The first thing worth automating is rarely the work itself. It's the moment work moves from one person or tool to the next.
When businesses think about automation, they usually picture replacing a whole task. The quicker win is smaller and duller: the copying, chasing and re-typing that happens every time work moves between people or tools.
Map one process end to end
Pick one process and write down every step and who does it. Then mark two kinds of step: anything copied from one place to another, and anything that waits for someone to notice it. Those marks are your shortlist.
Start with the boring middle
The judgment at either end of a process, like deciding on a quote or approving a refund, is where people add value. The middle, moving the details into the next system and sending the standard reply, is where they lose an afternoon. Automate the middle first.
Keep a person on the exceptions
Automations should handle the normal case and hand anything unusual to a named person, with the context attached. An automation that guesses on the odd cases creates cleanup work nobody planned for.
Make it visible
- A log of every run, readable without a developer
- Alerts that go to someone who will act on them
- An off switch, documented, that anyone on the team can use
