs
Ads
Administration
2. Keeping Airtable as the source of truth
Instead of replacing the existing data setup, Airtable remained the operational database.
The new application was designed as a clearer interface on top of that structure, with automation handled through n8n where needed.
3. Designing around actions, not tables
The focus was not on exposing database records.
Each screen was designed around a decision or action the user needed to make, such as:
what needs approval
what is blocked
what is ready to publish
which project is behind schedule
which keywords are ready for content
what work is coming next
4. Connecting execution and approvals
Project delivery, content production and approvals were treated as parts of the same operating flow instead of separate processes.
That gave the team a clearer path from planning to execution to review.
Biggest Challenge
The hardest part was turning a large number of existing processes into one system without making the interface feel as complex as the operations behind it.
The agency already had workflows, data and automations in place.
The challenge was deciding what users actually needed to see and act on, while keeping the more complicated relationships and automation logic behind the scenes.
What We Built
Project Management
A central project workspace showing delivery areas, progress, blockers, owners, deadlines and upcoming actions.
Project Management
Approval Center
One queue for reviewing content, briefs and backlinks with clear actions for approval, reassignment and requested changes.
Approval Center
SEO Operations
A structured keyword workflow showing keyword readiness, intent, scoring, source and planned execution month.
SEO Operatio
Content Operations
A central content view for tracking content type, status, owner, review stage, planned dates and publishing progress.
Content Operations
What Changed
The agency moved from fragmented operational visibility toward one connected internal system.
The new setup gave the team:
one place to see project status
clearer ownership and accountability
centralized approvals
better visibility into blockers
connected SEO and content workflows
easier tracking across multiple client projects
fewer manual status checks
a clearer foundation for automation
The goal was not to add another management tool.
It was to make the agency’s existing operation easier to understand and run.
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Posted Sep 22, 2026
Built an internal OS connecting projects, approvals, SEO, content and operations into one clear interface powered by Airtable and automation
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Timeline
May 1, 2026 - Aug 4, 2026
