How We Work
DST is a partner, not a vendor. We define success together, implement carefully, and stay involved to keep your digital workforce aligned as your business evolves.
What we optimize for
We're not here to add automation for its own sake. We're here to make work reliable, end to end.
Fewer dropped requests
Requests don't disappear into inboxes or get stuck waiting for someone to notice.
Faster follow-through
Clear ownership and next steps reduce waiting, reminders, and stalled work.
Early escalation
Problems surface before they become emergencies or client complaints.
Visibility you can trust
You always know what's in progress, what's stuck, and what's done.
Our process
This is how we go from "this feels broken" to a reliable system your team can trust. Most engagements start with one workflow. We prove value, then expand.
Discover
Understand how work moves today. Define what success looks like.
What we do:
- Map request types and workflows, including edge cases
- Identify where work gets stuck, duplicated, or dropped
- Define goals and success metrics together
What you get:
- Workflow map (current state + target)
- Clear success criteria
- Prioritized rollout plan
Design
Design a reliable system with clear ownership and control points.
What we do:
- Define routing rules and escalation paths
- Decide where you review vs. where assistants act
- Design visibility: statuses, queues, and alerts
What you get:
- Request-to-done workflow design
- Human-in-the-loop checkpoints
- Exception handling rules
Implement
Build, integrate, and roll out, starting small.
What we do:
- Build your workforce assistants
- Integrate with your existing tools
- Pilot with real work, then expand once it proves itself
What you get:
- Working pilot in production
- Training and handoff materials
- Fallback plan for edge cases
Maintain & Expand
Monitor, tune, and grow coverage over time.
What we do:
- Review outcomes and refine rules based on real usage
- Adjust workflows as your business changes
- Expand into additional workflows when you're ready
What you get:
- Ongoing reliability monitoring
- Iteration plan for continuous improvement
- A workforce that stays aligned with how work actually runs
You stay in control
Your digital workforce is designed to support your team, not replace your judgment. Decisions, approvals, and customer relationships stay with your people.
Approval where it matters
Drafts get reviewed before sending. Suggested actions require confirmation. You decide what gets automated and what stays manual.
Safe escalation
Clear rules for stuck work, approaching deadlines, and urgent requests. The right person gets notified before problems grow.
Transparency throughout
You see what happened, when, and why. No black boxes. Full audit trail.
Exceptions handled intentionally
Edge cases don't get ignored. They get flagged, reviewed, and handled deliberately.
A living workforce
Most automation projects fail because they're built once and left alone. Your business changes (new staff, new services, new edge cases) and static systems quietly stop working.
DST stays involved. We monitor outcomes, tune behavior, and expand coverage so your digital workforce stays reliable as your business evolves. This isn't a one-time project. It's an ongoing partnership.
Frequently asked questions
Do we need new tools?
Not necessarily. We work with your existing systems whenever possible. If something is creating friction or holding reliability back, we'll recommend a change, but only when it genuinely improves outcomes.
What happens when the assistant gets something wrong?
We design for this. Human review points catch errors before they reach customers. Escalation rules surface stuck or unusual work. And we tune the system based on real feedback so it improves over time.
How much time does this require from our team?
Early on: enough to map the workflow, define success, and validate a pilot. After that: light-touch reviews and feedback to keep things aligned. We do the heavy lifting.
Can we start small?
Yes, and we prefer it. One workflow, prove value, then expand. This reduces risk and builds confidence before we grow coverage.
Where does human review apply?
Anywhere decisions, customer communication, money, or compliance are involved. We design this with you and adjust as confidence in the system grows.
How long until we see results?
Most pilots are live within a few weeks. You'll see measurable improvement in the pilot workflow quickly, then we expand from there.
Ready for a practical first step?
Tell us what's most broken today. We'll suggest a starting point that delivers value quickly and sets you up to expand over time.
Talk to DST