How automation consultants pick your first workflow
The ranking method consultants use to choose a first workflow: frequency, time cost, one sentence, and the payout.
Nikolas Gannon · · 1 min read · Automation
The first workflow decides whether a business continues automating. If it fails, the whole idea is tainted. So consultants choose it to succeed.
The selection criteria
- Frequency. How many times a week does the task repeat?
- Time cost. How long does each run take?
- One sentence. Can the whole thing be described in one sentence? If not, it is too big for a first build.
- Time to build. Can it be live in 5 to 7 business days?
- Measureable. Is there a before and after?
For a deeper look, see Automation ROI: how to calculate it.
The most common pick
The enquiry and follow-up loop. It is high-frequency, touches nearly every business and pays back fast, because speed to first contact is the biggest sales lever there is.
Why not the biggest problem
The most painful problem is often the hardest to scope. The first workflow is the one most likely to succeed. Success is what funds the next one, which is the harder problem.
The pattern
Pick a small win, prove it, measure it, then expand. That is how a business ends up with a handful of loops a year later, each proven and each owned.
If you want your first workflow picked, ranked and scoped, the free systems audit is the start.
Free resource: Workflow automation audit workbook
Free resource: Software bill review checklist
Read next: How to start with one workflow · The payback period for a workflow build · How to automate your support inbox without chatbots
Questions
What makes a good first workflow?
High frequency, high time cost, describable in one sentence and quick to build.
What is the most common first workflow?
The enquiry and follow-up loop. It touches most of the business and pays back fast.
Should the first one be the most important?
Not necessarily. It should be the one most likely to succeed, because success funds the next one.