A milestone review is the formal approval checkpoint between distinct stages of a project at Xylora Studios. It pauses active production to allow your team to inspect, test, and formally approve deliverables before our departments move to the next phase.
Why we gate production
Linear creative and technical work relies on solid foundations. For example, the Technology department cannot build complex backend integrations while interface designs remain unresolved, nor does the Creative department finalize high-fidelity assets on unapproved wireframes.
Dividing contracts into discrete milestones ensures that both your team and our studio agree that work meets the brief before any subsequent work commences. A formal sign-off concludes our delivery obligations for that specific milestone.
The milestone review sequence
Every review follows an established sequence managed by Operations & Client Services:
1. Deliverable handover: When our Creative or Technology department finishes the milestone deliverables, Operations & Client Services compiles the assets, staging links, or preview builds and notifies you via the portal. 2. Review period: Your team inspects the work against the accepted brief and milestone specification. This is your opportunity to run user tests, check device compatibility, verify copy, and collate internal stakeholder feedback. 3. Feedback consolidation: You submit a single, collated list of actionable notes directly through the portal, or submit formal approval if no changes are required. 4. Revision round: If adjustments are required within the milestone scope, the production team applies them and returns the updated build for a targeted second review. 5. Formal sign-off: You issue written approval through the portal. This approval closes the milestone, enables milestone payment invoicing where applicable, and triggers the start of the next phase.
What your team must supply
To keep production running smoothly, milestone reviews require clear input from your side:
* A single point of contact: Appoint one internal lead who has the authority to make definitive decisions and collate conflicting internal opinions into a single instruction. * Consolidated feedback: Do not send piecemeal commentary across multiple messages. Provide an itemised, objective list citing specific asset names, timestamps, screen references, or reproduction steps for technical issues. * Objective comparisons: Assess the deliverables against the initial scope and agreed brief, rather than introducing new concepts or subjective preferences developed mid-stage.
Timelines and operational hours
Xylora Studios operates Monday to Thursday, 09:00-17:00 GMT. Production, review evaluations, and communication take place exclusively within these hours. Our first reply target for messages sent during business days is 24 hours.
When assets are submitted for milestone review, your team should aim to return feedback within five working days unless a bespoke review timeline was agreed upon in your quote. If feedback is delayed, project schedules shift day-for-day based on current studio capacity. Because our production schedules are reserved in advance, prolonged delays may require our team to pause the project until new studio slots open.
Handling revisions and scope changes
Milestone reviews cover the implementation of the agreed brief. If a deliverable does not match the specifications signed off at the start of the phase, our team will correct it without additional charges.
However, requests that alter previously approved milestones, add features not outlined in the initial quote, or contradict the brief constitute scope changes. In these cases, Operations & Client Services will provide a separate bespoke quote within 48 hours of receiving a complete brief for the new work. Additional work is scheduled only after written approval.
Deposits are non-refundable once your production slot is held. Before work begins, sums not yet earned are refunded pro rata; after work begins, completed work and booked time are charged. Defects are fixed free of charge within the acceptance window. The full terms are on the Refund Policy page of the main site. Work completed and accepted up to a given milestone is final.
Milestone review checklist
Before submitting your review decision through the portal, verify the following points:
* All nominated internal stakeholders have reviewed the deliverables. * Conflicting internal requests have been resolved into a single, prioritised list. * Technical issues include device, browser, screen resolution, and clear reproduction steps. * Creative adjustments reference specific files, frame numbers, or asset identifiers. * Every requested change falls strictly within the agreed milestone specification. * You are ready to issue sign-off once the requested corrections are verified.
If you have procedural questions about an active milestone review, send a message through the Ask Xylo chat on this portal.