The queue is due today
A retailer’s manager must decide whether to pay today’s refund queue automatically. A model labels requests “eligible,” and customers want quick answers. The retailer pays those refunds. In this hypothetical example, assume 60 requests, six staff hours and a store policy allowing returns within 30 days of delivery.
One missing date changes the answer
An order records delivered_on as 4 March and updated_on as 2 April. The customer requests a refund on 8 April. The model’s input omits delivered_on, so it treats the update as delivery: six elapsed days instead of 35. It marks an overdue request eligible, potentially authorizing an unwarranted refund. Like a map, the output can guide investigation without proving when a delivery happened.
Two ways to clear the queue
Full review takes an assumed six minutes per request, including retrieving delivery evidence: 60 × 6 = 360 minutes, exactly the available time. Alternatively, assume a validated rule handles 40 complete records and sends 20 exceptions to staff. Setup and validation take 30 minutes; exception review takes 20 × 6 = 120 minutes, totaling 150. Both routes fit. Choose selective review under these assumptions, freeing 210 minutes for customer work. That is capacity, not cash savings unless staffing costs change.
Check the date before payment
Compare delivered_on and requested_on in the decision input with the delivery and request records, then count elapsed days independently. The example above must return “outside policy”; removing delivered_on must produce “manual review.” Any date mismatch, substituted update date, or automatic approval with missing evidence blocks automatic payment. Correct the input mapping and repeat these checks before using the rule.
When full review wins
In a hypothetical variation, the manager learns before setup that a system handover omitted delivery dates from all 60 inputs. Delivery records remain accessible. Selective review would take 30 + 60 × 6 = 390 minutes; full review fits 360. At 55 exceptions, the time advantage disappears. Choose full review at that threshold.