Before Automating a Process, Ask Whether the Process Should Exist
By Skyrit Lai
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.
The thought to take with you
Do not automate complexity that has not yet been understood.
Related work
Where this thinking shows up.
AI and workflow automation
Put the thinking into practice.
Service
AI & Workflow Automation
Explore AI and automation for repetitive tasks, clearer handoffs, and practical internal workflows.
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Business & Technology Consulting
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Tool
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Note
From Broadcasting to Lifecycle Orchestration
The difference between a messaging tool and a lifecycle operating model is not the number of channels. It is whether customer state, decision rules, and feedback determine what happens next.
Note
Making Deployments Observable and Reversible
A production change becomes safer when the team can see what happened, decide whether the release is healthy, and return to a known state without improvising under pressure.