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How operators are putting AI strategy, automation, and agents to work, written by the people who build and run the systems. No hype, no vendor gloss.

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Why automation fails in production

Why automation fails in production, and how to fix it: the deck-vs-desk gap, the common failure modes, and how to ship production-ready automation.

GetAutomationMay 28, 2026 · 10 min read

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The latest field notes.

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Showing 11 of 11 field notes

AI Agent Guardrails: Keep Agents Safe

AI agent guardrails keep an agent inside safe limits in production. Learn the scope, spend caps, approval gates, and audit trails every live agent needs.

Aug 3, 202614 min read

Automation Debt: The Hidden Cost of Quick Wins

Automation debt is the pile of brittle, unowned workflows that builds up after every quick win. Here is how to spot it, cost it, and pay it down for good.

Jul 27, 202611 min read

Automation Pilot Playbook: Ship in 90 Days

A step-by-step automation pilot playbook that takes one workflow from pick to a live production decision in 90 days, with the guardrails that stop it stalling.

Jul 20, 202610 min read

AI Automation Metrics: What Ops Should Track

AI automation metrics tell you when a live workflow is drifting. Here is the short list ops teams should track, plus how to build a scoreboard for it.

Jul 16, 202610 min read

AI Agents vs Automation: When to Use Each

AI agents vs automation is the wrong fight. Learn which work needs a judgment-making agent, which needs rules-based automation, and how to tell them apart.

Jul 3, 202612 min read

AI Automation Strategy: A Step-by-Step Roadmap

Build an AI automation strategy that starts with the operation, not the tooling. A roadmap to map, quantify, prioritise and sequence what to automate first.

Jul 3, 202610 min read

Build vs buy AI automation: how to decide

Build vs buy AI automation is the call that sets your cost, speed, and control. A practical framework for when to buy off-the-shelf and when to build custom.

Jul 3, 202612 min read

Why automation fails in production

Why automation fails in production, and how to fix it: the deck-vs-desk gap, the common failure modes, and how to ship production-ready automation.

May 28, 202610 min read

Workflow mapping: the eight operational objects

Workflow mapping made simple: map any business process with eight operational objects, Signal to Resolve, and turn the map into an automation you can build.

May 14, 202611 min read

Automation ROI Model You Run Before You Build

Learn how to calculate automation ROI and prioritise automation projects by payback and effort, so you kill weak ideas before they cost you a thing.

Apr 30, 20269 min read

Human in the Loop AI Agents: A Trust Guide

Human in the loop AI agents earn trust through scoped autonomy and clean escalation. Learn where to draw the line so agents make operators more capable.

Apr 16, 20269 min read

Executive resources

Frameworks for the people deciding where to automate first.

Playbook (PDF)Gated

The Operations Automation Playbook

A field guide to mapping, scoring, and sequencing automation across an operation, the framework behind every Executive Study.

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Sample report (PDF)Gated

Executive Study, sample report

See exactly what a two-week Executive Study delivers: a mapped operation, an ROI model, and a prioritised plan.

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