Checklist · interactive

Before you automate: a 10-question check.

Automating a messy process just makes the mess faster. Pick one process you'd like to automate, answer honestly, and you'll see whether it's ready, needs tidying first, or isn't worth automating yet.

Tick each statement that's true for the process you have in mind. Nothing is sent anywhere.

Your result
0/ 10

Tick the statements that apply.

Your score updates as you go.

How it's scored: frequency and repeatable steps count double, because they matter most for return on effort. Sensitive data and frequent change subtract points, because they raise risk and maintenance.

What the score means

8–10: ready. The process is frequent, repeatable and clearly triggered, which is the ideal case. Start with the smallest version that removes the most manual work.

5–7: tidy first. Usually one thing is missing, such as inconsistent inputs or no clear "done". Fix that by hand for a couple of weeks (a standard form, a checklist), then automate.

Below 5: not yet. The effort to build and maintain an automation probably outweighs the time saved. A template or a checklist may be the better tool.

Two good first candidates for most small businesses

  • Acknowledging new inquiries. It's frequent, has a clear trigger (the form), repeats the same steps, and slow replies have a real cost.
  • A weekly numbers email. If you copy the same figures into a summary every Monday, that's a well-defined report waiting to be automated.

If you'd like a second opinion on your process, describe it to us. The first call is free, and we'll tell you if it isn't worth automating.