The first thing worth automating is almost never the impressive thing. It’s the job someone does every morning that needs attention but no real thinking, and quietly eats an hour before lunch.
Pick something predictable, frequent, and visible enough that one person can tell you exactly how it works today. That makes it quick to map, quick to test, and easy to prove afterwards.
#1. Typing the same details into a second system
An enquiry comes in on a form. Someone reads it and types it into the CRM. Later the same details go into a project tool, and maybe a spreadsheet. Each retype is a chance to fat-finger a phone number. Connect the form to the CRM once and the record turns up correctly, in the shape the next person needs.
#2. Chasing people for updates
“Where are we with the Henderson job?” is a question that costs more than it looks. A workflow can nudge the right person when a job changes state, flag what’s missing, and keep everyone looking at the same picture without a single status meeting.
If you can say it as “when this happens, do that”, it’s probably a good first candidate.
#3. Reading numbers off documents
Invoices, delivery notes, order forms. The information you need is right there, but someone has to read it and key it in. Document extraction pulls out the fields, flags anything it isn’t sure about, and sends the rest where it belongs. The awkward ones still reach a person, which is the point.
#4. Building the same report every week
If your Monday report means exporting three files, pasting them together and fixing the formatting, that’s a strong candidate. What you want is one set of figures that assembles itself and turns up before the meeting, instead of four spreadsheets that disagree with each other.
#5. Working out which enquiries are worth a call
Incoming leads can be looked up, checked against your criteria and sent to the right owner before anyone touches them. Your team gets the context early and the prospect hears back the same day, which is usually what decides it.
One warning. Automation should leave the work simpler than it found it. If the result is something only one person understands, you’ve traded a slow process for a fragile one. Start small, watch it run on real work, and grow it from there.
Recognise any of this in your own business? Tell us about it and we’ll say whether it’s worth automating.
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