Editorial draft available to read. Factual and language review is pending. Examples are illustrative.
Quantify observed work
Ask about frequency, duration and attention required. Observe a sample rather than accepting a context-free estimate. Include waiting, review and corrections. Separate repeated work from new decisions; they may need different solutions despite using the same screen.
Find rules and exceptions
Ask what determines the next step, who can change it and when people override the rule. Check required data quality and availability. If decisions depend on unrecorded information, treat that as a dependency rather than promising automation by connecting two existing apps.
Define a small test
Example: prepare reply drafts for complete requests and hand other cases to a person. Test complete, ambiguous and duplicate inputs. Accept when boundaries are respected, drafts are reviewable and unexecuted work is clear. Measure total time including supervision before claiming savings.
Key takeaways
- Check repetition, rules and exceptions before choosing a tool.