Use this when

A workflow needs certain information to proceed, and that information is sometimes missing or incomplete when work arrives.

The pattern

WORK ARRIVES
      ↓
REQUIRED INFO PRESENT?
  ├── Yes → proceed
  └── No  → REQUEST the missing information
              ↓
            wait for it, then proceed

Instead of guessing a missing value or failing quietly, the workflow detects the gap and asks the right person or system to fill it.

Why it works

Missing information is one of the most common reasons work stalls, and the worst response is to invent a value and continue, which an AI will happily do. This pattern makes the gap explicit and turns it into a clear request, so the work resumes with real data rather than a guess.

It pairs naturally with structured intake: a good intake form prevents many gaps, and this pattern handles the ones that still get through.

How to apply it

  1. Define which information is genuinely required to proceed.
  2. Detect when it is missing or clearly invalid.
  3. Request it from the right source, a person, the customer, another system, with enough context to answer quickly.
  4. Hold the case in a clear state until the information arrives, rather than dropping or forcing it.

Good fit

  • Intake where submissions are sometimes incomplete.
  • Document workflows where a needed field is occasionally absent.
  • Any step that must not proceed on invented data.

Poor fit

  • Cases where the missing information cannot be obtained, which need an exception path instead.

What this does not solve

Requesting missing information keeps the workflow honest; it does not guarantee the information arrives, or arrives correct. Some requests go unanswered and need chasing or an exception queue. The pattern prevents guessing, not delay.