Map the work before you automate it.
Map a repetitive workflow before automating it: define the trigger, inputs, steps and review point using a website-enquiry example.
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A simple process map can reveal what you need before you start connecting tools. Use these four headings for a task you already do.
Draw a small boundary around the work
Choose one task with a clear start and finish. “Manage enquiries” is a whole area of work. “Turn a new website enquiry into a reviewed draft reply” is a process you can describe and test.
Write a start condition and an end condition. For this example: start when a new enquiry arrives; finish when a person has checked a draft reply and decided what happens next. Sending the reply is a separate step if you want to keep that decision under human control.
Map what actually happens today, including copying, searching and waiting. Do not draw the ideal future process first. A simple list or boxes on paper is enough. Your aim is to make the work understandable to someone who does not carry all its details in their head.
The conversation
What would you try?
Ask a question, share what worked, or add a useful perspective. Keep it kind and on topic.
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