First, let's understand how to compile a list of tasks for automation: Begin with an audit of your current processes. Remember, any process consists of five blocks:
- Goal — what is the desired outcome of the process?
- Steps — how do we achieve this outcome?
- Participants — what roles are needed to achieve the goal?
- Tools — what do we use to achieve the outcome?
- Metrics — how do we know we’re on the right track?
Next, identify tasks that:
- Require significant amounts of time and resources;
- Are frequently repeated;
- Have a high risk of human error.
Then, calculate how much time and resources are currently spent on manually completing these tasks. This will help you understand the potential savings from automation. Analyze how often errors occur in the current execution of tasks and what the consequences of those errors are.
Example: Let's take email distribution as an example. This is a routine job performed by a person. Let's assume that each email takes 2 minutes to create, and 240 emails need to be sent daily. The person will spend 480 minutes = 8 hours per day on this task. Additionally, the person's labor costs $5/hour, adding a financial component to the resources consumed.
Now, let's look at this task from the perspective of an automated email distribution process. All 240 emails are automatically sent by the system simultaneously. Time expenditure — just a few seconds. Assume that developing and implementing an automatic email distribution system takes 5 days and costs $250.
Let's calculate the benefit (over 20 working days):Costs = (Hours worked per day) * (Number of working days in a month) * (Hourly wage rate)Person works 8 hours a day.
Daily costs = 8 hours/day * $5/hour = $40
Monthly costs = $40/day * 20 days = $800
Cost of automation = $250 (for 5 days)
Benefit from automation: Benefit = $800 - $250 = $550If we consider automation in the long term, the benefit will grow. The longer the automated product is used, the greater the benefit.
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