--- title: "AI model switch approval record for business functions" description: "Prepare an AI model switch approval record with evidence links, budget decisions, an exact release scope, and clear ownership of unfinished work." canonical: "https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/switch-ai-model-working-business-function" --- ## Site navigation - [Scale With Search](https://scalewithsearch.com/) - Services - Services - [AI systems](https://scalewithsearch.com/ai-systems) - [Site build](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#site-build) - [Whole website fix](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#whole-website-fix) - [Content library with SEO](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#content-library) - [Working session](https://scalewithsearch.com/audit) - Start here - [Send your brief](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#send-your-brief) - [Example scope](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#review-the-example-scope) - [Prices and terms](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#prices-and-terms) - Industries - Real estate - [Real estate agents and teams](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate) - [Platforms, ownership, and IDX](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-website-platforms-ownership-idx) - [Search, content, and AI](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-search-content-ai) - [Inquiries, campaigns, and handoffs](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-website-inquiries-campaigns-handoffs) - [Buyer, seller, and local pages](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-buyer-seller-local-resources) - [Rules, privacy, and trust](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-website-rules-privacy-trust) - Browse by business - [Trades and home services](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-trades) - [Health, wellness, and animal care](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-practices) - [Law, finance, and IT](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-professional) - [Marketing and SEO agencies](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-agencies) - [Shops and manufacturers](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-manufacturing) - [Restaurants, shops, studios, and nonprofits](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-local-services) - Chiropractic practices - [Chiropractic and wellness practices](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/chiropractic-and-wellness-practices) - [Chiropractic and physical therapy clinics](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/chiropractic-and-physical-therapy-clinics) - [All industries](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/) - Resources - Free tools - [AI readiness check](https://scalewithsearch.com/check) - [Free tools](https://scalewithsearch.com/tools/) - [Free Starter Kit](https://scalewithsearch.com/kit/business-memory-starter-kit.zip) - Guides - [AI-native library](https://scalewithsearch.com/ai-native) - [Industry intelligence](https://scalewithsearch.com/intelligence) - [Office job guides](https://scalewithsearch.com/guides/) - [Business memory](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/business-memory-for-ai-agents-guide) - [Agent governance](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/ai-agent-governance-guide-small-business) - [Migration and ownership](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/leaving-vendor-ai-memory-guide) - Articles - [All articles](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/) - [What changed](https://scalewithsearch.com/changes/) - About - Evidence - [Proof](https://scalewithsearch.com/proof) - Scale With Search - [About](https://scalewithsearch.com/about) - [How it works](https://scalewithsearch.com/how-it-works) # An approval record for switching AI models at work Before changing the model behind a working AI function, write a decision record that someone else can execute and check. Name the function, approved version, evidence, spending conditions, release boundary, and person responsible for unfinished work. Keep the business records and acceptance rules under your control. Use the [model replacement guide](/articles/replace-the-model-keep-business-memory) for the architecture and technical comparison. Use the [context transfer guide](/articles/switch-ai-models-without-losing-context) when preparing the source packet. This article supplies the owner's approval record after that work. Treat the template below as a proposed operating procedure. It describes what to request and record. It does not certify a candidate or authorize a live change. ## Open one decision for one function Give the proposed change a stable identifier. State the recurring function in business terms, such as preparing the weekly account summary. Record why the owner is considering a replacement and where that reason came from. Keep the requested decision small enough to describe precisely. A trial for weekly summaries should lead to a decision about weekly summaries. Create a separate proposal before extending the candidate to customer replies. Name the current configuration and candidate configuration by exact version in the private operating record. Link to the existing task brief and source record. Ask the builder to identify anything that would need rebuilding. Resolve that dependency before presenting a model switch as a setting change. ## Give the approval record clear states Use a short list of states: proposed, evidence incomplete, ready for decision, approved for a