Divide the work by what it needs
A task may contain several kinds of work. Copying an approved date is different from interpreting an unclear request, and both are different from promising a customer a deadline.
Use four options:
- Remove: a duplicated step that serves no necessary purpose.
- Automate: a predictable step with clear rules and a recoverable failure path.
- Assist: preparation or drafting that a person checks.
- Keep with a person: an important judgment or commitment requiring authority.
Apply the map to one workflow
Fictional example: a service inquiry arrives. Software may check required fields and create an internal task. A draft can help the team prepare a reply. An authorized person still confirms unusual scope and makes the price or delivery commitment.
The boundary matters more than the label on the product. Do not give a tool broader access or authority merely because it can generate an answer.
Choose one trial
Write down the input, owner, rule, expected result, exception path, and stop control. Use safe sample information first. Check whether the result is correct, whether a failure is visible, and whether someone can finish the work manually.
Judge the whole process
Compare time, errors, waiting, review effort, and upkeep. A quick draft that takes longer to verify may not help. A simple reminder that prevents a missed handoff may be enough.
This map is a way to choose a useful test. It is not evidence that a particular tool can handle your records, meet your requirements, or operate without supervision.