Which business processes should you automate? A simple test

The biggest mistake in automation is starting with the wrong task, something complex or sensitive, where you invest a lot of time for little return. The art is choosing the right candidates. A few simple questions help you spot them quickly.

The four hallmarks of a good candidate

A process lends itself well to automation if it:

1. Recurs often. Daily or weekly delivers more than once a year.
2. Is rule-based. Clear steps (“if this, then that”), few exceptions.
3. Requires little judgement. The less human deliberation, the more suitable.
4. Is error-prone by hand. Retyping, copying, calculating, exactly where people make mistakes and machines do not.

Does a task score high on these four? Then it is an excellent starting point.

What you should not (yet) automate

• Processes with many exceptions or custom work. The automation then becomes more complex than the manual work.
• Tasks with much human judgement or empathy, such as sensitive client conversations.
• Processes you do not understand well yourself. Never automate a messy process, you cement the mess. Get it in order first.

The practical test

Review your week and note recurring tasks. Put them in a simple grid: how much time it takes (per week) versus how much judgement it requires. The tasks in the top-left, much time, little judgement, are your golden candidates. Start there.

Start small, then scale

Pick one candidate, automate it well, and measure the gain before moving on. This approach, start small and measure, which we also described in five tasks you can automate today, works better than trying to do everything at once.

Want a second opinion?

Not sure where to start? We are happy to walk through your processes with you and point out the opportunities with the best effort-to-result ratio. See our AI & automation service or book a conversation.