01 / OPERATION BEFORE MODEL
The use case begins with a queue, decision or handover—not a model name.
An impressive demonstration can conceal missing ownership, unreliable inputs and no safe response when an integration fails. We map the current operation first: trigger, data, decision, action, exception, owner and measurable cost. Only then do we decide whether the right solution is an agent, deterministic automation or a mixed system.
This keeps the model replaceable and the operating logic visible. It also prevents a language system from receiving more authority than the business intended simply because a prompt produced a convincing answer during a demo.
Process owner
A named person or role responsible for the real operation and its acceptance criteria.
Data boundary
Approved sources, retention, sensitive fields and the systems the workflow may access.
Action boundary
What the system may draft, recommend or execute—and what still needs a human decision.
Failure state
A safe fallback, escalation route and trace when a model, API or data source is unavailable.

