Public information
“What do I need to submit?”
Use approved guidance to explain a familiar process and show the relevant source.
Boundary: Refer unclear, conflicting or exceptional requirements to staff.
See the whole exchangeOne question. A source.
One question. A source.
A clear next step.
Start with a familiar question. See the information behind the answer and the context a staff member needs when the request goes further.
The visitor asks
What should I include with my appeal?
An example service question, with no personal records or account details.
The supporting source
Keep the guidance in view.
Sample appeal submission guide
How retrieval supports an answer
“An online appeal includes the case reference and the reason for review. The decision notice specifies the applicable filing deadline.”
Illustrative policy, not guidance from a real agency.
The next step
Know when a person is needed.
If the visitor needs help applying the guidance to their own notices, prepare the conversation and unresolved question for staff review.
- Carry forward
- The question and source reference
- Staff review
- Which decision or notice needs attention
A concept example, not a live conversation, system lookup or completed transfer.
Where it could fitDifferent requests need
Different requests need
different boundaries.
Choose the work you want to support, then define what the assistant may explain, retrieve or hand to a person.
An individual record
“Has my document arrived?”
Evaluate a status workflow around the identity checks and authorized record access your organization requires.
Boundary: A record lookup needs a configured, tested connection; general guidance is not confirmation of receipt.
A decision or exception
“Can someone review my situation?”
Collect the permitted context and identify the staff team responsible for the next step.
Boundary: Authorized people remain responsible for consequential decisions.
Fit with your environmentConnect the conversation
Connect the conversation
to the work behind it.
Plan the connections between your approved knowledge, access checks and the team or system receiving the request. Confirm each integration for the proposed scope.
Explore deployment optionsWhere the request starts
Selected service channels
Confirm the channel, licensing and operating requirements.
What supports the answer
Approved knowledge
Guidance with an owner, an applicable version and a review process.
What a specific request may need
Identity and authorized records
Configured checks and permitted access to the relevant system.
Who receives the next step
Your staff workflow
The context and receiving-team confirmation to test before use.
Control and oversightKeep your team
Keep your team
responsible for the decision.
Make the operating rules visible in the evaluation, including who approves information and what happens when the next step cannot be completed.
Own the knowledge.
Name the people who approve sources, resolve conflicts and update guidance when a policy changes.
Define the access.
Agree what may be public, what requires verification and which requests must stay with authorized staff.
Review the next step.
Test the source record, handoff context and failure response. Agree retention, access and review responsibilities.
Evaluate a useful scopeStart with one workflow
Start with one workflow
you can test.
Bring representative questions and approved, non-confidential guidance. Decide what a successful answer or handoff must show before expanding the scope.
- Agree the permitted requests and the stop conditions.
- Identify the sources, access checks and connections required.
- Test missing information, unavailable systems and requests for a person.
- Review what staff receive and how failed handoffs are handled.
Before you bookQuestions about
Questions about
the next step.
Does Virtual Assistant replace our staff?
The proposed workflows support familiar questions and prepare context for staff. Your team defines the boundaries, reviews exceptions and remains responsible for consequential decisions.
Can it work from our approved information?
Approved knowledge is part of the intended workflow. The evaluation should establish which sources apply, who owns them, how they are updated and how source references appear with an answer.
Read about grounding and source referencesWhat happens when the answer or handoff is uncertain?
Define and test that behavior as part of the scope. Review when the workflow should stop, what context it should retain and what the visitor sees if the receiving system or staff connection is unavailable.
What should we bring to a walkthrough?
Bring one recurring question, representative approved guidance and the staff workflow you want to examine. Keep personal information and case files out of the marketing contact form; agree a secure channel before sharing sensitive records.
