Workflow Atlas
14 industries · 61 boards · 757 mapped steps · 154 branches
The field guide: how work actually moves through each practice, step by step, with every step coded by what an agent program could responsibly do with it. Walk into any of these businesses with the map already drawn — then let them correct it. The corrections are the diagnostic.
How to read a board
Each card carries one primary color (its biggest opportunity) and up to three dots (every category that applies). Dashed cards with a ◇? mark are decision points — the forks a practitioner actually faces; branch rows underneath carry the exception and outcome paths.
The pattern to notice: the automation never lands on the judgment step — it lands on the steps around it, so the judgment step finally gets clean inputs and enough time. Engagement shape on each board is the scoping scaffold: edit the steps for the firm in front of you, and the scope writes itself.
Law
8 boards
How each practice actually moves a matter, intake to close — and which steps around the judgment can be run, drafted, verified, or watched.
Employment law — plaintiff & defense
First build: Limitations & charge calendarFrom intake through the agency charge to settlement or suit; deadlines rule everything and the negotiation stays with counsel.
Where the leverage is: Hours pool in charge-stage paper and discovery chase; risk pools in one missed limitations date computed wrong from the file.
Engagement shape: diagnostic → deadline-calendar build → monthly matter-ops run
Personal injury — plaintiff
MembersFrom sign-up through treatment, records, and liens to a demand package, then settlement or suit, ending at the closing statement.
11 steps and 3 branches, with where the leverage sits and the engagement shape it implies.
Business & corporate — transactional
MembersFrom formation through contracts, equity, and diligence to closing, then the post-closing filing calendar that never ends.
10 steps and 3 branches, with where the leverage sits and the engagement shape it implies.
Civil litigation — commercial
MembersFrom conflicts and pleadings through discovery, depositions, and motions to trial or judgment; the docket clock never stops.
10 steps and 3 branches, with where the leverage sits and the engagement shape it implies.
Tax — planning & controversy
MembersFrom position memos and the planning calendar through IRS notices, exams, and appeals to collections; every stage runs on a computed date.
10 steps and 3 branches, with where the leverage sits and the engagement shape it implies.
White collar & criminal defense
MembersFrom privilege setup and subpoena triage through holds, review, and interviews to the cooperate-or-contest call and everything that follows.
9 steps and 3 branches, with where the leverage sits and the engagement shape it implies.
Estate planning & probate
MembersFrom the intake inventory through plan design, drafting, and the signing ceremony to trust funding, probate, and the annual review loop.
9 steps and 3 branches, with where the leverage sits and the engagement shape it implies.
Immigration — business & family
MembersFrom category strategy through petition assembly and filing to the long watch of receipts, priority dates, and interviews.
10 steps and 3 branches, with where the leverage sits and the engagement shape it implies.
Real estate
7 boards
From the residential agent's pipeline to LIHTC compliance and the closing table — the paper chains that decide whether deals and portfolios run on time.
Residential agents & teams
First build: Contract-date deadline engineFrom a lead answering the phone to keys at the closing table and the next referral; the negotiation is the agent's, the calendar and the chasing are not.
Where the leverage is: Under contract is where hours and risk pile up: every missed contingency date is the agent's problem, and the chasing never stops.
Engagement shape: diagnostic → contract-date engine build → weekly under-contract run
Commercial brokerage & leasing
MembersFrom cold prospecting to a signed lease and the commission that follows; the broker sells the deal, the file work around it never sleeps.
11 steps and 2 branches, with where the leverage sits and the engagement shape it implies.
Property management — market rate
MembersFrom vacant unit to rent in the bank and a clean owner statement; the ledger and the calendar run the business.
9 steps and 2 branches, with where the leverage sits and the engagement shape it implies.
Development & entitlement
MembersFrom a parcel on a screen to shovels and draw requests; years of approvals, consultants, and lender paperwork stand in between.
10 steps and 2 branches, with where the leverage sits and the engagement shape it implies.
Affordable housing — LIHTC operations
MembersFrom application to a compliant, audit-ready tenant file, year after year; the paperwork is the product and errors put credits at risk.
9 steps and 3 branches, with where the leverage sits and the engagement shape it implies.
Title & closing
MembersFrom purchase contract to recorded deed and issued policy; a search, an exam, a mountain of chasing, and one signing table.
10 steps and 2 branches, with where the leverage sits and the engagement shape it implies.
Mortgage origination — broker & retail
MembersFrom a lead to a funded loan; the borrower signs a handful of times, the file gets chased every day in between.
