Many companies think of new software first. Often the better start is in the systems already in use: email, calendars, spreadsheets, specialist software, CRM or accounting already contain many of the relevant data points.
Automation connects existing transitions
A useful process does not have to replace every system. It can read emails, process exports, check calendars or transfer data through interfaces. The decisive question is whether these transitions are stable enough.
- Is there a documented interface or export function?
- Are data formats reliable enough?
- Who may view or change which information?
- How are errors made visible when a handover fails?