I know that one of the important advantages of workflow automation is that it improves accuracy by removing human errors. But I always have this fear that something may go wrong with automation and I wouldn’t notice it. I know the chances are low, but it’s just hard to deal with the idea that important processes are managed without your involvement. Did you have the same feeling when you just started working as an automation expert? What are the biggest stress factors for you while working with automation?
A constant fear I have when configuring automations for clients is that I won’t configure it correctly and as a result the automation would do more harm than good.
Automations when used correctly are very beneficial, but just as easily misused with negative consequences.
Testing the defined test cases is an step I emphasize to clients.
Perhaps the worst automation you can configure is an infinite loop where 1 automation’s action is another automation’s trigger which then retriggers the original automation.
Regularly monitoring automations is vital.
Being aware of ongoing incidents and issues is something that should be monitored.
For example, many apps have a Status page, like Zapier status.zapier.com
Also, knowing which automations are ON or OFF at a given time is a must.
There are multiple points of failure when configuring automations.
- Humans may intervene and have a negative impact
- Apps being used in the automation may have issues
- The app integration platforms may have issues
- The underlying internet technology may have issues that the apps rely on (e.g. Amazon AWS goes down)
Automations can be tricky because they are often the silent helpers working behind the scenes unnoticed, but deserve your full attention.
Thanks Troy, it’s very interesting to read your opinion on this question 
Great words and I think a lot of people underestimate this.
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