Stratum

ORCHESTRATION

Automation Architecture

Scoped after Discovery Call • 6-12 weeks

This service defines how work flows across systems, teams, and time.

The focus is on reliability, visibility, and control — not scripts.

L2 — Orchestration

The difference between automation and orchestration is the difference between hope and control.

PurposeBuild reliable workflows that govern how work flows across systems
EngagementDesign · 6-12 weeks
Ideal forTeams with complex multi-step processes
Not forSimple one-step automations
RequiresStable data & system ownership
Next stepStart with an Audit

Most "automation" is just triggering actions and hoping they work. Orchestration is different—it's designing systems that know what state they're in, what should happen next, and what to do when things go wrong.

Automation Architecture & Orchestration builds the nervous system of your operations: event-driven workflows that govern how work flows across tools, teams, and time.

This isn't about connecting Zapier to Slack. It's about creating reliable, observable, controllable systems that behave predictably even at scale.

Why This Matters

  • -Simple automations break silently and expensively
  • -Without state awareness, you can't know where work is stuck
  • -Complex processes need branching logic, not linear triggers
  • -Human oversight requires designed intervention points, not afterthoughts

Common Symptoms

Signs you might need this service

Automations "run" but you don't know if they succeeded
Edge cases break your workflows regularly
You can't tell where a process is stuck without manual investigation
Errors propagate through systems before anyone notices
Adding new steps to workflows feels risky
Your automation logic lives in dozens of disconnected tools

What we do

  • Trigger-based workflow design
  • Cross-system orchestration
  • Conditional logic and state management
  • Error handling, retries, and escalation paths
  • Human-in-the-loop controls

What you get

  • Predictable automation behavior
  • Clear handoffs between systems
  • Governed workflows
  • Fewer edge-case failures

How It Works

1

State Machine Design

We model each process as explicit states with defined transitions, conditions, and outcomes.

2

Event Architecture

We define what events trigger what actions, with clear contracts between systems.

3

Workflow Implementation

We build orchestration flows with proper error handling, retries, and fallback logic.

4

Human-in-the-Loop Gates

We design intervention points where humans review, approve, or override automated decisions.

5

Observability Layer

We add monitoring, logging, and alerting so you can see workflow health in real-time.

6

Testing & Validation

We simulate edge cases, failure modes, and scale scenarios before production deployment.

The Transformation

Before

  • -Automations are "fire and forget"
  • -No visibility into process status
  • -Edge cases break workflows
  • -Errors discovered days later
  • -Adding steps feels risky

After

  • +Orchestrated flows with state awareness
  • +Real-time visibility dashboards
  • +Designed error handling and fallbacks
  • +Immediate alerting on issues
  • +Confident iteration on workflows

In Practice

Case Example

Real-World Application

Scenario

Legal Services Intake

The Problem

A law firm's intake process had 14 manual steps, 3 different tools, and no visibility into where cases got stuck. Average intake-to-assignment was 3 days; 12% of leads were lost to dropped handoffs.

The Solution

We designed a state machine with explicit stages: New → Qualified → Conflict-Checked → Assigned. Each transition has conditions, the whole flow has visibility, and stuck cases automatically escalate.

The Outcome

Intake-to-assignment dropped to 4 hours. Lost leads dropped to under 1%. Partners can see pipeline status without asking.

Typical Results

100%

Process Visibility

Real-time status tracking

<5 min

Error Detection Time

Down from hours or days

99.5%+

Workflow Reliability

Successful completions

Is This Right For You?

Ideal For

  • +Companies with complex, multi-step processes
  • +Teams with critical workflows that can't fail silently
  • +Organizations ready for "real" automation after fixing foundations
  • +Businesses needing human oversight in automated flows

Not Ideal For

  • -Simple one-step automations
  • -Companies without stable foundations (L1 first)
  • -Teams wanting automation without process design

Engagement Type

Design

Ready to get started?

Start with clarity. No commitment required.