The field guide
Before you automate, define the handoff
The most useful part of an AI workflow may be knowing when it should stop.
Start with the exception
Describe what happens when an input is missing, an answer is uncertain, or a customer needs a person. If the workflow has no clear owner at that moment, it is not ready to operate unattended.
Put approval where the consequence is
A draft is easy to revise. A sent message or changed customer record can be harder to undo. Design approval around the consequence of the action, then keep routine preparation automated.
Leave a useful record
Record the input, the decision, the responsible person, and the result. Avoid keeping sensitive data you do not need. Make the record readable enough that someone can investigate a failed run without reconstructing the entire workflow.
Evaluate a failure on purpose
Use a test account and trigger an unavailable service or malformed input. Confirm that the process stops or retries safely and that a person receives a clear task. Add that scenario to your maintenance checklist.
Sources & methodology
This article uses vendor documentation and our editorial analysis. We have not performed a controlled hands-on test. Product facts were checked on Sep 16, 2026; each profile records its own verification date.
