Do not begin with the loudest task
The best first automation is not always the task people complain about most. It is the workflow where repetition, volume, stable rules, usable data, and business impact overlap.
Score the opportunity
Rate each candidate from one to five across frequency, time consumed, error cost, delay created, rule stability, and data readiness. Subtract for regulatory risk, unclear ownership, and excessive exceptions.
- High volume and repeatability
- Clear inputs and expected outputs
- Visible cost of delay or error
- A responsible human escalation path
- A measurable baseline
Prove one complete outcome
Automating fragments can make a process harder to manage. Choose one end-to-end outcome, keep exceptions visible, and compare the new cycle time, error rate, and human effort against the baseline.