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Open PracticePRACTICAL AI ENGINEERING
EARN BY DOING · BUILD 09 · AUTOMATION

Map and prototype one workflow

Automation that nobody understands breaks the first time something unusual happens. Start with a map: every step, every decision, every place data moves. Then run the workflow by hand or with a free tool on sample data, note what failed, and write handoff notes so someone else can run it. The map is the product; the tool is a detail.

⏱ About 20–30 minutes to draft · the real-world steps take days · Works with or without AI · No signup

You will make

  • Process map
  • Test run
  • Handoff notes

You will practise

  • Mapping a process step by step, with inputs and outputs
  • Marking where a human must decide
  • Testing on sample data and writing handoff notes

Download the practice pack (.zip)See a finished exampleOffer contract (.md)

No AI key needed. The guided template works for everyone.

  1. 1Brief

    Specific answers make better results — with or without AI.

  2. 2Make

    Pick a route. The template gives you a structure with [[blanks]] to fill in yourself. Your own key drafts it for you — then you still check it.

    See the exact prompt — copy it into any AI chat you already use
  3. 3Check
    The same rules run on every draft, human or AI. Most first drafts fail something — that is the point.
      Self-check — judgement no checker can make
    • 4Improve
      Fix one item at a time, then check again. Notice which fixes made it better — that is the skill.
      1. Run the check first.
    • 5Ship
      Use it for real: send it, post it or save it. Record what happened — that is your evidence of learning.
    A finished example
    The business, people and numbers are invented. It passes every check above, so you can see what “done” looks like before you start.
    Show the worked example
    > Worked example. The business, people and numbers are invented to show the shape of a finished deliverable.

# Workflow: turning order messages into a delivery list each morning

## Process map
Trigger: a new order message on WhatsApp
Steps today: read the message, copy details into a sheet, group by area, send the list to the driver.

1. Order message → copy name, item, area and time into the order form → a new row in the sheet
2. New row → a formula looks up the delivery fee for the area → row with fee
3. [HUMAN] Rows with "special request" → the owner reads and approves or calls the customer → approved rows
4. Approved rows at 07:30 → a filter view sorted by area → the driver's list, shared as view-only

## Test run
Tool: Google Sheets formulas. Sample data: invented, 12 records.
- Test 1 (normal): an order in Avondale for 10:00 · expected: fee US$2, in the Avondale group · actual: as expected
- Test 2 (normal): two orders, same customer · expected: two rows, flagged as same customer · actual: not flagged, fixed with COUNTIF
- Test 3 (unusual): a message with no area · expected: row marked "ask area" · actual: fee showed #N/A, fixed with IFERROR

## Failure plan
- If a step fails: the row turns red and stays off the driver's list
- Who is told: the owner, by a red count at the top of the sheet she checks at 07:15

## Handoff notes
- To run it: fill the form for each order; open the "driver" view at 07:30 and share it
- To stop it: stop using the form; the sheet keeps working as a normal list
- Data stored in: the owner's Google Drive; personal data: customer names, addresses, phone numbers
- Accounts owned by: the owner, in her name

## Boundary
- Tested on invented sample data only. A person decides on every [HUMAN] step.
- It never sends messages to customers by itself.

    Pro moves
    Methods this build practises
    Each method in the directory has a starter kit: the offer prefilled, first-sale steps, proof checks and the offer contract.
    METHOD 21Lead-response workflow setupBuyer: service firms losing enquiriesMETHOD 24Inbox triage designBuyer: busy ownerMETHOD 25Meeting-to-action workflowBuyer: small teamsMETHOD 30Automation audit and workflow mapBuyer: small business not ready for software
    Questions people ask
    Which automation tool should I learn?
    Whichever has a free tier that covers the task, but learn the map first. A clear map moves between Zapier, Make, n8n or a spreadsheet in an afternoon.
    Why mark human steps?
    Because some decisions (refunds, unusual orders, anything sensitive) should never be automated. Marking them keeps the client in control and keeps you honest about what the tool does.
    Will this make me money?
    Nobody can promise that, and Open Practice never does. This workshop helps you make work that is worth paying for and keep the evidence. Whether anyone buys depends on your market, your outreach and your work.
    Do I need an AI key to use this?
    No. The guided template teaches the same skill with no AI at all. If you add your own free key (Groq, Google Gemini, OpenRouter, Mistral or Cerebras), the tool can also draft and revise. The key stays in your browser and requests go straight to that provider.
    Where is my work saved?
    In this browser only (local storage), until you copy or download it. Nothing you type is sent to Open Practice.
    Keep building
    NEXT BUILDBuild 10 · Build a weekly business reportYou’ll make: Report, Formulas, QA testsFREE TOOLAI Workflow BuilderDesign an AI workflow with human checkpointsFREE TOOLZapier Automation BuilderPlan an automation before you build itFREE TOOLGoogle Sheets Script GeneratorAutomate a Google Sheet with a safe Apps ScriptACADEMY COURSEEarn by Doing: useful work, honest offersThe full build path: guided activities, a hosted lab and a combined capstone.