bounded release, declined, released, and closed. Define who may move the record between states. Keep technical test status separate from approval status. Passing a test should move the proposal to review. Require the authorized owner to make the release decision. Also distinguish approval from execution. An approved proposal can still wait for its release window. Record the actual configuration change and first reviewed result before calling it released. Close the record only after the owner reviews that result and assigns any remaining follow-up. ## Link evidence instead of copying the whole trial Keep the trial inputs, outputs, checks, and costs in their own files. Put their stable locations and versions in the decision record. Add a short statement of what each item supports. NIST's AI RMF Core describes documented evaluation under conditions similar to deployment. It also calls for documenting limits on generalization. Use those outcomes to ask what the trial covers and where evidence is still missing. [NIST AI RMF Core, Measure 2.3 and 2.5, checked 2026.10.26](https://airc.nist.gov/airmf-resources/airmf/5-sec-core/) List the excluded cases beside the successful cases. Require the reviewer to state whether those exclusions fit the requested release. Preserve failed cases and their corrections through evidence links. ## Use a record the owner can complete Start with this proposed structure. Replace every placeholder with a value or an explicit unresolved state before requesting approval. ```text change_id:: unique identifier function:: named recurring job reason_and_source:: dated reason for the proposal current_configuration:: exact version reference candidate_configuration:: exact version reference business_record_version:: approved source packet trial_evidence:: input, output, checks, costs reviewer_recommendation:: accept, decline, or investigate known_limits:: excluded work and unresolved issues data_destination_decision:: owner and evidence spending_decision:: rate record, allowances, owner release_scope:: permitted workload and exclusions unfinished_work:: disposition and responsible person release_owner:: person making the change release_window:: agreed time and expiry recovery_decision:: trigger, permitted route, owner approval:: decision maker, exact scope, timestamp first_result:: receipt and reviewer decision closeout:: outcome, follow-up, next review ``` Keep sensitive records behind their existing access controls. The approval record should reference their location without copying customer documents or account credentials. ## Record the spending decision separately Ask finance or the budget owner to review the candidate's applicable rate record. Attach the comparison for accepted tasks, including failed attempts and unresolved charges. State what workload the comparison represents. Require a distinct decision about the allowance. The model decision may approve a candidate while keeping the existing function ceiling. It may instead authorize a temporary trial allowance. Record which decision applies and when it expires. Avoid treating a lower listed rate as acceptance evidence. Ask whether the completed work passed the same requirements. If final charges remain unknown, record that uncertainty and decide whether it blocks release. Give any permitted exception a named owner and an expiry. ## Resolve the data destination before approval List the account that receives the function's inputs. Link the approved data classification and account review. Ask the responsible owner to confirm that the candidate is permitted for those specific inputs. Use an unresolved state when that review is missing. Do not let a successful writing sample stand in for a data decision. A builder should be able to read the approval record and identify the permitted destination without guessing. For firms serving clients, name the client whose function is changing. Link the authority for that client's decision. Keep other clients outside this release even when they use a similar workflow. Their records and approvals need their own review. ## Write the release scope as a boundary Specify which queue, job type, or scheduled run may use the candidate first. Name the output reviewer and the work that remains outside the release. Require an additional decision before widening that boundary. Use a concrete statement such as: prepare the next weekly summary from the approved account records, save a draft, and wait for review. Keep exact customer identifiers in the restricted operating record. Record the approval rules that remain in force. Link the [approval matrix](/articles/ai-agent-approval-matrix) and identify the actions permitted during this release. Give the executor a clear instruction to pause when a request falls outside that scope. ## Assign every unfinished job Before the release window, inventory work that has started but has no accepted result. Give each job a disposition: finish on the current route, restart as a new draft, hold for review, or complete manually. Name the person making that decision. Link the last known run state and any completed external action. Require the builder to check those records before restarting a job. For an uncertain action state, keep the job on hold while the responsible person verifies the destination. Record the resolution before permitting another attempt. Make this assignment part of the approval packet so the release owner has instructions for work already in progress. ## Make approval expire when its conditions change Choose a release window and an expiry appropriate to the function. Require a fresh decision if the candidate version, data