Exception Handling
Managing situations where automated processes encounter unexpected conditions or errors that prevent normal completion.
In-Depth Explanation
Exception handling in automation refers to managing situations where processes cannot complete normally due to unexpected conditions, errors, or data that falls outside defined parameters. Effective exception handling is crucial for production automation.
Types of exceptions:
- Business exceptions: Valid data that doesn't fit rules (e.g., customer not found)
- System exceptions: Technical failures (e.g., application crashed, timeout)
- Data exceptions: Invalid or unexpected data formats
- Application exceptions: Target system errors or changes
Exception handling strategies:
- Retry: Attempt the operation again (with backoff)
- Skip: Move to next item, log the failure
- Queue: Route to exception queue for human review
- Escalate: Alert appropriate personnel
- Fallback: Use alternative process or system
- Compensate: Undo partial work if needed
Best practices:
- Categorise exceptions by type and handling approach
- Log comprehensive details for diagnosis
- Set up monitoring and alerting
- Track exception patterns for process improvement
- Design clear human intervention workflows
Business Context
Poor exception handling is the top cause of automation failures. Robust handling ensures business continuity and maintains confidence in automated systems.
How Clever Ops Uses This
We design comprehensive exception handling for Australian business automations, ensuring robust operation and clear paths for human intervention when needed.
Example Use Case
"An invoice automation that retries on timeouts, queues unmatched invoices for human review, and alerts finance when exception volumes spike."