Key takeaways
- The goal is the correct authority for each action rather than maximum autonomy.
- Routine, reversible actions can earn narrow authority. Consequential or uncertain actions stay visible to a person.
- Review mode lets the company inspect proposed work, correction patterns and failure paths before authority is granted, and the review record becomes evaluation data.
- Authority belongs to an action class, with a limit, an escalation path and a readback requirement.
- When a consequential action is uncertain, a visible exception beats a guess. A queue that waits is cheaper than an automated mistake nobody sees until a customer does.
What does review mode reveal?
Real inputs expose edge cases a prepared demo never sees. Review mode lets the company inspect proposed work, correction patterns, and failure paths before granting authority.
The review record also becomes evaluation data for improving the system.
How narrow should authority be?
“The agent may send messages” is too broad. “The system may send this confirmed reminder on this channel when these fields are present” is an operable rule.
Authority should include a limit, an escalation path, and a readback requirement.
When is waiting the safe failure?
When a consequential action is uncertain, the system should create a visible exception instead of guessing.
A queue that waits is cheaper than an automated mistake nobody sees until a customer does.
Frequently asked questions
What should always wait for a person?
Consequential or uncertain actions. Routine, reversible actions can earn narrow authority, and the goal is the correct authority for each action rather than maximum autonomy.
What does review mode reveal?
Real inputs expose edge cases a prepared demo never sees. Review mode lets the company inspect proposed work, correction patterns and failure paths before granting authority.
How narrow should authority be?
Authority belongs to an action class. The system may send this confirmed reminder on this channel when these fields are present is an operable rule, and it should include a limit, an escalation path and a readback requirement.
What happens when the system is uncertain?
It creates a visible exception instead of guessing. A queue that waits is cheaper than an automated mistake nobody sees until a customer does.
How do we widen what the system may do after launch?
One action class at a time, once the review record shows the behavior holds. Each widening keeps its own limit, escalation path and readback requirement.
Who approves once the system is live?
The named owner of the workflow holds approvals, exceptions and the decision to widen authority, and every decision stays in the audit trail.
Sources
This article describes operating principles and public sources. It is not a client result. Build Records carry the basis for every Outproduce system claim.