TL;DR
- List your top 10 repetitive tasks.
- Score by frequency, minutes saved, risk, and data availability.
- Pick 1 workflow and test a controlled working slice in a two-week proof.
The 30-minute scan
- Inventory (10 min): Ask 3 people: “What do you do every week that feels like copy/paste?” Write 10 items.
- Clarify (10 min): For each item: input, output, who uses the output, and what “good” looks like.
- Score (10 min): Use the rubric below and pick the top 1-2.
Scoring rubric
Score each workflow 1-5. The goal is to pick the most valuable testable workflow, not the coolest idea. A score is a prioritization aid, not a business case.
| Factor | Question | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Frequency | How often does it happen? | Daily beats monthly |
| Current handling time | How many hands-on minutes per run? | Baseline first; treat recoverable time as a hypothesis |
| Risk | What breaks if it's wrong? | Add review if needed |
| Data access | Do we have the inputs? | APIs and permissions matter |
| Integration | Where does the output go? | Email, CRM, BI, tickets |
Next actions (same day)
- Pick 1 workflow and define the output format (example: “Email summary + link to source”).
- Decide the “human in the loop” step if the workflow is high-risk.
- Assign a single owner to accept the output and own the metric.