Before Automating a Process, Ask Whether the Process Should Exist
Automation can make a sound process faster. It can also make a confusing one repeat its failures at scale. The first job is to understand the process, not to mechanise it.
01 / Operations
Map the current flow
Identify who does what, what information moves between steps, where decisions happen, and why each handoff exists. A simple map often exposes the real source of delay or error.
02 / Operations
Remove before automating
Eliminate duplicate entry, unnecessary approvals, unclear ownership, and steps that no longer serve a decision. A smaller process is easier to understand and easier to automate responsibly.
03 / Operations
Automate stable logic
Technology works best when the underlying rule is clear enough to apply consistently. If people cannot explain the rule, a workflow engine cannot make it less ambiguous.
Do not automate complexity that has not yet been understood.
Related work