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3rdLoopSolutions

Every action has a rule and a person who answers for it.

Before a workflow ships, we decide which AI actions run on their own, which wait for review or approval, and which are blocked. People then supervise the exceptions, not every output.

Seven actions, filed by riskIllustrative

  1. Proceeds

    Proceeds within approved limits and logs the action.

    The software
    Reads the email, sets its urgency, and sends it to the right queue, within the limits your team approved.
    The person
    The support lead samples routed emails each week and can move any of them back.
    On the record
    The email, the category, the system’s confidence, and the queue.

  2. Proceeds

    Proceeds within approved limits and logs the action.

    The software
    Reads the form, fills the entry, and flags any field it could not read.
    The person
    A records officer spot-checks a sample and can correct any entry.
    On the record
    The source form, each field it filled, and every correction.

  3. Proceeds, reversible

    Proceeds with a review window and escalates exceptions.

    The software
    Replies from approved answers, and hands the case to staff when confidence is low, facts conflict, or the customer asks for a person.
    The person
    Support staff watch replies as they go out and can step in, correct, or take over.
    On the record
    The question, the sources used, the reply, and any handoff.

  4. Proceeds, reversible

    Proceeds with a review window and escalates exceptions.

    The software
    Finds open slots, sends the invitations, and escalates any clash it can’t resolve.
    The person
    The recruiter sees every booking and can move or cancel one at any time.
    On the record
    Who was invited, for when, and every change.

  5. Needs approval

    Waits for approval.

    The software
    Prepares the refund with the order, the reason, and the evidence, then waits.
    The person
    A named finance officer approves it before any money moves.
    On the record
    The request, the evidence, the approver, and the time.

  6. A person decides

    Recommends only.

    The software
    Recommends only: a suggested outcome with the factors and documents behind it.
    The person
    A qualified credit officer makes the decision and acts on it.
    On the record
    The recommendation, the evidence, the decision, who made it, and why it differed, if it did.

  7. Blocked

    Blocks the action.

    The software
    Blocks the action. It cannot run, however confident the system is.
    The person
    The policy owner rejects the use or redesigns the workflow.
    On the record
    The attempt, and the rule that stopped it.

Every action keeps its record: what ran, on what evidence, and who answered for it.

Three places a person can stand. We build for the middle one.

Every workflow chooses its loop before it ships, based on consequence, reversibility, confidence, and legal requirement.

Don’t ask people to review everything. Ask them to review what matters.
The anti‑fatigue rule

Four questions set the level. The level sets the limits.

We ask them of every action before a workflow ships. The answers place it on one of five levels, and the level decides what the software may do alone.

Consequence
What happens, and to whom, if this goes wrong?
Reversibility
Can it be undone, and how quickly?
Confidence
How sure is the system, and can it tell when it isn’t?
Legal requirement
Does a law or regulator require a person to decide?
LowHuman out of the loopThe software: Proceeds within approved limits and logs the action.The person: Periodic sampling, monitoring, rollback.
MediumHuman on the loopOur defaultThe software: Proceeds with a review window and escalates exceptions.The person: Monitor, review, step in, or reverse.
HighHuman in the loopThe software: Waits for approval.The person: A named person approves before it runs.
CriticalHuman decisionThe software: Recommends only.The person: A qualified person decides and acts.
ProhibitedNo executionThe software: Blocks the action.The person: Policy owner rejects or redesigns the use.

When the software stops, the case arrives whole.

Take customer support. AI answers routine questions and drafts replies. Staff supervise quality and take over when judgment or authority is needed.

AI handles
Routine questions, gathering context, classifying urgency, drafting, and approved actions.
Escalates when
A person is requested, confidence is low, facts conflict, the case is sensitive or high‑value, or repeated attempts fail.
Handoff keeps
The conversation, customer context, actions already tried, evidence used, and the reason for escalation.

Nothing reaches production without these five.

Before any AI‑assisted workflow reaches production, it gets all five. Anyone reviewing it later can see who owns it and what it was allowed to do.

  1. 1An accountable ownerOne named person answers for what the workflow does.
  2. 2A risk levelSet for each action, from Low to Prohibited, before it ships.
  3. 3An escalation pathWho receives a case when the software stops, and what arrives with it.
  4. 4An evidence requirementWhat the system must show for each decision: inputs, sources, reasons.
  5. 5A review policyWhat gets sampled, what gets approved, and how often.

Your people stop doing the routine work. They still make the calls that matter, and they can always step in.

Tell us about one workflow that eats time or carries risk. We’ll reply with what software could handle, what it should hand to a person, and who stays accountable.

Get a free workflow assessment