Human Approval

Technical explanation

A control requiring an authorised person to approve a proposed decision or action before a system executes it. Implementation requires defined triggers, inputs, rules, system permissions, exception paths, human escalation, audit logs and monitoring. Reliable automation is designed for retries, idempotency and recovery rather than only the happy path.

Business relevance

It can reduce manual work and cycle time while improving consistency, but it also concentrates operational risk if controls are weak.

Implementation example

A cross-functional team applies Human Approval in a production initiative, defines ownership and success criteria, tests representative scenarios, monitors outcomes and records corrective actions before scaling.

Limitations and common misconceptions

Automating a poorly designed process can scale errors. Exceptions, changing systems and unclear accountability require ongoing maintenance and human intervention.

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