Assessment & Planning
Start by identifying which processes are best suited for automation
Key Questions to Ask:
- Is this process repetitive and rule-based?
- How much time does it currently take per week?
- Are there clear input/output requirements?
- What's the error rate with manual processing?
- How many people are involved in this process?
Real Example:
In the luxury fashion case study, we identified employee onboarding workflows that took 4 hours per new hire. This was perfect for automation because it involved predictable steps: document collection, system account creation, and task assignment. The process was highly repetitive and had clear success criteria.
Platform Selection
Choose the right no-code tool based on your specific needs
Make.com (Integromat)
Best for: Complex workflows with multiple decision points
Used in: Supply chain coordination, multi-platform data sync
Pricing: $9/month for basic plans
Learning curve: Medium - visual interface but powerful
n8n
Best for: Custom integrations and data privacy control
Used in: Internal data processing, API-heavy workflows
Pricing: Free self-hosted or $20/month cloud
Learning curve: High - requires technical knowledge
Monday.com Automations
Best for: Project management and task automation
Used in: Team coordination, status updates, notifications
Pricing: Included with Monday.com plans ($8+/month)
Learning curve: Low - built into familiar interface
Implementation Process
The step-by-step approach that delivered 40% efficiency gains
Phase 1: Pilot (Week 1-2)
- Start with one simple, high-volume process
- Build basic automation with error handling
- Test with sample data first
- Document every step and decision
Phase 2: Validation (Week 3-4)
- Run automation parallel to manual process
- Compare results and fix any issues
- Measure time savings and accuracy
- Get feedback from team members
Phase 3: Scale (Week 5+)
- Gradually replace manual process
- Add monitoring and alerts
- Expand to related processes
- Train team on new workflows
Measuring Success
Track the metrics that matter for automation ROI
Time Savings
Track hours saved per week/month. In our case study: 4 hours per employee onboarding reduced to 30 minutes
Error Reduction
Compare error rates before/after automation. We achieved 95% reduction in data entry errors
Cost Savings
Calculate monthly savings: (Hours saved × Hourly rate) - Automation tool costs. Our client saved $2,400/month
Process Efficiency
Overall workflow improvement. Our luxury fashion client achieved 40% efficiency gain across operations
Best Practices
Lessons learned from real-world implementations
Start Small
Begin with simple, high-impact processes. Success builds momentum for larger projects. Our first automation took 2 weeks and saved 10 hours per week immediately.
Plan for Errors
Always include error handling and fallback procedures. Real-world data is messier than test data. Build alerts for when things go wrong.
Monitor Continuously
Set up alerts for failures and performance issues. Automation needs ongoing maintenance. Check success rates weekly in the first month.
Document Everything
Maintain clear documentation of workflows, decisions, and configurations for future updates. Include contact info for key stakeholders.