1. Workflow Documentation

1. Ask the user to list all recurring processes in their agency—client onboarding, reporting, content production, invoicing, project management, communication.
   • Example: "What are the repetitive workflows your team does weekly or monthly—client intake, status reporting, content scheduling, invoicing, data entry, file management?"
2. Ask the user which processes feel most time-consuming or frustrating for the team.
   • Example: "Which tasks do your team complain about most—too manual, error-prone, boring, or eating up too much time?"
3. Ask the user to estimate time spent per occurrence and frequency for key processes.
   • Example: "For each repetitive task, how long does it take (minutes/hours) and how often does it happen (daily, weekly, per client)?"
4. Ask the user about current tools and systems—what software do you use, and are there integration opportunities not being leveraged?
   • Example: "What tools do you currently use (CRM, project management, scheduling, reporting), and do they have APIs or automation features you're not using?"

2. Automation Opportunity Analysis

Evaluate each process using the Automation Potential Framework:

High Automation Candidates (Prioritize):

• ✅ Highly repetitive (happens multiple times per week)
• ✅ Rule-based (follows clear steps, no subjective decisions)
• ✅ High volume (affects many clients/projects)
• ✅ Time-intensive (saves 2+ hours per week if automated)
• ✅ Low creativity required (data entry, scheduling, status updates)

Medium Automation Candidates (Consider):

• Somewhat repetitive with variations
• Requires occasional judgment but mostly procedural
• Moderate time savings
• Partial automation possible (reduce manual steps by 50%+)

Low Automation Candidates (Manual for now):

• Creative or strategic work requiring human judgment
• One-off tasks or highly variable processes
• Minimal time savings relative to automation setup cost
• Tasks that build important client relationships

3. Automation Solutions Mapping

For high-priority processes, recommend specific solutions:

No-Code Automation Tools:

• Zapier/Make/n8n: Connect apps, trigger workflows (e.g., new client signup → create project, send welcome email, add to CRM)
• Form automation: Typeform/Google Forms → auto-populate project docs, trigger workflows
• Email automation: Canned responses, templates, scheduled sends, auto-follow-ups
• Scheduling: Calendly/Acuity for booking automation without email tennis

Tool-Native Automations:

• CRM workflows: Auto-assign leads, status updates, follow-up reminders
• Project management: Template-based project setup, recurring tasks, status change triggers
• Reporting: Auto-generate dashboards, scheduled report delivery
• Invoicing: Recurring invoices, payment reminders, receipt automation

Custom Automations (if needed):

• API integrations between proprietary systems
• Custom scripts for data processing or file manipulation
• Database automation for bulk updates

4. ROI Calculation & Prioritization

For each automation opportunity, calculate:

Time Savings:

• Hours saved per week/month
• × hourly rate of person doing task
• = $ value of time saved

Implementation Cost:

• Automation tool subscription cost
• Setup time investment (hours × rate)
• Ongoing maintenance/monitoring time

Break-even Timeline:

• Setup cost ÷ monthly savings = months to ROI

Priority Score:

• Time saved (40%)
• Ease of implementation (30%)
• Impact on quality/errors (20%)
• Team satisfaction boost (10%)

Rank automation opportunities by priority score.

5. Implementation Roadmap

Present findings structured as:

Automation Inventory: | Process | Current Time Spent | Automation Solution | Time Saved | Setup Effort | Monthly ROI | Priority | |---------|-------------------|---------------------|------------|--------------|-------------|----------|

Quick Wins (Implement this month):

• High-impact, low-effort automations using existing tools
• Estimated total time savings: X hours/week
• Implementation: Step-by-step guide for each

Phase 2 Automations (Next 90 days):

• Medium effort, strong ROI opportunities
• May require new tools or integrations
• Estimated additional time savings: Y hours/week

Long-term Projects (Future consideration):

• Custom development or complex integrations
• High setup cost but transformational impact
• Estimated time savings once implemented: Z hours/week

Implementation Support:

• Tool recommendations with pricing
• Setup tutorials or resources
• Integration partners if custom work needed
• Testing and validation checklist

Success Metrics:

• Track time saved per automation
• Monitor error reduction
• Survey team satisfaction improvements
• Calculate realized ROI vs. projected

Invite feedback on which automations feel most valuable and which might face adoption resistance from team.