Automation works best when the process is repeated often, follows rules that can be described, and creates measurable cost when it breaks.

Good candidates include approval flows, data entry between systems, recurring reports, vendor or customer intake, and status tracking that currently lives in email. Poor candidates are processes that are still changing every week or depend on judgment that nobody can explain yet.

Before building anything, map the workflow as it actually happens. Where does the request start? Who touches it? What decisions are made? What data is required? Where do delays happen? This map usually shows whether the problem is a missing system, a unclear process, or both.

The goal is not to automate everything. The goal is to remove the repeated handoffs that waste time, create mistakes, and hide the status of important work.