SHOULD THIS STEP BE AUTOMATED?
Cleargrain Docs · Operations & Research Support

Complete this for one narrow recurring task. Use nonconfidential descriptions.
Do not put passwords, keys, tokens, or payment details in this checklist.

DEFINE THE STEP
Task: [name]
Trigger: [what starts it]
Typical frequency: [runs per week or month]
Current effort: [minutes per run, including checking and corrections]
Input and expected output: [description]
Rules that determine the result: [description]
Person who can resolve exceptions: [role]

CHECK READINESS
[ ] The input and desired output are clear.
[ ] The rules are stable enough to explain and test.
[ ] Examples include normal, missing, unusual, and duplicate inputs.
[ ] The consequence of an incorrect result is understood.
[ ] Required access and allowed actions are explicitly defined.
[ ] A person approves any action outside those boundaries.
[ ] A maintenance owner is available.

PLAN FOR FAILURE
How will someone know the run failed or only partly completed? [signal]
Who receives the issue and what do they do? [role and action]
How do we check what already happened before retrying? [method]
How do we avoid performing the same action twice? [method]
What evidence is kept without retaining unnecessary private data? [record]
When must the tool stop rather than guess? [conditions]
What is the manual fallback? [steps or reference]
How can a change be undone or recovered safely? [method or limitation]

COMPARE THE FULL EFFORT
Current monthly effort: [runs x minutes, plus corrections]
Expected review and exception-handling effort: [estimate]
Build, test, and training effort: [estimate]
Expected maintenance and update effort: [estimate]
Any subscription or usage cost: [amount and currency, or unknown]
Who will review these estimates after a safe trial? [role]

BEFORE LIVE USE
[ ] Test a normal run, missing input, duplicate input, and an interrupted run.
[ ] Compare actual results with expected results.
[ ] Verify the failure signal and manual fallback.
[ ] Document how to run, pause, maintain, and recover the workflow.
[ ] Agree what support and future changes are included.

Decision: [keep manual / clarify the process / test a small improvement]
Reason: [short explanation]
Next review trigger: [evidence or change that would revisit the decision]

This is a planning aid. It does not establish technical feasibility or grant
access or permission to change a live system.