A week of hours reclaimed: the log method
How logging one week of tasks shows where the admin hours go, with an example of what automating the top three can change.
Nikolas Gannon · · 1 min read · Example setups
The fastest audit is a log. Before any automation, a business runs one week with a tick sheet: every time someone repeats a task, they mark it. The results are usually surprising.
The week
Here is an example. Take a small service business with five staff that logs every repeated task for one week. Say the top three are re-typing enquiry details into the CRM, assembling quotes by hand and chasing follow-ups, and together they add up to about 11 hours a week across the team.
For a deeper look, see Automation ROI: how to calculate it.
The build
Three workflows, each on the tools the business already uses.
- Enquiries route into the CRM with the details captured once.
- Quotes draft from templates, ready for human approval.
- Follow-ups run on a schedule, so nothing depends on memory.
After
If the workflows hold, most of those 11 hours become checking time, perhaps two hours a week. Do not take that on trust: run the same log a month later and compare.
The point
The log finds the hours in a week, the workflows take them on over a month or so, and a second log measures the difference. That sequence works for any business, and it is how a systems audit starts.
What this means for you
Do not guess where your hours go. Log them for a week. The ranking will tell you the first three workflows to build.
If you want help running the log and ranking the results, the free systems audit covers it.
Free resource: Workflow automation audit workbook
Read next: How to reduce administrative work in a small business · What is admin drag and how do you stop it? · How an agency could cut five subscriptions
Questions
How do you find the hours?
Keep a log for a week. Every repeated task gets a tick. The ranking by frequency times time is the map.
How many workflows does it take?
Often three. The top three tasks usually cover most of the time.
Will my numbers match this example?
Not exactly. It depends on how many people re-type details and chase follow-ups each day. Time the tasks for a week before and after to find your own number.