Proceed
Known rules and complete information allow the next step.
Automate routine work. Keep people in control.
Automate repeatable steps and let your team handle exceptions and decisions that need judgement.
A known eventAn order, approval, deadline, or status change
Send the message
Update the record
Inform the team
Ask for judgement
Keep routine follow-up moving without losing human judgement.
A team member checks a list each day to find requests that need a reminder or escalation.
A request is due for follow-up
Check the timing, status, and agreed reminder rules.
Does it meet the routine rules?
Yes, complete information
Send the agreed reminder
Record the action and update the request.
No, an exception needs attention
Ask the responsible person
Keep the context visible and pause the automatic action.
Possible work
We could apply agreed timing rules, prepare or send routine reminders, and flag overdue or unusual requests for review.
What could improve
Repeatable follow-up could progress automatically while a named person handles exceptions and decisions.
Your decisions and input
You approve timing, recipients, and escalation rules before the workflow changes. We establish how to stop the automation and who responds when it fails.
Start with repeated work and clear rules.
Automation is useful when the business can describe what starts the work, what rules apply, and when an exception deserves attention.
- 01
Observe
Find repeated handling, waiting, checking, and re-entry in the current workflow.
- 02
Define
Name the trigger, required information, acceptable result, and exceptional cases.
- 03
Prove
Test the critical path with real constraints before extending the automation.
- 04
Operate
Monitor outcomes, expose failures, and improve the workflow as the business changes.
Keep exceptions with the people who can decide.
Price changes, unusual requests, incomplete data, and commercial exceptions may need a person’s decision. We build those review points into the workflow.
Inform
Keep the responsible person informed about what the automation is doing.
Review
Pause exceptions for review by someone who can decide.
Before you automate
First, we understand the work and decide what should change and what people should continue to handle.
Should the whole process be automated?
Not necessarily. Repeatable steps with clear information and rules are better candidates than decisions that depend on context, negotiation, or judgement.
Can automation connect our current tools?
Yes, if those tools provide suitable interfaces or other reliable access. We check what they allow before promising a connection.
What happens when an automation fails?
The automation should record failures, protect data and work in progress, and give the responsible person enough information to act.
Who maintains the workflow?
We agree who is responsible as part of the engagement. During an active partnership, Northbased can remain responsible for maintenance and ongoing improvement.
Automate routine steps and keep exceptions with your team.
Northbased can examine the current workflow, establish the decision boundaries, build the automation, and remain responsible for its operation.
We automate where the business benefit and rules are clear. We do not automate merely to introduce another tool.