Automation is worth doing where the same work happens repeatedly, the same way, and a person is currently doing it by hand.
Try the cheap thing first
What we automate
- Moving data between systemsRather than someone re-keying it.
- Document generationQuotes, invoices, certificates, reports, produced from data you already hold.
- Notifications and chasingThe follow-up nobody has time to do consistently.
- Scheduled reportingThe same report, produced without anyone building it each month.
- Approval workflowsWith a record of who approved what, and when.
Work out the return first
Hours per week, times 52, times the fully loaded hourly cost of whoever does it. That is the annual figure to compare against a one-off build.
The full method, with the tasks worth doing first.
Common questions
Should I try Zapier or Make first?
Yes. If off-the-shelf automation tools connect your systems and do the job, use them. They are cheap and quick. Custom becomes worth it when the logic gets specific or the per-task pricing starts to bite at volume.
What is worth automating?
High frequency, low judgement, high error cost. Something done daily, the same way every time, where a mistake matters. Automating a task done twice a month is usually a poor investment.
Will automation replace staff?
In our experience it moves people off data entry and onto work that needs a person. If the goal is genuinely headcount reduction, be honest about that internally, because the rollout will fail if the team works out you were not.