Model dependencies, not just a list
A workflow should show which result enables each next step. Validate required fields before using them and stop or route the run when an earlier step did not produce usable data.
Parallel work can reduce waiting only when steps do not depend on each other's results or mutate the same resource in conflicting ways. Keep dependent operations sequential and make shared updates deliberate.
Check the handoff between steps
Use clear names and narrow outputs so the next step receives exactly the values it needs. Avoid relying on hidden side effects, implicit timing, or values left over from a previous run.
Test both the expected sequence and failure at each boundary. Review the run history to confirm what executed, in what order, and which data was passed; this makes race conditions and stale assumptions easier to detect.