# Point an agent at the order exceptions, not the routine work

> Instead of automating the 90% of orders that already run fine, one operator aimed an agent at the messy exceptions. The agent drafts a fix for each one and a person approves it with one click, which cut the daily exception queue from most of a day to about an hour.

- URL: https://paperchasewebb.ai/bots/marketplace/items/point-an-agent-at-the-order-exceptions-not-the-routine-work/
- Type: Agent use case pack
- Category: Solo business
- By: PaperChaseWebb
- Works with: Plain .md
- Price: Free USD
- Difficulty: Beginner
- Setup time: 15 min
- Time to result: One working session
- Format: Markdown (.md) file, point-an-agent-at-the-order-exceptions-not-the-routine-work.md
- Version: 1.0, updated 2026-10-26
- License: Personal and commercial use. Credit the original source when you share the workflow.

## What you end up with

Start where the human time actually goes.

## What you get

- A plain-language summary of the workflow
- A fill-in prompt template
- What to watch out for
- A link to the original source

## Who it is for

Builders who already use AI agents and want a proven workflow they can copy into their own project.

## Tools needed

- AI agent: reads each exception and drafts the fix
- Order system: source of exceptions and where approved fixes land
- Person: approves or rejects each drafted fix
- You need: An AI coding agent or chat model
- You need: A small real task to try it on

Cost to run: Free with the agent plan you already use.

## How it works

1. **Count a week of exceptions by type and how long each takes a person.** Count a week of exceptions by type and how long each takes a person Expected: Done before you move to the next step.
2. **Pick the most common type and write down what a correct fix looks like.** Pick the most common type and write down what a correct fix looks like Expected: Done before you move to the next step.
3. **Have the agent draft the fix with its reasoning, never apply it.** Have the agent draft the fix with its reasoning, never apply it Expected: Done before you move to the next step.
4. **Add one-click approve and reject, and log every rejection with a reaso.** Add one-click approve and reject, and log every rejection with a reason Expected: Done before you move to the next step.
5. **Keep any old workaround that verifies something until you know what it.** Keep any old workaround that verifies something until you know what it checks Expected: Done before you move to the next step.

## Sample prompt: Workflow template (AI agent, Order system)

```
Apply this workflow to [your project]:
1. Count a week of exceptions by type and how long each takes a person
2. Pick the most common type and write down what a correct fix looks like
3. Have the agent draft the fix with its reasoning, never apply it
4. Add one-click approve and reject, and log every rejection with a reason
5. Keep any old workaround that verifies something until you know what it checks
Stop and ask me before anything irreversible: deploys, payments, sends or deletes.
```

Adapted by PaperChaseWebb. Not the original author's prompt.

## Free preview of point-an-agent-at-the-order-exceptions-not-the-routine-work.md

````markdown
# Point an agent at the order exceptions, not the routine work

PaperChase agent use case (free feed entry), version 1.0. Source: [u/Puzzled-Effort-9319 on r/AI_Agents](https://www.reddit.com/r/AI_Agents/comments/1xfz5la/most_businesses_dont_need_a_more_autonomous_ai/), 2026-10-26.

## What they did

The author argues most businesses do not need a more autonomous agent. Their routine orders were already handled by existing rules, while exceptions (address problems, stock mismatches, payment holds) ate a person's day. They had the agent prepare a proposed fix for each exception with the reasoning attached, and a person clicks approve or reject. They also kept the old manual workarounds that act as checks, rather than removing them as clutter.

## Worth knowing

Start where the human time actually goes. Exceptions are a good fit because each one is small, the fix is reviewable, and a wrong draft costs one click to reject. Before deleting an old workaround, ask whether it was quietly checking something. Time savings are the author's estimate.
````

## Worth knowing

- Start where the human time actually goes. Exceptions are a good fit because each one is small, the fix is reviewable, and a wrong draft costs one click to reject. Before deleting an old workaround, ask whether it was quietly checking something. Time savings are the author's estimate.
- Figures are as reported by the original author and were not re-measured by us.

## Questions

**Where does this come from?** A public post credited to u/Puzzled-Effort-9319 on r/AI_Agents. Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/AI_Agents/comments/1xfz5la/most_businesses_dont_need_a_more_autonomous_ai/

**Is it free?** Yes. Feed entries are free to read and download.

## How to get it

Free sample. Download it directly at https://paperchasewebb.ai/bots/marketplace/items/point-an-agent-at-the-order-exceptions-not-the-routine-work/, no signup.

Seller: PaperChaseWebb Inc., mgmt@paperchasewebb.com