9 steps and 2 branches, with where the leverage sits and the engagement shape it implies.
Finance & accounting
5 boards
The recomputable industry: nearly every step can be independently verified, which is why it anchors the whole practice.
Monthly close — any firm
First build: Bank & card reconciliationFrom the last day of the month to a signed-off owner statement; nearly every step is a computation that can be recomputed.
Where the leverage is: Reconciliations and categorization eat the hours; the judgment sits in accruals, exception thresholds, and the final CPA sign-off.
Engagement shape: diagnostic → reconciliation & categorization build → monthly close-calendar run
CPA firm — tax season
MembersFrom January organizers to filed returns and the notices that follow; the preparer's judgment stays, the chasing and assembly move.
9 steps and 2 branches, with where the leverage sits and the engagement shape it implies.
Audit support — client side
MembersFrom the auditor's PBC list to the management letter; the client team feeds the audit while still running the business.
9 steps and 2 branches, with where the leverage sits and the engagement shape it implies.
FP&A — fractional CFO
MembersFrom ledger close to board pack; the CFO's judgment rides on numbers someone has to assemble and reconcile every week.
9 steps and 2 branches, with where the leverage sits and the engagement shape it implies.
Commercial lending ops — community bank & CDFI
MembersFrom loan application to annual review; the credit decision belongs to committee, everything around it is document flow and arithmetic.
9 steps and 2 branches, with where the leverage sits and the engagement shape it implies.
Wealth management
4 boards
Advisory, plan administration, insurance, and family office — where the paperwork chase competes with the client relationship for hours.
Advisory practice — client lifecycle
First build: Drift monitoring & alertsFrom prospect call to annual review; the advice is human, while the paperwork, drift math, and meeting prep around it are not.
Where the leverage is: Hours sink into transfer paperwork, meeting prep, and reporting; plan judgment, suitability, and the client conversation stay with the advisor.
Engagement shape: diagnostic → onboarding-paperwork build → quarterly review-prep run
Retirement plan administration — TPA
MembersFrom January census to filed 5500; a TPA year is computation and deadlines with a signer at every gate.
10 steps and 2 branches, with where the leverage sits and the engagement shape it implies.
Insurance & annuity practice
MembersFrom needs analysis to inforce review; underwriting sets the pace and the requirements chase sets the cycle time.
9 steps and 3 branches, with where the leverage sits and the engagement shape it implies.
Family office operations
MembersFrom daily bookkeeping across entities to consolidated family reporting; the principals release payments, the office runs the machinery.
9 steps and 3 branches, with where the leverage sits and the engagement shape it implies.
Municipal government
8 boards
Permits, grants, recertifications, procurement, records, licensing, enforcement — the queues residents feel, mapped end to end.
Permitting — building & development
First build: Completeness prescreen at intakeFrom application drop-off to certificate of occupancy; the plan review is human, the intake, fees, routing, and clocks around it are not.
Where the leverage is: Incomplete applications and untracked corrections cycles eat reviewer weeks; the review itself is short once the file arrives complete and routed.
Engagement shape: diagnostic → intake & prescreen build → weekly permit-queue run
Grants — administering pass-through funds
MembersFrom NOFA posting to closeout; reviewers score and officials award, while intake, monitoring calendars, and reimbursement math run around them.
8 steps and 3 branches, with where the leverage sits and the engagement shape it implies.
Grants — city as applicant
MembersFrom spotting the opportunity to closing the award; leadership picks the targets and signs the submission, the assembly and calendars run around them.
8 steps and 3 branches, with where the leverage sits and the engagement shape it implies.
Housing — program recertifications
MembersThe annual and interim recert cycle for assisted households; the specialist approves the income math, the calendar and chase run around them.
8 steps and 3 branches, with where the leverage sits and the engagement shape it implies.
Procurement & purchasing
MembersFrom requisition to executed contract and matched PO; the committee scores and the council awards, the tabs, checks, and clocks run around them.
8 steps and 3 branches, with where the leverage sits and the engagement shape it implies.
Records & FOIA response
MembersFrom request receipt to production and the annual log; the release call belongs to the records officer, the clocks, searches, and drafts run around them.
8 steps and 3 branches, with where the leverage sits and the engagement shape it implies.
Business licensing
MembersFrom application to issued license and the renewal cycle; inspectors and the issuing official stay human, the routing and calendars do not.
9 steps and 3 branches, with where the leverage sits and the engagement shape it implies.
