Before you automate anything.
A business-first way to decide where technology belongs.
Understand the existing work.
Follow a real request from beginning to end. Note where information enters, who touches it, and where delays or errors appear. Describe the operation before selecting a tool.
Improve the process first.
Remove unnecessary steps and clarify ownership. Automating a confusing process can make confusion travel faster. Start with one stable, repeated workflow.
Choose a useful outcome.
Decide what better means: fewer manual entries, faster responses, clearer records, or less time spent checking status. Measure the current process so you can compare later.
Keep people in the right places.
Automated workflows need appropriate review. Identify sensitive information, access permissions, exceptions, and decisions that require human judgment. Plan a fallback before you launch.
Pilot, learn, then expand.
Test with a limited scope and realistic examples. Train the people who will use the system, document its limits, and only expand when the results justify it.