Workflow automation
Workflow automation is software that runs a fixed sequence of tasks when a trigger occurs, following rules defined in advance rather than deciding what to do at run time.
What a workflow tool actually does
A workflow is a graph the builder draws in advance: when this happens, do that, and if this condition is true, branch here. Nothing about the path is decided by the software. Everything the workflow can do is enumerated before it ever runs.
Why that constraint is often an advantage
Predictability is the feature. A fixed workflow can be tested end to end, reviewed by someone who did not build it, and reasoned about when it fails. For processes with clear rules — routing, notification, record creation, scheduled follow-up — that determinism is usually what you want.
Where it stops being enough
Workflows struggle when the number of legitimate paths grows faster than anyone can draw them, or when the input is unstructured language rather than structured fields. That is the boundary where interpretation is needed, and where a model-based component may be added to the workflow rather than replacing it.