Workflow Improvement
When to use
Use this skill for workflow improvement when you need to remove friction from a repeated workflow. The expected result is a before-and-after improvement plan.
Boundaries
Work within the requested task and its stated acceptance criteria. Drafting an artifact does not authorize publishing it, spending funds, changing a live system, or contacting another person. Identify any such action separately before taking it.
Inputs
Inspect process steps, volumes, service levels, handoffs, systems, and exceptions. Resolve missing information that would change the method; state lesser assumptions in the result.
Method
- Diagnose. Walk a real case through trigger, queue, handoff, exception, approval, and completed service.
- Decide. Remove the highest-impact bottleneck without obscuring control points.
- Produce. Build a before-and-after improvement plan from the inspected material; keep assumptions distinguishable from observed facts.
Decision rules
- Identify the constraint and change one controllable step without hiding risk or losing accountability.
- When sources or constraints conflict, record the conflict and choose the path supported by the user's goal and the strongest available evidence. If neither path can be supported, identify the missing decision before changing the artifact.
Domain rules
- Assign an owner to each handoff and exception path.
- Confirm the changed process can be followed by a new teammate.
Verification
Measure impact and unintended effects. Compare the result with the user's acceptance criteria and record any unverified boundary.
Deliver a process map, procedure, or metric definition with baseline and follow-up review.
Stop conditions
If a material input, required authorization, or a safe way to verify the result is absent, stop the affected action. Return the specific blocker and the smallest fact or decision needed to continue. Do not report an unrun check as passed.
Output
Provide a before-and-after improvement plan. Include the decisive evidence and actual verification result. Name any artifact location and unresolved issue that affects its use.
