Consulting client research moves through three desks: an agent pulls industry data and interview notes, an analyst validates the draft, a partner signs off. Dock holds the interpretation layer so each step is attributed. Notion, Hex, and Mode keep the raw inputs. The Dock memo row is the artifact the partner reads.
Notion, Hex, and Mode stay the system of record for the raw data. Dock is the system of record for what the AGENT INTERPRETS. Each Dock row carries a pointer back to the platform record, agent identity, decision, reviewer, and timestamp. The agent re-fetches platform data via fresh API reads when it needs current state.
The Research Memos surface
| memo_id | client | thesis_draft | notion_transcripts | hex_query | mode_dashboard | agent | analyst_review | partner_status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RM-2041 | Acme Foods | "Private label gaining 4pt share in frozen entrees, driven by Aldi expansion" | notion://workspace/acme-q2/interviews/12 | hex://acme-foods/private-label-trend | mode://acme/category-share-2026 | research-agent-v3 | approved by k.shah 2026-05-28 | sent to partner |
| RM-2042 | Northwind Health | "Telehealth visit volume flattening; payer mix shifting commercial to Medicare" | notion://workspace/nw-q2/interviews/07 | hex://northwind/visit-mix | mode://nw/payer-mix | research-agent-v3 | revisions requested by m.ortiz | draft returned |
| RM-2043 | Helix Logistics | "Drayage rates softening 9% YoY in LA basin" | notion://workspace/helix/interviews/03 | hex://helix/drayage-rates | mode://helix/lane-pricing | research-agent-v3 | approved by k.shah 2026-05-29 | partner reviewed |
Every row pins the agent build, the analyst, and partner state. The thesis_draft column is the agent's interpretation. The pointers are where a reader audits the input.
The workflow
The research-agent reads the engagement brief and opens a Research Memo row. It re-fetches the latest interview transcripts from Notion, runs the saved Hex query against the client's category data, and pulls the Mode dashboard snapshot. It writes a thesis draft into the row with footnoted citations to each pointer. The row's state is awaiting_analyst.
The analyst (Kira Shah on RM-2041) opens the row, reads the draft, audits two cited transcript passages and one Hex output, and either approves or requests revisions. On approval the row state moves to partner_review. The partner reads the approved memo. If the partner asks a follow-up, the agent re-runs the Hex query against current data rather than reusing the prior snapshot, so the answer reflects today's numbers.
Nothing in the memo bypasses the analyst. The agent cannot escalate to the partner directly. The row schema enforces the order.
Why this matters
Consulting firms run a junior-to-senior review chain. The risk with agent-drafted memos is that an unreviewed thesis lands on a partner's desk and gets cited in a client deck. The Dock row makes that impossible: partner_status is gated by analyst_review. Bain's 2023 management tools survey of 1,000+ executives showed selectivity, not volume, drives satisfaction with tooling.1 One attributed memo a partner trusts beats ten drafts nobody signs. The pattern mirrors the research workflow and the design review chain, and it relies on agent identity being durable.
Strategy work rewards an audit trail back to inputs.2 Dock's pointer columns give the partner a one-click path to the Notion transcript or the Hex query behind the analyst's call.
Read the consulting and agencies pillar for the full workflow set and the agent identity primer for why every row carries the agent build that drafted it.
FAQ
Does the agent talk to the partner directly? No. The schema requires analyst_review before partner_status can change. The analyst is the gate.
What happens when the analyst requests revisions?
The row returns to draft. The agent re-reads the comments, re-fetches the cited Notion and Hex outputs, and rewrites. The prior draft stays in row history.
Why keep Notion and Hex as the source of record? Transcripts and queries belong where the team already edits them. Dock stores the agent's conclusion plus the pointer. The next read picks up edits.
Can a partner override the analyst?
Yes, with attribution. The partner marks the row partner_override and the override is logged with identity and timestamp. The analyst's prior decision stays in history.
Footnotes
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Bain & Company, "Top Management Tools & Trends for 2023" (2022 survey of 1,000+ executives). ↩
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Harvard Business Review, Strategy topic. ↩
