How to Choose the Right Processes for Automation
Every business has tasks that keep operations moving but drain time when volumes increase. Updating records, processing inbound requests, reconciling data… none of it drives growth, yet all of it must be done correctly. When a company scales, these everyday tasks are often the first to break. Automation solves this, but only if you automate the right things. We’ve pulled together examples of what similar organisations already automate, to help you sense-check where the real opportunity is.
We see many organisations jump straight into automation tools, only to discover little has changed. The technology works, but the results don’t, and the reason is simple: they automated the wrong processes.
What processes are ideal for automation, so you get measurable improvements?
The strongest areas for automation tend to share a few characteristics. They involve processes that run frequently, follow a clear set of rules and involve people moving or checking information rather than making complex judgements. Think of activities such as keying order details into multiple systems, matching invoices to purchase orders, filing inbound documents or sending standard customer updates.
If the steps are predictable, the rules are already known and staff describe the work as “just admin,” there is a strong chance automation can take on a meaningful portion of it.This does not remove the need for people; it simply lets them spend less time on repetitive processing and more time on exceptions, problem solving and customer conversations.
Map the work before you automate
Most organisations understand their top-level processes, such as order-to-cash or procure-to-pay, but the real automation opportunities are usually smaller steps within processes, they never reach a slide or a process map. These are the steps that absorb hours every week without being recognised as a “single process” at all.
Before investing in automation, it helps to map out the workflows that keep your operation moving. This does not need a complex exercise. Listing the tasks that consume the most time, require double entry or stall when particular people are away is often enough to identify where to look first. Once this workflow map exists, it becomes easier to see which parts are stable and rules based, and which rely on judgement and should remain with people.
Use simple criteria to prioritise
When you have a clearer picture of your workflows, you can begin to prioritise them using a few simple lenses. Volume is one of the most obvious. A task that runs hundreds or thousands of times a month will deliver more benefit from automation than one that appears occasionally.
Complexity is another. Processes with many exceptions or constant rule changes are harder to automate and may not be the ideal starting point. In contrast, activities that follow a steady pattern, even if they cross several systems, tend to be more suitable.
Finally, consider the impact of errors or delays. If mistakes in a process trigger customer complaints, stock issues, compliance risks or re-work in other teams, there is a stronger case for addressing these early. When these three factors are viewed together, the best starting points for automation usually stand out.
Fix broken steps before you scale them
Automation can move work faster, but it will not correct a flawed process on its own. If approval chains are unclear, data is routinely missing, or teams are working around outdated rules, those problems need addressing before any technology is applied. Automating the current state may simply push errors through the system more efficiently.
A practical approach is to refine the process as part of the automation design. This may involve removing unnecessary checks, clarifying decision points or standardising how data is captured. The goal is not to design something perfect on day one, but to make sure you are scaling a process that makes sense rather than magnifying existing friction.
Build a grounded business case
For many growing organisations, the decision to invest in automation comes down to whether the value is clear enough to justify the spend. That calculation does not need to be complicated. Hours saved, error rates reduced and improvements in throughput or customer response times are all measurable and understandable.
A simple baseline of current effort provides a strong starting point. Estimating how much time teams spend on a given task, how often something goes wrong and what it costs to put it right gives a realistic picture of the status quo. From there, you can model what happens if a portion of that work is handled automatically. Even conservative assumptions can show the benefit when the underlying process is high volume.
Start small, then expand with confidence
Successful automation programmes rarely begin with a grand redesign of everything. They start with one or two well-chosen workflows that are easy to describe, painful to run manually and important enough that improvement will be noticed. Once those are automated and the benefits are visible, it becomes far easier to secure support for the next phase of automation, because people trust the data they are getting is right and they can see it is effortless.
For ResX, this often means working with clients to identify a single process that feels like an in-efficient section within their operation. That might be automating the way invoices are handled, building a simple self-service portal to manage routine enquiries or connecting systems so orders no longer need to be keyed in twice. Each small win builds trust in both the data and the approach.
Choosing the right processes for automation is less about technology and more about understanding how your organisation really works. When you focus first on the tasks that quietly consume time, carry clear rules and create risk when they go wrong, automation becomes a practical tool to improve performance rather than a promise that never quite lands.
