Block anatomy
Most workflows break in the same ten places.
A document workflow fails where it always fails: re-keying, missed deadlines, manual checks, copy-paste drafts. We named the ten failure points and the blocks that fix them. Find yours below.
- Pipeline
- 7 blocks
- Continuous
- 1 block
- Cross-cutting
- 2 blocks
The ten blocks
Find the one that sounds like your Tuesday.
Each card leads with the moment the manual version stops paying for itself. Open one to see what it consumes and what it produces.
- 01 · pipeline
Ingest
Work starts outside your system of record.
Pulls files in from where they actually arrive.
- Inputs
- PDFs, scans, forms, emails, spreadsheets, portal exports.
- Outputs
- Structured file intake with source references.
Block 01 3 in · 1 out - 02 · pipeline
Extract
You re-type data from documents more than twice a week.
Turns unstructured input into structured records.
- Inputs
- Ingested files.
- Outputs
- Names, IDs, dates, clauses, amounts, metadata.
Block 02 1 in · 3 out - 03 · pipeline
Verify
Data comes from multiple sources, or errors carry cost.
Cross-checks data against sources and flags issues.
- Inputs
- Extracted records, source files, rulesets.
- Outputs
- Verified records, exception list with reasons.
Block 03 3 in · 2 out - 04 · pipeline
Calculate
The same calculation is repeated across many matters.
Applies rules and compliance logic to produce numbers.
- Inputs
- Verified records, rulesets.
- Outputs
- Fees, tax, duty, timelines, risk scores.
Block 04 2 in · 3 out - 05 · pipeline
Generate
A human is assembling outputs from copy-paste.
Produces the working output you hand off.
- Inputs
- Calculated records, templates.
- Outputs
- Reports, filing packs, drafts, summaries, updates.
Block 05 2 in · 3 out - 06 · pipeline
Review
Final signoff must stay with a qualified human.
Gives a person controlled approval over machine output.
- Inputs
- Generated outputs.
- Outputs
- Approved outputs, corrections, escalations.
Block 06 1 in · 3 out - 07 · pipeline
Route
Work sits in inboxes or gets forgotten.
Moves work to the right person, queue, or next step.
- Inputs
- Approved or flagged items.
- Outputs
- Task assignments, state transitions.
Block 07 2 in · 2 out - 08 · continuous
Track
Deadlines exist and missing one has consequences.
Watches deadlines and time-sensitive events.
- Inputs
- Extracted dates, filing windows, SLA rules.
- Outputs
- Reminders, countdowns, escalation triggers.
Block 08 3 in · 2 out - 09 · cross cutting
Audit
You operate in a regulated or high-accountability context.
Records what happened, when, and on whose authority.
- Inputs
- Every action from the other blocks.
- Outputs
- Evidence pack, version history, action log.
Block 09 3 in · 2 out - 10 · cross cutting
Learn
You want the system to improve without re-engineering it.
Captures reviewer corrections and feeds them back into the rules.
- Inputs
- Review decisions, error patterns.
- Outputs
- Ruleset updates, extraction refinements.
Block 10 2 in · 2 out
The system
How the ten fit together.
Documents come in on the left, flow through seven blocks, and leave as outputs on the right. Three things run alongside: Learn closes the loop with feedback, Track keeps an eye on deadlines, Audit records every step.
The system, in detail
The full anatomy.
Seven blocks form the pipeline. Track runs in parallel because deadlines do not wait. Audit and Learn sit underneath everything: one records what happened, one feeds the lessons back upstream.
Where to start
Pick the bottleneck. We will pick the blocks.
A workflow mapping session takes one hour and ends with a stack: the smallest set of blocks that fixes the part of the process that hurts the most.