The Workflow Is Not the Work: Why Automating the Diagram Can Preserve the Problem

Organizations often ask IT to automate a workflow because the process has already been documented, approved, or drawn in a familiar diagram. That apparent clarity can be misleading. A workflow describes the sequence people follow; it does not necessarily explain the customer outcome, decision logic, hidden manual effort, or constraint the sequence was meant to address. This episode examines how business teams mistake visible activity for meaningful work, and how IT can accidentally turn an inefficient process into a faster, more rigid system. Mirko Peters looks at the assumptions on both sides: business wants consistency and speed, while IT needs precise rules, ownership, data, and exceptions. Through a generalized consulting example, the episode shows how to test a process before automating it. Listeners will learn practical questions for separating purpose from procedure, identifying unnecessary steps, and deciding when simplification should come before implementation.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/business-it-it-business--6867401/support.To continue the conversation, follow Mirko Peters on LinkedIn, where more insights and real-world examples are shared from both business and IT perspectives.