Automation Workflow
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Lesson 1 of 8

Design the workflow before the tool

A reliable automation starts with a clear flow. The software comes after the logic.

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TRIGGERINPUTAICHECKACTION

Start with the decision flow

Automation tools can make a weak process run faster. They cannot make an unclear process reliable. Before choosing a platform, write down what starts the workflow, what data enters, what AI should do, how the result is checked, and what happens next.

Understand
1
Trigger

What event starts the workflow?

2
Input

What information is available at that moment?

3
AI step

What judgment or transformation is useful?

4
Check

How will you reject obviously bad or incomplete output?

5
Action

What should happen after the result is accepted?

Example
Trigger: A support email arrives. Input: Subject + message body. AI: Classify the request as billing, technical, or general. Check: Reject outputs outside the allowed labels. Action: Route the email to the correct queue.
Try it
Define the five stages, then build the outline.
Common mistake

Do not make AI responsible for everything.

Use deterministic checks for things that have fixed rules. AI is most useful where interpretation is actually needed.

Key takeaway

A dependable AI automation is a workflow with an AI step inside it — not an AI step with everything else improvised around it.

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Triggers and Inputs

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