Ottili Flows Explained: Workflow Automation That Works for Your Business

Every business has recurring tasks that follow the same pattern: a customer places an order, someone needs to fulfill it; a lead comes in, someone needs to follow up; an invoice is sent, someone needs to track payment. These workflows are the backbone of daily operations, yet they often rely on manual effort, memory and scattered tools.

Ottili Flows is the workflow automation system that turns these patterns into reliable, repeatable processes. It connects triggers to actions, adds AI assistance where helpful, and builds in approval gates for critical decisions — all through a visual interface that does not require programming.

What is a Flow?

A Flow is a sequence of steps that runs automatically when a specific event occurs. Think of it as a recipe for your business operations: when this happens, do these things in this order.

Every Flow has three core components:

Triggers: When it starts

A trigger is the event that launches the Flow. This could be:

The trigger is the starting signal — once it fires, the Flow begins executing its steps.

Steps: What happens

Steps are the actions the Flow performs. Ottili Flows supports several types:

**AI steps**: Let AI draft content, analyze data, categorize information or propose next actions. The AI works within your business context and permissions, but important outputs still require human review.

**System steps**: Update records in Ottili HQ, send notifications, create tasks or modify data across your integrated tools.

**Condition steps**: Branch the Flow based on rules — if the order value is over €500, route to manager approval; if the customer is VIP, send priority notification.

**Approval gates**: Pause the Flow and wait for human sign-off before proceeding. This is where critical decisions stay in your hands.

Monitoring: How you see it

Every Flow has a monitoring dashboard that shows:

You can inspect individual runs, see what data passed through each step, and understand exactly what happened when something goes wrong.

How AI-built processes work

One of the most powerful features of Ottili Flows is the ability to use AI as a process builder. Instead of manually configuring every step, you can describe what you want in plain language and let AI propose the Flow structure.

For example, you might say: "When a new customer places their first order, send them a welcome email, add them to the onboarding task list, and notify the sales team."

The AI will analyze your request, access your available integrations and Ottili HQ data, and propose a Flow with:

You review the proposal, adjust anything that does not fit your needs, and activate the Flow. The AI does the structural work — you provide the business judgment.

Why approval gates matter

Many automation systems promise full autonomy: set it and forget it. Ottili Flows takes a different approach: controlled autonomy.

Approval gates are checkpoints where the Flow pauses and waits for human sign-off before continuing. They are essential for:

**Financial decisions**: Processing refunds above a certain amount, approving discounts, or modifying payment terms.

**Customer communications**: Sending marketing emails, responding to sensitive inquiries, or publishing content.

**Data changes**: Bulk updates to customer records, inventory adjustments, or configuration changes.

**External actions**: Posting to social media, submitting data to third-party services, or triggering irreversible operations.

The approval queue gives you visibility into all pending decisions, context about what the Flow is trying to do, and the ability to approve, modify or reject each action. You stay in control while the system handles the repetitive work.

Real-world examples

Order fulfillment Flow

Trigger: New order arrives from Shopify

Steps:

1. Check inventory levels

2. If stock is available, create fulfillment task

3. If stock is low, route to procurement approval

4. AI drafts shipping confirmation email

5. Wait for approval before sending

6. Update order status in Ottili HQ

7. Notify customer via preferred channel

Lead nurturing Flow

Trigger: New lead submitted via website form

Steps:

1. AI categorizes lead by industry and intent

2. Check if lead already exists in Ottili HQ

3. If new lead, create customer record

4. Assign follow-up task to appropriate salesperson

5. Schedule automated check-in if no response in 3 days

6. Update pipeline stage based on engagement

Content publishing Flow

Trigger: Content marked as ready for review

Steps:

1. AI performs SEO and quality check

2. Route to content team for review

3. Wait for approval or revision request

4. If approved, schedule publication

5. Publish to website and notify distribution channels

6. Track performance metrics and report back

Getting started with Flows

Ottili Flows is designed to be accessible without technical expertise. The visual interface lets you:

You do not need to write code. You do not need to understand APIs. You need to understand your business processes and what you want to automate.

The difference from other automation tools

Many workflow automation tools require technical skills or force you into rigid templates. Ottili Flows is different because:

**It is connected to your business context**: Flows has access to Ottili HQ data, your integrated tools and your permission structure. It does not work in isolation.

**AI assistance is built in**: You do not need to manually configure every detail. AI can propose structures, draft content and suggest improvements.

**Approvals are first-class**: Critical decisions never happen without your review. The system is designed for controlled autonomy, not blind automation.

**It grows with you**: Start with simple Flows for obvious repetitive tasks. As your team becomes comfortable, add more complex processes and AI-assisted steps.

The bottom line

Ottili Flows exists to remove repetitive friction from your daily operations without removing your control. It automates the predictable, assists with the complex, and always asks for permission before making decisions that matter.

The goal is not to replace your team. The goal is to free your team from repetitive work so they can focus on what actually matters: serving customers, growing the business and making strategic decisions.

Workflow automation should work for your business — not the other way around.