Approving automations

Reading a proposed rule, testing its effect, and keeping the reversal easy.

Why automation approval needs a process

Because a proposal arrives looking obviously sensible. It names a repetitive task and offers to remove it, and the temptation is to approve on the description alone.

But some repetition exists for a reason, and automating a step where a person was quietly checking something is how errors start propagating silently.

Approving automations, in three chapters

Reading the evidence

Open the instances it observed. Are they genuinely the same case, or has it grouped superficially similar things?

Ask what the person was doing besides the mechanical step. If they were also glancing at something, automating removes the glance too, and nobody will notice for months.

Read next

Approving automations, answered.

Rather have someone walk it with you?

Half an hour with your own data usually saves reading three of these. The guides will still be here afterwards.