Code enforcement & inspections
MembersFrom complaint to compliance or lien; the officer inspects and the hearing officer rules, the case files, clocks, and paperwork run around them.
8 steps and 3 branches, with where the leverage sits and the engagement shape it implies.
Lobbying & government affairs
4 boards
Bill-to-client positioning and the disclosure machinery that keeps a firm registered, filed, and defensible.
Bill tracking & client positioning
First build: Bill & hearing watchFrom bill introduction to the session-end report: watch both chambers, score what matters to each client, and get the lobbyist to the right hearing prepared.
Where the leverage is: Reading every introduction and amendment against the client book; the costly miss is the hearing or markup nobody flagged in time.
Engagement shape: diagnostic → bill-watch & relevance-scoring build → weekly session-cycle run
LDA & state disclosure compliance
MembersFrom contact logs to a filed LD-2: every registrable contact captured, allocated to the right client, and reported on the quarterly clock.
9 steps and 3 branches, with where the leverage sits and the engagement shape it implies.
Coalition & campaign management
MembersRunning a coalition campaign end to end: who is in, what they sign, when it launches, and who pays dues.
9 steps and 3 branches, with where the leverage sits and the engagement shape it implies.
Grassroots & PAC compliance
MembersFrom contribution intake to a filed FEC report: every receipt screened, limit-checked, and reconciled before the treasurer signs.
10 steps and 2 branches, with where the leverage sits and the engagement shape it implies.
Consulting & professional services
3 boards
The engagement, the proposal machine, and delivery operations — where unbilled administration eats the margin.
Engagement lifecycle — lead to close-out
First build: Time & expense chaseFrom lead to closed engagement: conflicts cleared, letter signed, work delivered on deadline, and the invoice actually collected.
Where the leverage is: Partners sell and deliver; the hours leak in unbilled time, stalled invoices, and status decks nobody has time to write.
Engagement shape: diagnostic → intake & invoicing build → monthly engagement-ops run
Proposal & business development machine
MembersFrom an RFP hitting the wire to a compliant submission: qualify fast, assemble from the library, and never miss a requirement.
9 steps and 3 branches, with where the leverage sits and the engagement shape it implies.
Delivery ops & knowledge reuse
MembersKeeping every live engagement staffed, on plan, and quality-checked, with red flags surfacing before the client raises them.
8 steps and 3 branches, with where the leverage sits and the engagement shape it implies.
Restaurants & hospitality
4 boards
Margin defense in the paperwork: invoices, counts, events, multi-unit controls, and franchise obligations.
Restaurant procure-to-serve
First build: Invoice match at receivingFrom par sheets and supplier orders through receiving, counting, service, and the nightly report.
Where the leverage is: Hours concentrate at the back door and in the office: receiving, invoice checking, counts, and the nightly report, while the kitchen cooks.
Engagement shape: diagnostic → receiving & invoice-match build → weekly variance run
Catering & private events
MembersFrom inquiry to signed BEO to the event itself to the final invoice and the next booking.
9 steps and 2 branches, with where the leverage sits and the engagement shape it implies.
Multi-unit reporting & controls
MembersNightly numbers from every unit, one flash report each morning, and controls that catch drift before period end.
8 steps and 2 branches, with where the leverage sits and the engagement shape it implies.
Franchise compliance & reporting
MembersEverything the franchise agreement demands on schedule: royalties, reports, audits, marketing approvals, and renewal obligations.
8 steps and 2 branches, with where the leverage sits and the engagement shape it implies.
Healthcare-adjacent
3 boards
The revenue cycle, the practice spine, and home-care operations — clinical work stays human; the cycle around it is the opportunity.
Dental & medical — patient revenue cycle
First build: Eligibility before every visitFrom the moment an appointment is booked to the moment the claim is paid; the visit is human, the cycle around it is where the hours go.
Where the leverage is: Everything before and after the chair: denials stop being a shelf, eligibility surprises stop happening at checkout.
Engagement shape: diagnostic → eligibility & claim-assembly build → monthly denial-queue run
Private practice operations
MembersThe non-clinical spine of a practice: the schedule, the supplies, the credentials, the payroll, and the patients who drift away.
8 steps and 2 branches, with where the leverage sits and the engagement shape it implies.
Home care — scheduling & credentialing
MembersFrom referral and authorization through matching, shift fills, visit verification, and payer billing.
8 steps and 2 branches, with where the leverage sits and the engagement shape it implies.
Construction & trades
4 boards
Bid to closeout, the subcontractor payment chain, dispatch, and warranty — payment protection is the recurring theme.
