Practice knowledge base
Automation Initiative
This practice helps identify repetitive manual operations and transform them into digital tools, templates, or integrations, reducing time spent on routine tasks.
Documentation sections
What it is
An Automation Initiative is a structured process for identifying manual operations that are frequently repeated and lead to errors, backlogs, or delays. The team outlines the steps of such work, selects an appropriate automation method, and assigns an owner for the outcome. This practice is particularly beneficial where a clear process already exists; chaotic work must first be broken down into distinct steps.
When it helps
- Employees manually transfer the same data between spreadsheets, forms, or systems.
- Requests, approvals, or reports become stalled because the next step relies on a manual reminder.
- Errors recur in the same operations: copying, checking statuses, preparing template documents.
- Teams use different file versions and lack visibility into where the most current information resides.
- IT tools are available, but some work still proceeds through personal chats and manual workarounds.
How to start
- 1 Select one repetitive process where manual work is evident to all and frequently impedes task completion.
- 2 Describe the process steps: who initiates, what data is required, where delays occur, and who receives the outcome.
- 3 Identify operations that can be replaced by a template, form, notification, integration, or a rule within an existing tool.
- 4 Appoint an automation owner and agree on who will verify the quality of the outcome after initial deployments.
- 5 Test a short scenario with one team and document which manual steps have been eliminated and which still remain.
Expected effect
This practice can reduce the number of manual repetitions, mitigate the risk of data transfer errors, and make work status visible without additional clarifications. It enables the manager to more easily identify bottlenecks, and allows teams to devote less attention to operations that can already be performed according to a rule.
Common pitfalls
- Automating a poorly defined process: the tool quickly entrenches confusion instead of eliminating it.
- Attempting to automate too large a scope at once, leading to loss of user support due to prolonged implementation.
- Failing to assign an automation owner, resulting in unresolved failures and exceptions.
- Replacing manual work with a complex tool that requires more maintenance than the operation itself.
- Neglecting to verify access rights and data quality before launch, leading to incomplete or erroneous automation results.
Further reading
- Book: James P. Womack, Daniel T. Jones, Lean Thinking
- Book: Michael Hammer, James Champy, Reengineering the Corporation
- Documentation: Microsoft Power Automate, cloud flows and approvals
- Documentation: Zapier, automation basics and workflows
FAQ
Who should initiate such an initiative?
Typically, the process manager or operational owner starts it because they see recurring delays and can agree on work rules. It is better to involve IT after describing the steps and the problem.
Is it possible to start without a new system?
Yes. The first step is often taken through a template, a form, a centralized storage location, or notification settings in an already used tool. A new system is only necessary if current tools cannot address the repetitive scenario.
How can one determine if automation is effective?
Check whether there is less manual data transfer, fewer repeated clarifications, and less waiting for the next step. It is important to look not only at speed but also at the number of exceptions that still require manual intervention.
What should be done if employees resist?
Show which specific manual work the change removes, and keep a clear channel for errors and exceptions. Resistance often decreases when people see that the tool does not add control for the sake of control.