Inventory questions before you automate a hand-off
Nine questions we ask in workflow automation planning before anyone sketches a new job or bot.
Workflow automation planning fails when discovery starts with tools instead of the hand-off. These questions keep interviews concrete.
- Who starts the hand-off, and what event makes them start?
- What artifacts move (files, tickets, chat messages, verbal confirmations)?
- Which exceptions appear at least weekly?
- Who is allowed to override the “normal” path?
- What happens when the next person is on leave?
- Which metrics already measure delay or rework?
- What would break legally or financially if the hand-off skipped a day?
- Which systems already hold the truth — even if people ignore them?
- What must remain human after the first automation slice?
If a team cannot answer most of these, the right next step is inventory and strategy — not a build sprint. Site Brook Hub uses this list as a lightweight gate before scoping automation planning engagements.