Name the trigger
Make the starting condition explicit. Understand what information arrives with it and whether the same event can occur more than once.
AUTOMATION & WORKFLOWS
Repeatable steps.
Visible judgment.
Automation is a question about work before it is a question about tools. This area examines rules, handoffs, exceptions, and the places where human review adds context.
THE STARTING QUESTION
Which part of the process is truly repeatable?
A process can look repetitive while depending on decisions that are rarely written down. Before automating a step, it helps to understand the conditions that start it, the rule it follows, and the result someone expects.
Exceptions deserve as much attention as the usual path. Missing information, conflicting instructions, or an unusual request may need a pause rather than another automatic action. A visible route to review helps keep the process understandable.
Our interest is in workflows that can be explained and examined. This includes the relationship between automated rules and human responsibility, without assuming that every task should be automated.
WHAT TO EXAMINE
Three practical considerations.
Expose the rule
Describe the decision in language someone can review. Identify the cases that do not fit and the person responsible for them.
Preserve a way back
Consider inspection, correction, and recovery. People need a useful response when an action is unexpected or the context changes.
QUESTIONS TO CARRY FORWARD
Make the assumptions
easier to discuss.
- What starts and stops this workflow?
- Which exceptions require a person to review the context?
- Can someone see why an action occurred?
- How could an incorrect action be corrected?
SCOPE & LIMITS
A workflow sketch is a way to explore a process. It is not evidence that an automated system is safe, suitable, or ready for a particular setting. The actual rules and consequences need their own review.
RELATED CONCEPT
A reviewable workflow
See these questions applied to an illustrative scenario, with its assumptions and limits clearly identified.
CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION
A conversation is a useful beginning.
Tell us what you are thinking about, or ask for more information about Pine Hollow LLC.