Automation pays off when a task is frequent, follows clear rules, and has stopped changing. Automate a process that changes every month and you will spend more time maintaining the automation than it saves.
Ask four questions
- Frequency. How many times a week does it happen?
- Rules. Could you write the steps down for a new hire?
- Stability. Has the process changed in the last six months?
- Cost of error. What happens when it goes wrong?
Keep a person in the loop
Good first automations prepare work for a person to approve instead of acting alone. You get most of the time back and keep a checkpoint until the system has earned trust.