Automation Readiness Level (ARL) is a score, per decision domain, of whether a flow is clear, defined and owned enough to be handed to a system. It answers a single question: if we automate this today, will we accelerate value or accelerate mistakes?
The score aggregates five dimensions:
- Definition — is the entity the automation acts on defined consistently?
- Ownership — is there a single accountable owner for the decision rights?
- Data — is the input information trusted, complete and timely?
- Exception handling — are the non-happy paths documented, not tacit?
- Measurability — can outcome and failure be distinguished from the data alone?
ARL is not a maturity model to admire. It is a working instrument that either raises readiness deliberately or narrows automation scope until it fits current readiness. A domain with an ARL of two is not a failure — it is a domain where automation should stay narrow until definition, ownership or exception handling are addressed.