Every order either moves or gets a reason.

Kutu is an order exception workflow for a small online shop. Each order passes intake, validation, deduplication and a stock check. Anything that cannot ship waits in an exception queue with its cause attached, and the ops team gets one summary alert.

Eight demo orders run inside this page. This is a workflow prototype modelled on an n8n flow: nothing connects to n8n, ships a parcel or sends a notification.

demo run

Inject a stock-lookup timeout on KT-1046 (set before the run starts)

Orders in: 8
Ready (simulated): 4
In exception queue: 4
Duplicates caught: 1

Documented result of one full demo run.

Tick t+28

The conveyor

Teal belts carry an order forward. Striped chutes drop it into the exception queue with the reason attached. Inspect any station to see its rule and the JSON it handled.

Key

Pass belt
Exception chute
Order on a station
Failed or escalated

Intake

One item per order from the demo batch

Received: 8

Validate

Required fields and a whole-number qty

Passed: 6
Held: 2

Holds drop to the exception queue

Deduplicate

key = email|sku|qty

Passed: 5
Held: 1

Holds drop to the exception queue

Stock check

stock[sku] >= qty, two lookup tries

Reserved: 4
Held: 1
Failed: 0

Holds and failures drop to the exception queue

Ready for fulfilment

Simulated: no shipment is created

Orders: 4

KT-1041, KT-1043, KT-1044, KT-1046

Exception queue

Retry from the holding station, max 3 attempts

Open: 4
Escalated: 0
Review: 0
Resolved: 0

Team alert

One summary per run, not sent

Message: Composed
Sent: No

Eight demo orders

Each label shows where its order ends in the documented demo run.

KutuZ3

KT-1041

SKU
KB-TOTE-S
Qty
2
Postcode
34710

Canvas tote, small

Ready (simulated)
KutuZ1

KT-1042

SKU
KB-NOTE-A5
Qty
3
Postcode
(empty)

A5 dot notebook

Held: missing field
KutuZ5

KT-1043

SKU
KB-LAMP-02
Qty
1
Postcode
10115

Clamp desk lamp

Ready (simulated)
KutuZ2

KT-1044

SKU
KB-CANDLE
Qty
4
Postcode
75011

Fig wax candle

Ready (simulated)
KutuZ4

KT-1045

SKU
KB-MUG-01
Qty
6
Postcode
1050

Stoneware mug

Held: out of stock
KutuZ4

KT-1046

SKU
KB-NOTE-A5
Qty
5
Postcode
08001

A5 dot notebook

Ready (simulated)
KutuZ5

KT-1047

SKU
KB-LAMP-02
Qty
1
Postcode
10115

Clamp desk lamp

Held: duplicate
KutuZ3

KT-1048

SKU
KB-TOTE-S
Qty
2x
Postcode
06420

Canvas tote, small

Held: invalid quantity

Step inspector

Validate, order KT-1042

Example from the documented run.

Station Order

Input

{
  "orderId": "KT-1042",
  "email": "deniz.aral@example.com",
  "sku": "KB-NOTE-A5",
  "item": "A5 dot notebook",
  "qty": 3,
  "shipTo": {
    "postcode": "",
    "zone": "Z1"
  }
}

Rule

required = [orderId, email, sku, qty, shipTo.postcode, shipTo.zone]
empty required field    -> hold "missing_field"
qty !~ /^[1-9][0-9]*$/  -> hold "invalid_qty"
all checks pass         -> route to Deduplicate

Output

{
  "valid": false,
  "errors": [
    "shipTo.postcode is empty"
  ],
  "route": "exception",
  "reason": "missing_field"
}

demo stock

SKU	Item	Start	Available
KB-TOTE-S	Canvas tote, small	6	4
KB-NOTE-A5	A5 dot notebook	10	5
KB-LAMP-02	Clamp desk lamp	3	2
KB-CANDLE	Fig wax candle	8	4
KB-MUG-01	Stoneware mug	2	2

Run log

t+28Team alert composed for 4 unresolved exceptions. Not sent: prototype.
t+27KT-1048 held at Validate: qty "2x" is not a whole number.
t+25KT-1047 held at Deduplicate: same key as KT-1043.
t+22KT-1046 reserved 5 of KB-NOTE-A5; ready (simulated).
t+18KT-1045 held at Stock check: needs 6, 2 available.
t+14KT-1044 reserved 4 of KB-CANDLE; ready (simulated).
t+10KT-1043 reserved 1 of KB-LAMP-02; ready (simulated).
t+06KT-1042 held at Validate: shipTo.postcode is empty.
t+04KT-1041 reserved 2 of KB-TOTE-S; ready (simulated).

Exception queue

Retry re-runs an order from the station that held it. A third failed attempt escalates it. Only KT-1048 has a demo fix.

Order	Reason	Held at	Attempts	Status
KT-1042	Missing fieldshipTo.postcode is empty	Validate	1 of 3	Held: missing field
KT-1045	Out of stockneeds 6, 2 available	Stock check	1 of 3	Held: out of stock
KT-1047	Duplicatesame key as KT-1043	Deduplicate	1 of 3	Held: duplicate
KT-1048	Invalid quantityqty "2x" is not a whole number	Validate	1 of 3	Held: invalid quantity

Team alert preview

#ops-exceptions (simulated)Kutu workflow

Kutu order exceptions: 4 unresolved.

Missing field (1): KT-1042
Out of stock (1): KT-1045
Duplicate (1): KT-1047
Invalid quantity (1): KT-1048

Not sent: prototype. Composed at t+28.

A production build starts with three decisions.

SourcesWhere orders come from, and the exact shape each payload takes when it arrives.
RulesWhich problems hold an order, which get an automatic fix, and how many retries a failure earns.
AlertsWhich channel the team watches, and who owns each reason in the queue.

Talk to Minimolo about a workflow

Minimolo designs and builds n8n workflows for operations teams. Scope, rules and timeline are agreed in writing first.