Trying to automate everything at once is a common mistake — the best starting point is a process that's both highly repetitive and error-prone.
When automation comes up, many teams want to automate everything at once. The result is usually a large, expensive, delay-ridden project. A better approach is starting small and proving value quickly.
Criteria for picking the first process
Look for a process that's both highly repetitive and has fixed, well-defined rules — like invoicing, inventory updates, or sending a weekly report. Processes that require human judgment every time aren't good starting candidates.
Practical steps
Document the current process precisely, including exceptions
Automate the repetitive part, not the entire process from scratch
Measure time actually saved, not just theoretical savings
Automation replaces repetition, not judgment
The goal of automation is freeing people's time for work that genuinely needs human judgment, not removing people from the process entirely.
