A task can look repetitive until something unusual happens. A customer uses a different name, an invoice arrives without a reference, or a request contains two conflicting instructions. These are the moments when a tidy automation diagram meets the actual business.
Start with a small sample of real work
Take a manageable set of completed tasks and write down where someone needed judgement. Remove personal details when making examples. Do not record only the successful routine path: include the confusing input, the missing information and the case that had to wait.
For each exception, record the signal that revealed it and what resolved it. A duplicate-looking order might require checking a customer reference. A missing delivery date might require a question. A contradictory instruction might need the customer to choose. Those are different problems and should not share one vague rule called ‘handle errors’.
Define three possible outcomes
A practical workflow can distinguish ready to proceed, needs clarification and needs human review. Give each state a plain-language reason. The person reviewing a case should see the original input, what is missing and what action is being proposed.
For example, an assistant preparing a booking can assemble the requested date and service. If the date is absent, it should not silently invent one. If two services conflict, it should surface the conflict. The value of automation includes identifying when the available information is insufficient.
Test the awkward cases first
Run the same exception examples through the proposed workflow before expanding it. Record what was missed, what was unnecessarily escalated and whether a reviewer could resolve the case without starting again. These are practical test suggestions rather than a universal certification method.
NIST’s voluntary AI Risk Management Framework offers broader guidance for identifying, measuring and managing AI risks. The exception log proposed here is a small-business working method, not an official NIST checklist. Read the NIST framework.
A useful first automation does not need to cover every situation. It needs a clear boundary, a dependable routine path and a sensible destination for everything outside that path. What exception causes the most rework in your business?
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