Build · Operating decision guide
Model replacement and practical client ownership
Otomat editorial · Revised
Specify client-owned assets, supplier dependencies and a witnessed replacement test before treating a workflow as portable.
Own the workflow contract
Separate business rules, data access, tool authorization, retrieval and evaluation from the provider adapter. A model proposes an output; the application validates the response and controls actions. Provider-specific output formats, embeddings and tool APIs still create migration work.
In the contract, list rights to source code, configuration, prompts, evaluation cases, documentation and data exports. Identify third-party licenses, hosted services, secrets and accounts separately. Agree what is delivered at exit, in which format, and whether the client can operate it without the supplier. This is a commercial checklist, not legal advice.
Run the replacement drill
Select a qualified alternative under approved data terms. Freeze a representative independent task set and compare accepted quality, review burden, latency, cost and denied actions. Record adapter changes, retrieval/index rebuilds, dependencies and engineering time. Model parity is not guaranteed.
- Force a primary-provider outage: verify an approved fallback or safe stop.
- Export and restore data and configuration into a client-controlled environment.
- Have the client primary and backup perform the documented change.
- Retain the known working version and rehearse rollback before promotion.
Sample acceptance boundary
Proposed contract wording to adapt with counsel: “Client receives the agreed source, configuration, evaluation assets and export formats. The replacement demonstration covers the listed workflow version and cases; differences, third-party terms and estimated migration effort are recorded. Production substitution requires client approval.” Do not promise zero switching cost.
Keep the conclusion scoped
Two providers can share infrastructure or failure modes. A fallback may broaden data exposure and add cost. Approve destinations and retention before adding another provider; measure the actual drill rather than declaring independence from an architecture diagram.
Use the working tools
Blank templates are ungated. Adapt them to the workflow; inputs are not submitted.
Sources and limits
These are Otomat’s proposed operating methods and original decision artifacts. External references inform risk management; they do not certify this method or establish client results. Linked sources were selected for this review; their live revision dates may change.
For anonymous documentation and proposal patterns, see delivery evidence and its boundaries.
Related decisions
Bring a workflow to the discussion
Share the business goal and constraints through the mandate process. Do not send sensitive production data in the initial brief.
Scope an Operating Mandate