Understand the work before building the system.
The first useful build comes after the workflow is visible. We document the current work before choosing a constraint worth fixing. The change is then built in stages the people using it can test.
-
01 · Understand
See the work as it happens now.
We map what starts the workflow, who is involved, which tools hold information, where decisions happen, and what the team does when something breaks.
-
02 · Prioritize
Choose a constraint worth removing.
We compare time consumed, frequency, error risk, client impact, single-person dependency, cost, complexity, and the work required to maintain the fix.
-
03 · Design
Give information and decisions a clear path.
The design names each source of truth and its owner. It defines data movement, approval points, exception handling, access, and reporting before the build begins.
-
04 · Build and test
Test the system against real examples.
Work is built in stages with backups in place. Real examples are tested against the new flow, relationships are validated, and failure handling is made visible.
-
05 · Implement
Roll it out around the people using it.
Implementation keeps new tools to a minimum. Human contact stays in the parts of the workflow where it matters. System ownership is documented, and the people doing the work know where to look when an exception appears.
-
06 · Improve
Let real use show what comes next.
We review how the system is used, correct assumptions that did not hold, and expand only after the foundation is stable.
Some work needs a person, a clearer rule, or no automation at all.
- Sensitive decisions without review.
- Communication that should come from a real person.
- Processes nobody has defined.
- Broken workflows that automation would only move faster.
- Actions without visible failure handling.
- Work that costs more to automate than it is worth.