General contractor — bid to closeout
First build: Pay-app recompute to SOVFrom bid invitation through estimate, buyout, the build itself, pay apps, punch, and retainage.
Where the leverage is: Margin leaks through paperwork lag: unlogged RFIs, stale lookaheads, and pay apps that never tie to the schedule of values.
Engagement shape: diagnostic → pay-app & submittal-log build → monthly project-ops run
Subcontractor payment chain
MembersFrom contract review and preliminary notices through monthly pay apps, waivers, compliance docs, and final retainage.
8 steps and 2 branches, with where the leverage sits and the engagement shape it implies.
Service trades dispatch
MembersFrom ringing phone to dispatched tech to same-day invoice, with memberships and callbacks around the edge.
8 steps and 2 branches, with where the leverage sits and the engagement shape it implies.
Warranty & punch operations
MembersFrom turnover package through claim intake, warrantability calls, sub callbacks, and the final release.
8 steps and 2 branches, with where the leverage sits and the engagement shape it implies.
Insurance agency
3 boards
Renewals, benefits, and claims advocacy — the calendar-driven book where remarketing windows and compliance dates decide the year.
P&C agency renewals & remarketing
First build: Renewal list & data chaseFrom the 120-day renewal list through remarketing, quoting, the client presentation, binding, and certificates.
Where the leverage is: Retention is won 90 days out; accounts that reach renewal week untouched are the ones that shop.
Engagement shape: diagnostic → renewal-desk & quote-compare build → monthly renewal-cycle run
Benefits brokerage renewal cycle
MembersFrom census to renewal analysis to the plan decision, open enrollment, and the year of events after.
8 steps and 2 branches, with where the leverage sits and the engagement shape it implies.
Claims advocacy — agency side
MembersFrom first notice of loss through carrier follow-up, disputes, and settlement, with the client informed throughout.
8 steps and 2 branches, with where the leverage sits and the engagement shape it implies.
Nonprofit
3 boards
Grants sought and reported, programs evidenced, donors kept — restricted money demands the same rigor as any regulator.
Grant lifecycle — seek to report
First build: Grant report calendarFrom funder prospecting to the final grant report: find fit, submit on time, honor every restriction, and cultivate the renewal.
Where the leverage is: Development staff hours sink into drafting and report deadlines; the real risk is a restriction honored late or a report missed.
Engagement shape: diagnostic → proposal-library & report-calendar build → monthly grants-cycle run
Program compliance & outcomes
MembersFrom enrollment to the funder report: eligible clients documented, outcomes counted twice, and variances explained by the people who own them.
8 steps and 3 branches, with where the leverage sits and the engagement shape it implies.
Donor operations
MembersFrom gift receipt to year-end statement: every gift acknowledged fast, records kept clean, and the big relationships handed to humans.
8 steps and 3 branches, with where the leverage sits and the engagement shape it implies.
Staffing & recruiting
2 boards
The desk and the credential file — speed wins placements; expirations and audits lose contracts.
Recruiting desk — req to placement
First build: Outreach & scheduling engineFrom a signed req to a confirmed start: source, screen, submit, and keep the placement from falling off.
Where the leverage is: Recruiter hours drain into scheduling and chasing paperwork; the fee is lost in slow submittals and fall-offs nobody saw coming.
Engagement shape: diagnostic → sourcing & scheduling build → weekly req-desk run
Credentialing & compliance desk
MembersFrom credential intake to audit-ready files: verify at the primary source, watch every expiration, and never place an ineligible worker.
9 steps and 3 branches, with where the leverage sits and the engagement shape it implies.
Manufacturing & logistics
3 boards
Order to cash, procurement, and freight — the floor and the road are human; the documents around them are the leak.
Manufacturing order-to-cash
First build: PO-to-quote terms diffFrom PO intake and credit check through scheduling, production, QC, shipment, invoice, and collection.
Where the leverage is: The floor makes the parts; margin is lost in terms nobody diffed, promise dates nobody tracked, and invoices nobody chased.
Engagement shape: diagnostic → order-entry & terms-diff build → weekly order-desk run
Procurement & inventory control
MembersFrom demand signal to PO, promise-date watch, receiving, three-way match, and the counts that keep the system honest.
8 steps and 2 branches, with where the leverage sits and the engagement shape it implies.
Freight & dispatch operations
MembersFrom load intake and the margin call through carrier vetting, dispatch, tracking, POD, and settlement.
8 steps and 2 branches, with where the leverage sits and the engagement shape it implies.