How to choose the first process to automate
A simple way to pick a first automation project that is small enough to succeed and useful enough to matter.
Most businesses have dozens of tasks that could be automated. Picking the wrong first one is the usual reason projects stall.
Look for three signs
- It happens often. A task done daily is worth more attention than one done twice a year.
- It follows rules. If a person can describe the steps without saying "it depends", a machine can usually follow them.
- People dislike it. Copying data, chasing approvals and re-typing details are good candidates.
Avoid these for a first project
- Processes nobody can describe yet. Fix the process first.
- Tasks that depend on judgement or relationships.
- Anything that touches many systems you do not control.
Write it down before you build
Record how the task is done today, how long it takes, and how often it happens. Without that baseline you cannot tell later whether the automation helped.
Keep the first version small
Automate the simplest version of the process, run it alongside the manual one, and compare. Then extend it.
If you are unsure where to begin, the use cases on this site show the processes we are asked about most.
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