Defining an exception route before launch

An exception route is ready when a case the automation cannot finish has a visible state, an owner, a safe next action and a way to return or close. Define these controls before launch so a failed item cannot disappear behind a completed workflow step.

Turn each departure into an operating rule

At each automated step, name the condition that blocks normal progress: a required field is absent, an approver is unavailable, a destination rejects a write, or the result cannot be confirmed. Use an observable condition, not a general label such as “error”.

Distinguish an agreed alternative branch from a failure needing recovery. A case that always requires specialist review under a known rule can follow a planned branch; an unavailable specialist or uncertain write result needs an exception owner and a recovery decision.

For each material departure, define:

Exception Route Handling Process

Treat an unknown result as unknown

A timeout does not prove an attempted action failed. If a workflow times out while creating a record, use the case’s business reference to inspect the destination before retrying. If the destination cannot be checked or its state remains unclear, hold the case for an authorised resolution. An automatic retry is not safe merely because the first response was an error.

For missing information, state what is needed and which checks must run again when it arrives. For a disputed approval, preserve the proposed action and the dispute for the authorised decision maker. A deadline can trigger reassignment or escalation under an agreed rule; it should not silently turn a pending decision into approval.

Give the owner a usable handoff

The person taking over needs the case reference, last confirmed step, attempted action, observed response, work currently held and permitted next actions. State who may approve a departure and who may carry out a repair; they can be different people.

For example, if an approved request may have been entered in a second system, the support owner first checks for the record. A confirmed record can be reconciled with the case; a confirmed absence may permit an authorised retry. An unresolved result remains held. The route depends on what the destination can actually show.

Check the route before release

Trace a missing input, an unavailable decision maker, a rejected destination action and an unknown result through the proposed route using safe records. For each case, check whether it can be found, what remains blocked, who acts next and what evidence permits closure. Include a case that ends outside the normal route.

Resolve a material exception with no safe exit before releasing that case type, or keep that case type outside the launch scope. After launch, review overdue and repeated exceptions to see whether an input, rule or handoff needs repair.

Key Exception Handling Metrics (Post-Launch Monitoring)