1040 intake to ready for preparation

Azure POC
Synthetic demonstrationWorkflow names, offices, people, metrics, and evidence are fictional.
Workflow overview

Step 5 of 6

Prioritize improvement opportunities

Choose the narrowest effective intervention, preserve traceability, and make human approval boundaries explicit.

Opportunities6
Recommended4
Agent candidates1
Human judgment1

Intervention rule

Use the narrowest effective intervention

Fixed rules stay deterministic, predictable routing stays workflow automation, bounded generation stays prompt assistance, and professional decisions stay with people.

Prioritization set

Filter opportunities

6 shown

Traceable intervention register

Opportunities

OpportunityInterventionBenefit and boundaryTraceabilityOwnership
Standardize request initiation and deliveryOP-0001Request delivery is currently evidenced only for Office A and lacks a validated common start activity.StandardizeA shared start event, owner, and request pattern should be agreed before adding automation.Expected benefitMore consistent intake starts and clearer ownership across pilot offices.Human boundaryThe tax process owner approves the standard and permitted local variants.
Map steps
Observations
CandidateTax transformation lead
Consolidate approved receipt channels into one intake queueOP-0002Portal receipt and manual client-file association are separate activities with local exceptions still under review.Workflow automationRouting approved sources into one queue is predictable workflow orchestration and does not require agent judgment.Expected benefitLess manual routing and one visible inventory of newly received documents.Human boundaryThe system owner approves source channels, routing rules, and exception handling.
Observations
RecommendedTax systems owner
Apply deterministic document identity and release rulesOP-0003Manual association and readiness decisions do not expose consistent identity, version, or release checks.Deterministic codeFile hashes, supported formats, required approvals, and workflow-state rules should be deterministic.Expected benefitRepeatable checks, fewer duplicate records, and an auditable release gate.Human boundaryAmbiguous identity, tax year, document type, or exception evidence is escalated.RecommendedTax technology lead
Maintain a draft readiness assessment as evidence changesOP-0004Readiness and missing-item state must be revisited as documents and reviewer decisions arrive.AI agentThe work is asynchronous and stateful, requires tool selection, and must revisit earlier conclusions.Expected benefitA continuously refreshed, source-cited draft assessment for practitioner review.Human boundaryDraft only; no client communication, status change, exception, or release authority.
Observations
CandidateTax innovation lead
Draft one consolidated missing-item messageOP-0005Missing-item follow-up is tracked outside the workflow and can require repeated manual drafting.Prompt assistanceThis is bounded generation from an approved open-item list and does not require autonomous follow-through.Expected benefitFaster, more consistent follow-up drafts with fewer duplicate requests.Human boundaryA practitioner approves the exact message before any client communication.
Map steps
Observations
RecommendedTax operations lead
Authorize release with an open-item exceptionOP-0006The intended control requires manager authorization, but operating evidence has not yet been collected.Human judgmentException authorization is a professional, risk-bearing decision and cannot be delegated to automation.Expected benefitAn explicit, accountable decision with preserved supporting evidence.Human boundaryOnly the designated engagement manager may approve the exception.
Map steps
Observations
RecommendedTax process owner

Target design

Compare pragmatic and blank-sheet future states

Review assumptions, controls, tradeoffs, and human approval boundaries before selecting a design.

Compare designs