Definitions
Maker–checker–approver
A three-role control: one person prepares work (maker), a second independently verifies it against a standard (checker), and a named authority approves release and scores the result (approver). The maker may never be the checker.
Four-eyes principle
The minimum version of maker–checker: no action is executed until a second, independent person has looked at it. Standard in banking, payment operations and regulated approvals.
Segregation of duties (SoD)
The rule that no single person should hold every part of a process that can conceal an error or a fraud — for example, preparing a payment and releasing it. SoD is what maker–checker enforces in practice.
Audit trail
A timestamped, attributable record of every state change: who moved the task, from which state to which, and when. An audit trail is append-only by design; an activity feed is not an audit trail.
Rework rate
Tasks returned by the checker at least once, divided by tasks submitted, for a period. A leading indicator of unclear briefs as much as of poor execution.
Cycle time
Elapsed time from assignment to approval. Split it by stage — submitted→reviewed, reviewed→approved — to see whether the bottleneck is the maker, the checker or the approver.
Checker latency
Median hours between a task being submitted and being reviewed. In most organisations this, not the makers' speed, is what makes deadlines slip.
Nudge
An automated, two-way reminder tied to a task's deadline — to the owner before it, to the reviewer after submission. 'Two-way' means the reviewer can nudge the maker and the maker can nudge the reviewer; most tools only nag one side.
Escalation ladder
A fixed, time-based sequence of notifications that widens responsibility when a deadline passes: owner → reviewer → approver, at defined intervals. Encoded in the system so it does not depend on anyone's memory.
On-time %
Approved before the agreed deadline, divided by all approvals in the period. Computed from server timestamps at submission, not from anyone's recollection.
Weighted rating
A single score computed from factor scores and fixed weights — for example accuracy 40%, timeliness 30%, teamwork 20%, judgement 10%. Weights are published in advance and never tuned per person.
Recurring task
A task that respawns on a schedule (daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly) so a periodic obligation cannot be forgotten. The recurrence belongs to the control, not to a calendar reminder in someone's head.
Row-level security (RLS)
A database feature that filters rows per user at query time, so a client cannot read another workspace's data even if it asks for it directly. TeamControlSheet runs with RLS on every table, deny-by-default.
Personal task
A private to-do visible only to its owner — not to the team leader. Personal tasks are excluded from ratings and from team reports by design.
Merchant of record (MoR)
The entity that legally sells to your customer and handles tax, invoicing and chargebacks. TeamControlSheet uses Paddle as MoR, which is why invoices and VAT are handled automatically.
Glossary questions
What does maker–checker mean in one sentence?
One person prepares the work and a different person independently verifies it before it is released.
Is an audit trail the same as version history?
No. Version history shows that a document changed. An audit trail shows that a specific person took a specific decision at a specific time — which is what an auditor or client asks for.
What is a two-way nudge?
A reminder that works in both directions: the reviewer can prompt the maker, and the maker can prompt the reviewer. One-way reminders are why approvals sit in limbo.
What does 'deny-by-default' mean for security?
Every table and file has an explicit policy that must allow an action; without a matching policy the action is refused. It is the opposite of 'allow everything, then hide it in the interface'.
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