Choose a business process that could be automated

Medium effort

High impact

Automating business processes allows leaders to collaborate faster and improve accuracy when it comes to forecasting and budgets. When it’s implemented well, it’s a great way to optimise processes, but rushing in can have the opposite effect. Take time to identify the parts of your business where automation could be beneficial and understand where the human touch is still necessary.

We’ve designed our action plans to be completed in the order of steps laid out and explained why each step is important
Customising your action plan lets you set your own completion dates, assign tasks to others and get notifications
Helpful tools are provided for certain steps while a tracking metric at the end will help you determine the long-term success of your effort
A downloadable PDF version of each action plan is available if you’d like to compete it offline

What's involved? Ways to use this action plan Measuring impact

Run a staff survey to get an overview of which tasks are most time consuming and identify manual or repetitive tasks that could be automated

Impact: high

Why will this help?

Automation is generally best for routine and systematic tasks that follow a regular pattern – automating these tasks can free up staff to work on other aspects of the business. Talking to employees will give you a clear overview of what’s taking too much time or causing frustration.

Developing an employee feedback survey

Employee feedback surveys can be used to measure engagement or assess processes like onboarding or career development.

Review what’s worked for others by speaking to business leaders in your network and learning from their experiences of automation

Impact: medium

Why will this help?

Looking at solutions implemented by other businesses is a useful exercise, as it allows you to see automation in action. Keep in mind that what works for another business won’t necessarily apply to you – use this as a part of your research, not the key decision driver.

Build a business network for mutually beneficial relationships and fresh perspectives

Building a business network in the hospitality industry has been essential in turning around the fortunes of Cornwall pub and hotel, The Norway Inn.

Check technology meets your standards before automating processes

We spoke to one business leader to find out the research he did before automating a process and the impact it has had.

Send out a customer survey or run a focus group to find out which aspects of your business could be more efficient, and when your customers expect and appreciate human interaction

Impact: high

Why will this help?

If you’re considering automating part of your business that impacts customers, make sure they’re on board. Use their feedback to determine what they expect from their customer experience.

Creating a customer feedback survey

Use this customer feedback survey to gauge how customers feel about your product or service and find ways to improve.

Customer feedback is essential for product development and future improvement

Customer feedback is an essential part of product development for Trunki, a Bristol-based business that manufactures travel products for children.

Draw up a shortlist of business processes that could be automated and run a SWOT analysis

Impact: medium

Why will this help?

It’s important to understand the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats associated with automation before you press ahead. Factor in employee and customer feedback, as well as potential costs and efficiency savings.

Creating a SWOT analysis for your own business

Use our free SWOT analysis template to define your company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

Choose a business process that could be automated and run a short pilot to trial it

Impact: high

Why will this help?

Introducing too many new systems or changes at once can do more harm than good. Start small, then test, review and improve as you go.

Implementing a new system in the workplace

Embedding a new system in your business takes careful planning. This checklist will help to make sure you complete the process in an effective way.

Overcoming employee barriers to tech adoption

Employee buy-in plays a decisive factor in making new technology a success. Work through our template to anticipate any potential barriers to adoption.

What can I do with this Action Plan?

Start this Action Plan

Add some extra information to this plan and we’ll help you get it done.

We’ve designed our action plans to be completed in the order of steps laid out and explained why each step is important
Customising your action plan lets you set your own completion dates, assign tasks to others and get notifications
Helpful tools are provided for certain steps while a tracking metric at the end will help you determine the long-term success of your effort
A downloadable PDF version of each action plan is available if you’d like to compete it offline

Download and print

Get a printable template for this Action Plan, fill it in with some target dates, and share it with your team. Pin it on the wall where everyone can see it.

Get the printable Action Plan

Learning Groups

We also run Learning Groups on these topics where you can join other leaders tackling the same challenges.

Find a Learning Group

How will I know if my action plan is working?

Successul implementation

A successful implementation will be fully resourced and empowered by your implementation team

Why this metric?

You're now at the point where a successful implementation is the yardstick of your hard work and prudent planning.

How do I use this going forward?

Continue to use the planning work here to reinforce what the technology has been brought in to do.