SME Escalation Paths

Configure how Specialist Agents escalate decisions and requests to human managers for approval, clarification, or guidance.

Overview

SMEs work autonomously but sometimes need human input. Escalation paths define:

• Who to contact: Primary and alternate managers
• When to escalate: Thresholds and criteria
• How to respond: Email and web portal options
• What happens next: Auto-escalation and timeouts

How Escalation Works

SME Agent                 Escalation Router           Manager
    |                           |                        |
    | 1. Request human input    |                        |
    |-------------------------->|                        |
    |                           |                        |
    | 2. SME pauses execution   | 3. Send email from the |
    |                           |    resolved sender     |
    |                           |----------------------->|
    |                           |                        |
    |                           |     4. Manager responds|
    |                           |        (email or web)  |
    |                           |<-----------------------|
    |                           |                        |
    | 5. Receive notification   |                        |
    |<--------------------------|                        |
    |                           |                        |
    | 6. Resume with decision   |                        |

Key points:

• SMEs don't monitor mailboxes, so a central Escalation Router handles all responses
• Managers can respond via email reply or web portal
• SMEs automatically resume when a response is received
• A dedicated escalations@ mailbox is optional. Without one, escalation email is sent from your AI Chief of Staff's mailbox and everything else behaves identically. See Delivery Modes

Configuring Escalation Paths

Access Configuration

1. Navigate to Workforce > Agents > Agents & SMEs
2. Open the SME you want to configure
3. Go to the Escalation tab

Escalation Settings

Setting	Description	Example
Primary Contact	Main escalation recipient	cfo@company.com
Alternate Contact	Backup if primary doesn't respond	controller@company.com
Approval Threshold	Amount above which approval is required	$10,000
Auto-Escalate After	Hours before escalating to alternate	48 hours

Escalation Types

Configure which types of escalations this SME can raise:

Type	Description	When to Use
Approval Required	Action needs explicit approval	High-value decisions
Clarification Needed	More information required	Ambiguous instructions
Exception Request	Deviation from policy	Non-standard situations
Compliance Concern	Potential compliance issue	Regulatory matters
Deadline Risk	May miss a deadline	Time-sensitive tasks
Resource Needed	Missing access or tools	Blocked work

Example Configuration

{
    "manager": "cfo@company.com",
    "alternateManager": "controller@company.com",
    "approvalThreshold": 10000,
    "escalationTypes": [
        "approval_required",
        "clarification_needed",
        "exception_request"
    ],
    "autoEscalateAfterHours": 48
}

The Escalation Email

When an SME escalates, the manager receives an email. The From address depends on your delivery mode: your dedicated escalation mailbox if you have one, otherwise your AI Chief of Staff's mailbox. The display name is the same either way.

Subject: [ESC-ABC123] [HIGH] Purchase Order Approval - $15,000
From: AI Escalations <escalations@tenant.onmicrosoft.com>

--------------------------------------------------
SME ESCALATION REQUEST
--------------------------------------------------

The Accounting SME requires your input.

TYPE: Approval Required
URGENCY: High
RESPONSE NEEDED BY: January 25, 2024 5:00 PM

--------------------------------------------------
DETAILS
--------------------------------------------------

Need approval for Acme Corp marketing services contract.

Amount: $15,000
Vendor: Acme Corp
Purpose: Q1 Marketing Campaign
Budget Line: Marketing Services

--------------------------------------------------
RESPOND
--------------------------------------------------

Click to respond:

  [Approve] https://app.outermind.ai/escalation/xxx/approve
  [Deny]    https://app.outermind.ai/escalation/xxx/deny
  [More Info] https://app.outermind.ai/escalation/xxx/more-info

Or reply to this email starting with:
  - APPROVED - to approve the request
  - DENIED - to deny (include reason)
  - MORE INFO - to request additional information

--------------------------------------------------
Escalation ID: abc-123-def-456
SME Agent: Accounting SME

Response Options

Email Reply

Managers can reply to the escalation email:

• Start with APPROVED to approve
• Start with DENIED followed by reason
• Start with MORE INFO to request clarification

The Escalation Router parses the response and notifies the SME.

