Start with the work, not the tools
It’s tempting to start with a shiny tool. But the best automations come from looking honestly at how work happens today, including the workarounds nobody mentions.
Spend a week noting every repetitive task: what it is, how often it happens, how long it takes, and what goes wrong when it’s done by hand.
The three questions
For each task on your list, ask:
- How often does it happen? Daily beats monthly. Small savings on frequent tasks add up fast.
- Does it follow rules? If you could write the steps on an index card, a computer can probably do them.
- What does a mistake cost? Retyping an order wrong or missing an enquiry costs real money and goodwill.
Tasks that score high on all three are your best first candidates.
Good first candidates
Enquiries and leads
Send every enquiry to one place, acknowledge it instantly, and route it to the right person. Nothing slips through the cracks.
Copying data between systems
If someone types the same details into more than one place, connect the systems instead. It saves time and removes errors.
Reports you build by hand
Weekly numbers that take a morning to compile can usually be generated automatically, or replaced by a live dashboard.
Reminders and follow-ups
Appointment reminders, renewal notices and “just checking in” emails are perfect for automation, with a human tone.
Onboarding
New customers or staff usually go through the same steps. A checklist that runs itself makes a better first impression.
What not to automate (yet)
- Work that changes every time, or relies on judgement and relationships.
- Processes nobody agrees on. Fix the process first, then automate it.
- Anything rare: if it happens twice a year, a good checklist is usually enough.
Doing it safely
Start with one automation, run it alongside the manual process for a week or two, and keep a person in the loop where mistakes would matter. Document what runs, when and why, so it doesn’t depend on one person remembering.
Be careful with customer data, especially with AI tools: know where data goes, and use settings that keep it private.
Where to begin
Pick the task that scores highest on the three questions, automate just that, and measure the time it saves. Then move on to the next.
If you’d like help working out where the time goes, or connecting the tools you already have, that’s what our tools and automation work is for.