In today’s rapidly advancing technological landscape, it’s baffling to see humans performing tasks that could easily be automated. Or more specifically, the human is doing the work of the computer. I often am left thinking to myself: Why the heck is a human, doing the job of a computer?
The Inefficiency of Manual Processes
Manual processes are prone to errors, time-consuming, and often lead to employee burnout. When humans are tasked with repetitive data entry, scheduling, or basic customer service inquiries, it not only wastes valuable human potential but also increases the likelihood of mistakes. But these are not new concepts.
In the worst instances of this, KPIs or SLAs are set that the human has to attempt to achieve to be “good at their job”. Tasks that I have observed that have had such KPIs associated with them include these mundane tasks:
- Responding to initial enquiry email with a canned response.
- Manually updating spreadsheets with data from various sources.
- Sorting and categorising emails.
- Collecting feedback from customers.
- Building and deploying software.
The Power of Automation
Automation can handle repetitive tasks with precision and speed. By leveraging technologies like AI, machine learning, and robotic process automation (RPA), businesses can streamline operations, reduce costs, and improve accuracy. For example:
- Data Entry: Automated systems can input data faster and more accurately than humans.
- Scheduling: AI-powered tools can manage calendars and appointments efficiently.
- Customer Service: Chatbots can handle basic inquiries, freeing up human agents for more complex issues.
These are often super simple processes that can be easily identified. More complex scenarios require domain knowledge may require the automation via tools such as Zapier, Power Automate, IFTTT, n8n, Node-red, (or other services), or require custom development.
Real-World Examples
Consider a client who manually processes hundreds of invoices each month. By implementing an automated invoicing system, they could save hours of work and reduce errors. Similarly, an internal team might spend days compiling reports that an automated system could generate in minutes. Another example is a customer service team manually sorting through support tickets, which could be automated to prioritize and categorize tickets based on keywords. Additionally, a marketing team manually scheduling social media posts could use automation tools to plan and post content across multiple platforms.
The Human Touch
While automation is powerful, it’s essential to recognize the value of human skills. Creativity, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence are areas where humans excel and machines fall short. By automating mundane tasks, we can free up human resources to focus on these higher-value activities.
Getting Started
One of the most important aspects of getting started with automation is having the inkling that a process can be improved. And then understanding the current process. Here’s a simple process that I use to look for low hanging fruit for automation:
- Identify Repetitive Tasks: List out tasks that are repetitive and time-consuming.
- Evaluate Automation Tools: Research tools that can automate these tasks. Consider factors like ease of use, integration capabilities, and cost.
- Pilot Test: Start with a small pilot project to test the automation tool and refine the process.
- Implement and Monitor: Once the pilot is successful, implement the automation on a larger scale and continuously monitor its performance.
- Iterate and Improve: Regularly review the automated processes and make improvements as needed.
These may be so simple that anyone can do it. But some larger processes may need to have a project spun up and be part of a digital transformation, or revolution of a business process.