The Real Problem is Rarely "AI" – It's Operations
Many projects start with a good use case – and end in errors, uncertainty, and falling back to manual work.
Almost always, the same fundamentals are to blame.
Here are the 5 most common causes – plus the countermeasures that work in larger teams.
1) No Owner (and Thus No Responsibility)
Symptom: "The workflow belongs to everyone" – and thus to no one. Errors remain unaddressed, adjustments happen ad-hoc.
Fix (minimal):
- Assign an owner (name + backup)
- Define SLA: How quickly must an error be seen/fixed?
- Change process: Changes only via a short ticket/PR (even internal)
Check: Can you say in 10 seconds who is responsible for errors?
2) No Status Model (Just "Inbox")
Symptom: Leads/tasks are "somewhere" – but nobody knows: open, resolved, waiting, scheduled, completed.
Fix (proven): Introduce status pipeline (copy/paste)
| Status | Meaning | Owner | Next Step |
|---|---|---|---|
| New | Received, not reviewed | Intake | Categorize |
| Qualification | Initial review ongoing | Intake | Follow-up / Routing |
| Questions open | Waiting for client | Intake | Follow-up timer |
| Meeting scheduled | Appointment set | Team | Preparation |
| Completed | accepted/rejected | Team | Document |
3) Data Quality is Underestimated
Symptom: Routing "acts up", fields are empty, forms deliver free text instead of structure.
Fix (pragmatic):
- Reduce required fields (less is often more)
- Add 1–2 structured fields (e.g., practice area, urgency)
- Validation at the source (form/trigger), not afterwards
4) No Monitoring (Errors are Noticed by Chance)
Symptom: Workflows run "until they don't". Errors are only noticed when clients follow up.
Fix (small setup, big effect):
- Success rate, error rate, runtime
- Dead-letter/retry mechanism
- Alerting to a channel someone actually reads
Check: Would you notice today if no leads were processed for 24h?
5) Too Much at Once (Without Clear Metrics)
Symptom: 12 integrations, 6 workflows, 3 AI components – but no clear goal.
Fix: Think in sprints – and measure.
Minimal KPIs (start):
- Response time target (median)
- Routing accuracy
- "Time to decision" (until appointment/rejection)
- Follow-up rate without manual tracking
If You Take Away Just One Thing
Automation is a product. Without owner, status, and monitoring, it's not a system – it's an experiment.
If you want, we'll walk through your current process in an initial consultation and show the fastest stability levers.