01 What Can Be Automated
- 01
Moving Data
Copying records between spreadsheets, files, and apps; cleaning, renaming, and organizing files.
- 02
Approvals and Checks
Routing work for sign-off, and checking entries against your rules before they move on.
- 03
Reports
Weekly or monthly summaries assembled from data you already have.
02 For Individuals, Too
Automation isn’t only for teams. A creator or freelancer can hand off the exports, file organizing, invoice preparation, or publishing steps they repeat every week.
03 Replace a Spreadsheet With a Custom App
When a spreadsheet has quietly become the system, with tabs nobody dares to touch, a small custom app can hold the same rules with validation and history, so mistakes are caught before they spread.
04 How It’s Built
Python for scripts and integrations, and a custom app when people need an interface. Explainer Studio shows the pattern: its editing commands run from the app, a command line, or a local MCP server. Scripted changes can edit the open project with the same undo history.
MarketHaven adds a reviewed publish queue, receipts, and consent-only email. Its provider adapters use your own accounts and permissions, with verification before live operation. Controlled service fixtures document the implemented workflow.
First Workflow Design for the Exceptions
A routine step is only part of a dependable workflow. Define what happens when a file is missing, a record is duplicated, a service is unavailable, or a person needs to approve the result.
- Inputs and Rules
- Choose a stable input source and document the transformations, checks, and destination. Confirm that the existing tools permit the connection.
- Human Review
- Agree on which actions can run automatically, which require review, and how exceptions become visible. Repeated runs should not silently duplicate work.
- Value Check
- Compare a representative run with the manual process, including checking, exception handling, and upkeep. Count the whole task, not only the automated step.
See how the first phase is evaluated. External service access and ongoing costs depend on the systems in your brief.
05 What You Receive
The tool or script, instructions for running it, and a written record of the rules it follows.
Bugs in what was delivered are fixed free for 30 days after handoff. Ongoing support and new features are quoted separately.
06 Send to Begin
- The steps as they happen today, and who does each one
- The rules or decisions those steps follow
- The tools and files involved
- How often it runs