UP2DATE decision guide. General guidance; it does not replace a review of your processes, systems and data.
1. Define one process from beginning to end
Name the event that starts the work and the outcome that completes it. Walk through real recent cases with the people who do the work, including exceptions. Record each handoff, system, approval and repeated data entry.
Distinguish waiting from work. An approval delayed by an unclear responsibility will not necessarily improve with a faster form. Remove unnecessary steps and agree decision rights before choosing an automation tool.
2. Compare opportunities using the same evidence
For each candidate, collect frequency, hands-on time, waiting time, rework and the people affected. Mark estimates as estimates. Where measurements are absent, agree how to establish a baseline before projecting savings.
- Value: which cost, delay, error or customer problem would change?
- Feasibility: can you access the data and connect the required systems?
- Stability: how often do rules and exception paths change?
- Ownership: who accepts the result and handles failures after launch?
3. Consider the smallest useful intervention
Compare a process change, configuration in an existing tool, systems integration and custom development. Copying data between two working applications may call for an integration, not another application. A small, infrequent task may not justify software at all.
Compare total effort, not only development. Include access preparation, training, maintenance, exception handling and monitoring. Time released is not automatically a cash saving: state how the business plans to use that capacity.
4. Set a decision point before scaling
Choose a bounded workflow and agree the baseline, success criteria, people responsible and a fallback for failed automation. Review representative cases, including exceptions, before expanding the scope.
Proceed when the evidence supports the next investment. If data quality or unclear rules prevent a fair test, address those gaps first. A recommendation to simplify the process can be more useful than a proposal for a larger build.
Bring this to the first discussion
- One current process owner and a clear start and finish.
- Real workflow examples with sensitive information handled appropriately.
- Available measurements, systems involved and known constraints.
- The business outcome you want to change and who can approve it.
A related project
PPC’s published travel-management project illustrates a workflow spanning requests, approvals and operational systems. Use it to examine the kinds of handoffs to map—not as a savings forecast for your own process.
Read the published case study →Need to evaluate your own situation?
Digital Process & Automation Assessment →The initial 30-minute conversation is free. Detailed analysis, architecture and a delivery roadmap are separate, scoped engagements.
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