home / skills / a5c-ai / babysitter / workflow-automator

This skill automates operational workflows with task sequencing, approvals, and exception handling to reduce manual effort and improve process reliability.

npx playbooks add skill a5c-ai/babysitter --skill workflow-automator

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SKILL.md
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---
name: workflow-automator
description: Operational workflow automation skill with task sequencing, approval routing, and exception handling
allowed-tools:
  - Read
  - Write
  - Glob
  - Grep
  - Edit
metadata:
  specialization: operations
  domain: business
  category: workflow-automation
---

# Workflow Automator

## Overview

The Workflow Automator skill provides comprehensive capabilities for automating operational workflows. It supports task sequencing, approval routing, notification automation, exception handling, and audit trail generation.

## Capabilities

- Workflow design
- Task sequencing
- Approval routing configuration
- Notification automation
- Exception handling rules
- Escalation pathways
- Audit trail generation
- Integration with operational systems

## Used By Processes

- LEAN-005: Standard Work Documentation
- QMS-001: ISO 9001 Implementation
- CI-001: Operational Excellence Program Design

## Tools and Libraries

- Workflow platforms
- RPA tools
- Business process management systems
- Integration APIs

## Usage

```yaml
skill: workflow-automator
inputs:
  workflow_name: "Engineering Change Request"
  trigger:
    type: "form_submission"
    source: "ecr_form"
  steps:
    - name: "Initial Review"
      assignee_role: "Engineering Manager"
      action: "approve_reject"
      sla: 2  # business days
    - name: "Impact Assessment"
      assignee_role: "Cross-functional Team"
      action: "complete_assessment"
      sla: 5
    - name: "Final Approval"
      assignee_role: "Director"
      action: "approve_reject"
      sla: 2
  notifications:
    - event: "assignment"
      recipient: "assignee"
      method: ["email", "slack"]
    - event: "sla_warning"
      recipient: "assignee_manager"
      method: ["email"]
  escalation:
    - threshold: "sla_breach"
      action: "notify_director"
outputs:
  - workflow_definition
  - notification_templates
  - escalation_rules
  - audit_configuration
  - integration_specs
```

## Workflow Components

### Triggers
| Type | Description | Example |
|------|-------------|---------|
| Form submission | User completes form | ECR request |
| Schedule | Time-based | Daily report |
| Event | System event | Order received |
| Condition | Data condition | Inventory low |

### Actions
| Type | Description | Example |
|------|-------------|---------|
| Approval | Yes/No decision | Manager approval |
| Task | Work to complete | Update document |
| Notification | Send message | Alert stakeholder |
| Integration | System action | Update ERP |

### Routing Rules
| Type | Description | Use Case |
|------|-------------|----------|
| Sequential | One after another | Approval chain |
| Parallel | Multiple simultaneous | Concurrent reviews |
| Conditional | Based on data | Amount threshold |
| Dynamic | Based on rules | Skill-based |

## Exception Handling

```yaml
exceptions:
  - condition: "assignee_unavailable"
    action: "reassign_to_backup"
  - condition: "sla_breach"
    action: "escalate_to_manager"
  - condition: "rejection"
    action: "return_to_initiator"
  - condition: "system_error"
    action: "notify_admin_and_retry"
```

## SLA Management

| Stage | SLA | Warning | Escalation |
|-------|-----|---------|------------|
| Initial Review | 2 days | 1.5 days | 2.5 days |
| Assessment | 5 days | 4 days | 6 days |
| Approval | 2 days | 1.5 days | 2.5 days |

## Audit Trail Requirements

- Who performed action
- When action occurred
- What was the action
- Previous state
- New state
- Supporting documentation

## Integration Points

- Document management systems
- ERP systems
- Email/messaging platforms
- Identity management

Overview

This skill automates operational workflows with deterministic sequencing, approval routing, notifications, exception handling, and audit trail generation. It produces resumable, auditable workflow definitions and integration specs so teams can enforce SLAs and escalation paths reliably. The implementation focuses on clear routing rules, SLA management, and integration hooks for systems like ERP and DMS.

How this skill works

You define triggers, ordered steps, assignees, actions, SLA thresholds, notifications, and escalation rules. The skill compiles those inputs into a resumable workflow definition, notification templates, escalation rules, and audit configuration. During execution it enforces sequencing (sequential, parallel, conditional), applies exception handling (reassign, escalate, retry), and records a complete audit trail for compliance and troubleshooting.

When to use it

  • Automating multi-step approval processes (change requests, procurements, compliance reviews)
  • Enforcing SLA-driven operational tasks with alerts and escalations
  • Coordinating cross-functional assessments that require parallel reviews
  • Implementing repeatable, auditable operational procedures for ISO or QMS programs
  • Integrating workflow outcomes with ERP, DMS, or messaging platforms

Best practices

  • Model workflows as discrete, testable steps with clear assignee roles and SLAs
  • Use conditional and dynamic routing to minimize manual routing updates
  • Define explicit exception handlers for common failure modes (unavailable assignee, SLA breach, system error)
  • Keep notification templates concise and map events to specific recipients and channels
  • Record and store required audit fields (who, when, what, previous/new state, supporting docs) for compliance

Example use cases

  • Engineering Change Request: form-triggered sequence with initial review, impact assessment, and director approval
  • Invoice approval: conditional routing by amount with parallel verifications and ERP integration
  • Employee onboarding: scheduled and event-driven tasks with document uploads and identity checks
  • Regulatory submission: SLA-managed review chain with escalation on breaches
  • Operational report distribution: scheduled trigger, aggregation task, and multi-channel notifications

FAQ

What outputs does the skill generate?

It generates a workflow_definition, notification_templates, escalation_rules, audit_configuration, and integration_specs for downstream systems.

How are SLA breaches handled?

You configure SLA thresholds, warnings, and escalation actions. On breach the workflow triggers configured escalation rules (notify managers, reassign, or execute custom actions).