Web Portal

Click the link in the email to respond via the web portal:

1. Click Approve, Deny, or Request More Info
2. Add optional comments
3. Submit response

The web portal provides:

• Structured response options
• Full context visibility
• No email client needed

Auto-Escalation

If the primary manager doesn't respond within the configured time:

1. System waits for configured hours (e.g., 48 hours)
2. Auto-escalates to alternate manager
3. Sends new email with "ESCALATED" indicator
4. Resets the response timer

Configure Reasonable Timeouts

Set auto-escalation timeouts based on urgency:

• Critical: 4-8 hours
• High: 24 hours
• Normal: 48 hours
• Low: 72+ hours

SME Tool Usage

SMEs use the request_human_input tool to escalate:

// Tool call from SME
{
    "escalation_type": "approval_required",
    "subject": "Purchase Order Approval - $15,000",
    "message": "Need approval for Acme Corp marketing services...",
    "context": {
        "vendor": "Acme Corp",
        "amount": 15000,
        "purpose": "Q1 Campaign"
    },
    "urgency": "high",
    "required_by": "2024-01-25T17:00:00Z"
}

Tool Parameters

Parameter	Required	Description
escalation_type	Yes	Type of escalation (approval_required, etc.)
subject	Yes	Brief subject line
message	Yes	Detailed explanation
context	No	Additional data (amounts, IDs, etc.)
urgency	No	low, normal, high, or critical
required_by	No	Date/time response is needed

SME Resume Flow

When a manager responds:

1. Escalation Router receives the response
2. Creates notification for the SME
3. SME execution resumes
4. SME receives the decision and any comments

The SME can then:

• Proceed with approved actions
• Handle denials appropriately
• Provide requested additional information

Viewing Escalations

From the Dashboard

Navigate to Governance > Configuration > Escalation Router to see:

• Pending escalations awaiting response
• Recent responses
• Escalation analytics

From the SME

View escalations for a specific SME:

1. Open the SME configuration
2. Go to the Activity tab
3. Filter by "Escalation" status

Escalation Details

Each escalation record shows:

• Status (pending, resolved, expired)
• Type and urgency
• Original request details
• Manager response (if any)
• Time to resolution

Best Practices

Configuring Escalations

1. Choose appropriate managers: Ensure contacts have authority to approve
2. Set realistic thresholds: Balance automation with oversight
3. Configure alternates: Prevent bottlenecks when managers are unavailable
4. Customize instructions: Help SMEs know when to escalate

SME Instructions

Include escalation guidance in SME instructions:

## Escalation Guidelines

Escalate to your configured manager when:
- Expense or commitment exceeds $10,000
- Request requires policy exception
- Customer is threatening legal action
- You're unsure about compliance requirements

When escalating:
- Provide full context and supporting information
- Include your recommendation if you have one
- Set appropriate urgency level
- Specify deadline if time-sensitive

Manager Best Practices

1. Respond promptly: SMEs are waiting for your input
2. Be specific: Clear decisions help SMEs take action
3. Use the web portal: Structured responses reduce ambiguity
4. Delegate appropriately: Set up alternates for coverage

Troubleshooting

SME Can't Escalate

1. Check escalation type is enabled in SME configuration
2. Verify manager email is configured
3. Ensure SME has request_human_input tool assigned

Manager Not Receiving Emails

1. Check spam/junk folders
2. Verify email address in escalation configuration
3. Confirm your tenant has at least one active monitored mailbox to send from
4. If you use a dedicated escalation mailbox, review its status in Governance > Configuration > Escalation Router. A tenant with no dedicated mailbox is in shared-sender mode, which is expected and not a fault

SME Not Resuming After Response

1. Verify response was properly parsed
2. Check notification was created
3. Review SME execution status in activity logs
4. Ensure SME isn't stuck in a different state

Related Topics

• Specialist Agents Overview
• Configuring SMEs
• Escalation Router
• Monitoring SME Activity