AUTOMATION

Which business process should you automate first?

Start with a recurring task that has a clear start, a recognisable result and someone who can judge whether it is right.

Choose work you can point to.

“We need to do something with AI” isn’t a defined assignment yet. “After every enquiry we copy the same customer details into the planning” is. In the second description you can recognise a trigger, data and an action.

Write out one process as it runs today. Who receives the information? Which system does it arrive in? Who does something next, and how does that person know the work is done? Include the exceptions too.

Assess four points.

1. Repetition. How often does the task happen, and how many actions come back each time?
2. Clarity. Can you explain when the task starts and what a correct result is?
3. Available data. Is the information needed in a usable source, or does someone have to dig it up first?
4. Consequences of mistakes. Can an employee review a proposal first, or is something sent, changed or paid straight away?

These questions are meant to make your choice concrete. There’s no universal score that proves which process you should choose. A less frequent task can still deserve attention, for example, if mistakes cause a lot of rework.

Measure the work before you promise savings.

Look at a representative period and note the number of actions, the time spent and the rework. Distinguish between active working time and waiting. An enquiry that waits two days for an answer doesn’t automatically cost two working days of admin.

Use that measurement as your starting point. Don’t count every minute as a future saving: the new way of working also needs checks, maintenance and exceptions. An expected improvement remains an assumption until you can compare it in practice.

Leave software that works well in place.

Automation doesn’t have to start with replacing your CRM, planning or accounts. First map out which source is leading for which data and how information currently moves between the systems.

An integration can take over a manual handover. For that, the systems involved have to offer the access needed. We look into that for each connection. A system that can read data doesn’t automatically support every change you want to make as well.

Start with a proposal someone can review.

Take as an example a customer question that leads to a proposal. Gathering relevant customer information and preparing a reply are separate steps. You can start by supporting only the preparation and leave the sending to an employee.

Record who checks, what that person needs to look at and what happens when information is missing. Only expand once you understand where the process runs well and where it needs adjusting.

Agree in advance what a successful trial is.

Choose one process, a limited group of users and a workable way to report mistakes. Don’t only check whether the integration responds technically, but also whether the right data ends up in the right place.

If you want to discuss a process like this, bring a concrete example: the original enquiry, the systems involved and the actions needed now. That way the conversation can be about your work straight away.

Custom software usually costs between €3,500 and €12,000, then €249 per month for maintenance, excluding VAT.