destination, spending conditions, or permitted workload changes before execution. Preserve the original approval. Add a later amendment that states what changed and who accepted it. Avoid editing the earlier decision into a version that suggests the owner approved conditions they never saw. Name who can pause the release and how they report the pause. If the current service becomes unavailable, record a new continuity decision. Use the agreed manual path when no approved model route remains available. ## Close the record with the first reviewed result After the bounded release, attach the actual configuration, run receipt, cost state, and reviewer decision. Compare the completed work with the approved scope. Assign any difference to an owner before widening use. Record whether the function continues, returns to an available approved route, or pauses. Link required updates to the runbook and training material. Keep the decision record alongside the function's history so a later owner can inspect why the change happened. Scale With Search builds functions around records the business owns through [the AI systems method](/ai-systems). Bring one function and its required model change to [the work scope form](/work). ## Related: Ownership and Migration - [Replace the Model Without Rebuilding the Business Memory](/articles/replace-the-model-keep-business-memory) - [An AI Agent Approval Matrix for Small Teams](/articles/ai-agent-approval-matrix) - [What a Build Acceptance List Contains](/articles/what-a-build-acceptance-list-contains) ---- ```text .|########||. .|########||. .|########||. |##||. .||##|. |##||. .||##|. |##||. .||##|. |#|. .|#|. |#|. .|#|. |#|. .|#|. |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#. .#| .#. .#| .#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |# ...... #| |# ...... #| |# ...... #| .# ||#########| #| .# ||#########| #| .# ||#########| #| .#. |######||######|. .#. .#. |######||######|. .#. .#. |######||######|. .#. #. .##|###|##|#|######| .# #. .##|###|##|#|######| .# #. .##|###|##|#|######| .# || |##|#||||||||||||#||#| || || |##|#||||||||||||#||#| || || |##|#||||||||||||#||#| || # |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. # |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. # |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || # .#||||||||||||||||||||||||#| # # .#||||||||||||||||||||||||#| # # .#||||||||||||||||||||||||#| # || ....|||#||||||##|#|||#|#||##||||....|. || || ....|||#||||||##|#|||#|#||##||||....|. || || ....|||#||||||##|#|||#|#||##||||....|. || #. . ....|# ....#||| ||| .#||| ....#. .# #. . ....|# ....#||| ||| .#||| ....#. .# #. . ....|# ....#||| ||| .#||| ....#. .# # . ||||#| .#####|| . .#| .#||| ||||# #. # . ||||#| .#####|| . .#| .#||| ||||# #. # . ||||#| .#####|| . .#| .#||| ||||# #. .| ||||| #. |#|||||. || #. |#||. .||||| || .| ||||| #. |#|||||. || #. |#||. .||||| || .| ||||| #. |#|||||. || #. |#||. .||||| || || |.... #. ....|#. |. ...|. ....|| || || |.... #. ....|#. |. ...|. ....|| || || |.... #. ....|#. |. ...|. ....|| || #. .||||||##||||||##||####|||||||#||||||#| .# #. .||||||##||||||##||####|||||||#||||||#| .# #. .||||||##||||||##||####|||||||#||||||#| .# # .||####|###########################|. # # .||####|###########################|. # # .||####|###########################|. # # .#||||||.#.|| # |. ..# #| #|||||#| # # .#||||||.#.|| # |. ..# #| #|||||#| # # .#||||||.#.|| # |. ..# #| #|||||#| # # .#|||||| .. |# ## |#| ...#|#|||#| # # .#|||||| .. |# ## |#| ...#|#|||#| # # .#|||||| .. |# ## |#| ...#|#|||#| # # .#|||#|# .# .#| #| ##|.#..#|||||#| # # .#|||#|# .# .#| #| ##|.#..#|||||#| # # .#|||#|# .# .#| #| ##|.#..#|||||#| # # .#||||||############|######|||||#| # # .#||||||############|######|||||#| # # .#||||||############|######|||||#| # # |...||#||||||#||||#|#||||||#|||||#||| |.| # # |...||#||||||#||||#|#||||||#|||||#||| |.| # # |...||#||||||#||||#|#||||||#|||||#||| |.| # #. .. ||||# .|||##|. |#| .|| || .|||#. #| # .# #. .. ||||# .|||##|. |#| .|| || .|||#. #| # .# #. .. ||||# .|||##|. |#| .|| || .|||#. #| # .# || | ...|| ...##| | #| .|. |. ##### .. .| || || | ...|| ...##| | #| .|. |. ##### .. .| || || | ...|| ...##| | #| .|. |. ##### .. .| || || ||||| || ||||#| . |. |. |#. ||||| |#| || || || ||||| || ||||#| . |. |. |#. ||||| |#| || || || ||||| || ||||#| . |. |. |#. ||||| |#| || || .# |.....#|....|#.||||.|||##.|#|....||.#||.#. #. .# |.....#|....|#.||||.|||##.|#|....||.#||.#. #. .# |.....#|....|#.||||.|||##.|#|....||.#||.#. #. #.|||||||#############################| ||| .# #.|||||||#############################| ||| .# #.|||||||#############################| ||| .# || ##||#||#||||||#||#||#||#||##. || || ##||#||#||||||#||#||#||#||##. || || ##||#||#||||||#||#||#||#||##. || # .#|||||||||#||#|||||||||||#| # # .#|||||||||#||#|||||||||||#| # # .#|||||||||#||#|||||||||||#| # || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || .# |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. .# |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. .# |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. || |#||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||#| || #. .######|#|#########| .# #. .######|#|#########| .# #. .######|#|#########| .# .#. |#####||||#####| .#. .#. |#####||||#####| .#. .#. |#####||||#####| .#. |# ||########|| #. |# ||########|| #. |# ||########|| #. |# ...... #| |# ...... #| |# ...... #| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#. |#. .#. |#. .#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. |##||. .||##| |##||. .||##| |##||. .||##| .||########||. .||########||. .||########||. Scale With Search 2026 [scalewithsearch.com](https://scalewithsearch.com) ```