Five signs it is time to automate a process
By Syslabs Team ·
Nobody sets out to build a business that runs on copy-and-paste. It happens gradually, one workaround at a time, until the workarounds are the process. Here is how to spot it.
1. The same data is typed in more than once
If an order, a client or a product is entered in one system and then re-entered in another, you are paying for the same work twice, and risking a typo each time.
2. Someone owns a spreadsheet that everything depends on
When one person’s file is the source of truth, the business is one sick day away from a problem. It is also a sign the process has outgrown its tools.
3. People chase each other for status
“Did the invoice go out?” “Has this been approved?” If answering takes a message instead of a glance at a screen, the information should be visible by default.
4. Reports take hours to build
If the weekly numbers are assembled by hand from several places, they are late, and sometimes wrong. A system can produce the same report in seconds, every time.
5. Growth means hiring for repetitive tasks
When more customers means more people doing the same routine work, the process does not scale. Automating it lets the same team handle more.
Where to start
Pick the task that is most repetitive and most error-prone, not the most impressive one. Fixing it usually pays for itself quickly, and it shows what else could be done.
If you recognise two or more of these, tell us about your process. We will map it with you and say plainly what is worth automating and what is not.
