Automation. The magical word that promises to free us from repetitive tasks, save hours of time, and deliver your business from the clutches of inefficiency.
Why automation works best when your processes are already working.
Automation sounds like a dream: plug in a shiny new app, flick a few switches, and voilà – chaos becomes order.
Except… it doesn’t.
Not if your underlying processes are a mess to begin with.
Let’s break down the common myth that automation fixes processes, and explore why you need to sort your workflows out first – before letting the bots loose.
The Myth: “We’ll Just Automate It”
You’ve probably heard (or said) something like this:
“Our quoting process is all over the place. We just need to automate it.”
“We keep missing invoice follow-ups – let’s get a system that does it automatically.”
The idea is appealing: automation as a silver bullet. But in reality, automating a broken process doesn’t fix it – it just allows you to do the wrong thing faster and more often.
Garbage In, Garbage Out
Automation is only as good as the process it’s built on. If you’ve got:
- Multiple ways of entering the same data
- Approval steps that rely on someone’s memory
- Bottlenecks disguised as “checks and balances”
- Excel sheets of doom lurking in the background
Then automating those steps won’t solve the problem. It’ll just make the spaghetti go faster.
Example:
If your team is unclear on when to invoice, what to include, or which rate card applies, then automating that process will just send out incorrect invoices – but faster! Your accounts team won’t thank you.
The Fix: Clean Before You Code
Before you even think about automation, take time to map the process as it should be. Ask:
- Who does what, and when?
- What decisions are made along the way?
- Where does information come from and go to?
- What causes delays or confusion?
It doesn’t need to be a six-month strategic review. A whiteboard, a few post-it notes, and some candid conversations can go a long way. Once you’ve got a cleaned-up, agreed-upon workflow, then it’s time to look at automation tools that can support and scale that process.
Automation is Amplification
Think of automation as a megaphone. It amplifies what’s already happening in your business – good or bad.
If you’ve got a solid workflow, automation helps your team run like a well-oiled machine. But if your process is a bit… Frankenstein, then automation will just make the monster move faster.
Real-World Example:
A client wanted to automate their quote approvals using a fancy CRM integration. Turns out, half their quotes weren’t even following the same template. After standardising their quote process first, automation finally made sense – and worked beautifully.
Automation isn’t magic. It’s just a tool. And like any tool, it works best when the foundation is solid. So before you go chasing new tech, do a bit of spring cleaning.
Talk to us – We can help you step back, gain clarity, and design workflows that actually work.
If you’re ready to stop firefighting and start building smarter systems — let’s chat.
About Pathfinder Solutions
Pathfinder Solutions advisory team members have either owned or managed businesses, or are investors themselves, so we know first-hand the challenges you face in your world.
Sure we’re Accountants, but the best solutions in business come from focusing on more than just the numbers. Our real-world business experience delivers just that.
