When is a step worth automating?
Automation isn't applied to everything the organisation does, but to a specific step within it. Most steps that are worth automating show one of these signs:
It repeats
The same work every day or with every customer, in the same order.
It involves manual transfer
Copy and paste, filling a spreadsheet from messages, or moving information from one system to another.
It involves waiting or forgetting
Work that stops because someone didn't reply or forgot to follow up.
Automation or an AI agent?
Automation
If the step is clear and repeats with the same decision, automation is enough, such as a reminder before an appointment, or moving data from a form into a spreadsheet.
AI agent
If it involves human language or judgement, such as reading a customer's message, classifying it and routing it to the right department.
Both together
Most solutions combine the two. A step that simple automation can handle doesn't need an agent.
How I work on the problem
1
Understanding the problem
I map the workflow as it runs today: who works on the task, and where it gets stuck.
2
Finding the root cause
Is the fault in the task itself, or in the way work flows around it? Many problems are solved by changing the procedure, with no tool at all.
3
Choosing the solution
I start from the tools you use today, even if they are Excel, email and WhatsApp, and only suggest a new system if the work needs one.
My articles on this topic are written in Arabic: read the articles (Arabic).