How to tell whether a process is ready to be automated.

Automation is often presented as a quick way to save time. It is, when the process is ready. When it is not, automation reproduces existing problems faster and makes them harder to fix.

Four signs a process is ready

It runs often enough to matter.

A task performed a few times a month rarely justifies the effort. A task performed dozens of times a day usually does.

Its rules can be written down.

If two experienced people would handle the same case differently, the process needs clarifying before it can be automated.

Its inputs are structured, or can be.

Forms, standard documents and system data are easier to automate than free-text emails and phone calls.

Its exceptions are known.

Every process has cases that do not fit. Automation works when those cases are identified and routed to a person.

When to simplify first

If a process has several approvals, re-entries or workarounds, redesign it before automating it. Removing a step costs less than automating it.

A simple test

Write the process as a numbered list of steps, with the rule applied at each step. If you cannot, start with process mapping.