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Which Business Processes Should Be Automated?

A five-part test for which business processes to automate first — volume, repetition, stability, information and recoverability — with examples by function.

By Exodus Markets · Published · 2 min read

The short answer

The best processes to automate are high in volume, repetitive, reasonably stable, dependent on information that is available digitally, and recoverable — meaning a mistake can be caught before it causes harm. Customer enquiries, lead follow-up, status updates, appointment handling and internal knowledge requests commonly meet all five criteria.

Key takeaways

  • Score candidates on volume, repetition, stability, information and recoverability.
  • Simplify the process before automating it.
  • Keep sensitive, high-impact decisions with people.

The five-criteria test

  1. Volume: does the task happen often enough that time saved adds up?
  2. Repetition: do most instances follow a recognisable pattern?
  3. Stability: is the underlying process settled, or changing every month?
  4. Information: is the information the task needs available digitally?
  5. Recoverability: if a step goes wrong, can it be caught and corrected before harm is done?

Processes that score well on all five are strong first candidates. Processes that fail on recoverability — for example, regulated decisions or irreversible financial actions — should keep a person in the loop even if the rest can be automated.

Common candidates by function

  • Sales: first response to new leads, qualification questions, follow-up sequences, appointment booking.
  • Customer service: FAQs, order or booking status, routine requests, triage and routing.
  • Operations: internal notifications, task assignment, confirmations, SOP retrieval.
  • Marketing: campaign responses, content adaptation, review routing.
  • HR and internal: policy questions and onboarding information.

Simplify before you automate

Automating a process as it stands can lock in unnecessary steps. Map the process, remove steps that exist only because information was hard to move, and then automate what remains.

Start small, measure, expand

Pick one process, capture a baseline, automate, and measure. The Exodus A.C.T. Programme runs this prioritisation with your team, and our business automation guide covers the landscape in more depth.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Which business processes should not be automated?

Processes that fail the recoverability test — where a mistake cannot be caught before it causes harm, such as regulated decisions or irreversible financial actions — should keep a person in the loop. So should unstable processes and work that depends on judgement, empathy or negotiation.

What is the first process a business should automate?

Usually a high-volume, repetitive, low-risk process with a clear owner — such as first responses to enquiries, lead follow-ups, status updates, appointment handling or internal knowledge requests.

Should you fix a process before automating it?

Yes. Automating a process as it stands can lock in unnecessary steps. Map it, remove the steps that exist only because information was hard to move, then automate what remains.

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Put this into practice

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