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name: workflow-design description: > Design operational workflows — process mapping, role assignments, automation opportunities, approval chains, SLA definition, and exception handling. TRIGGER when: user says /workflow-design, needs to design a new workflow, or asks about process design and automation. argument-hint: "[relevant context]" user-invocable: true

Workflow Design

Process

Step 1: Document Current State

Element	Details
Process name	What workflow to design/redesign
Trigger	What initiates the workflow
Inputs	What information/materials are needed
Steps	Current sequence of activities
Outputs	What the workflow produces
Stakeholders	Who is involved at each step

Step 2: Map the Process

For each step:

Step	Actor	Action	System	Duration	Decision?
1	[role]	[action]	[tool]	[time]	Y/N

Step 3: Identify Improvements

Issue	Type	Impact
Manual data entry	Automation opportunity	Time savings
Email approvals	Bottleneck	Cycle time
Unclear ownership	Role ambiguity	Delays
No SLA	Missing accountability	Variable quality

Step 4: Design New Workflow

• Define clear triggers and entry criteria
• Assign ownership for each step
• Set SLAs for time-sensitive steps
• Add approval gates only where necessary
• Design exception handling paths

Step 5: Plan Automation

Step	Automation Type	Tool
[step]	Full automation	[tool]
[step]	Partial (human review)	[tool]
[step]	Notification/routing	[tool]

Step 6: Define SLAs

Step	SLA	Escalation
[step]	X hours	Notify manager
[step]	X days	Auto-reassign

Output Format

## Workflow: [Name]
### Trigger: [What starts it]
### Steps: [Sequence with roles and SLAs]
### Automation: [What can be automated]
### SLAs: [Time targets]

Quality Checklist

• Current state documented before redesigning
• Each step has a clear owner
• SLAs defined for critical steps
• Exception paths handled
• Automation opportunities identified

Edge Cases

• For cross-department workflows, get agreement from all stakeholders
• If automating, plan for edge cases that require human judgment
• For regulated processes, ensure compliance at each step