Automation Handoff Dossier (Handoff)

Automation Handoff Dossier (Handoff)

1. 01

   Freeze the workflow inventory at a named version before writing any handoff document

   Export the live journey list with status flags (active, paused, draft) and record the platform build number or export date. A handoff that describes a moving target is unusable within a week.

2. 02

   Map every integration to its credential owner and renewal date

   List each connected system (CRM, SMS gateway, ad platform, payment processor) with the account holder, API scope granted, and next billing date. Klaviyo and Brevo deployments commonly break at handoff because the client owns the billing account but the agency holds the API key.

3. 03

   Document the exception paths, not just the happy path

   For each journey, record what happens on a failed send, a bounced address, a duplicate contact, or a webhook timeout. Exception handling is where most inherited automations fail in the first 30 days.

4. 04

   Publish the operating baseline as a dated snapshot

   Capture open rate, click rate, conversion rate, list size, and monthly send volume for the trailing 30 days. Without a baseline, the receiving team cannot tell whether the automation is working or quietly degrading.

5. 05

   Assign named owners for each journey and each integration

   One person per workflow, one person per connection. Shared ownership across a client team and an agency retainer is the most common cause of silent automation decay.

6. 06

   Run a live walkthrough with the receiving operator and log every question asked

   Questions raised in the walkthrough become the first entries in the runbook. A handoff that ends with no questions usually means the receiving team has not engaged with the system yet.

7. 07

   Set a 30-day post-handoff review date with a defined escalation contact

   Book the review before the handoff meeting ends. The escalation contact should be someone who can authorize a fix, not just report a problem.