PIPELINEGuide
Process automation: what alternatives exist
Not every problem needs process automation. What simpler paths exist, where ready-made standard solutions are sufficient, and when the right answer is: do nothing at all.
Before process automation comes into question, it's worth looking at the simpler paths: a more clearly written page, a different phone rule, a tidied-up process. Ready-made standard solutions cover part of it and hit their limits where your own data and integrations come into play. Doing nothing is also a legitimate answer.
01 — Alternatives
What else is out there
Before process automation comes into question, it's worth looking at the simpler paths. Sometimes a clearly written page, a different phone rule, or a tidied-up process solves the same problem without any system.
Ready-made standard solutions cover part of the use cases and are quickly available. Their limit lies where your own processes, your own data, or integrations come into play — and in the question of who ultimately owns the data.
The third option is to do nothing. That's a legitimate answer when the process in question happens rarely or when the real bottleneck lies elsewhere. We'll say so if that's the case.
02 — Boundaries
When we advise against it
- The process is still changing. As long as you're adjusting the process itself, manual work is more flexible and cheaper.
- Exceptions outweigh standard cases. Then you're automating exceptions, and that gets expensive.
- There's no data foundation. Without digitally available source data, the basis is missing.
- Volume is too low. With five transactions a month, no system pays off — not even an affordable one.
- The real bottleneck lies elsewhere. If you don't have enough inquiries, you don't need faster processing.
03 — Criteria
How quotes differ
- What exactly is included. Two quotes with the same total can cover completely different deliverables. Ask for scope as a list, not as running text.
- Who delivers what. Content, images, data, access — if it's not specified, it becomes a point of conflict later.
- What operation costs. Calculated over three years, including licenses, hosting, and support.
- What happens if you want to switch. Do you get access, data, and documentation? The answer to this question says more about a provider than any reference.
- Who actually does the work. With small providers this matters: who sits in the meeting, and who then does it.
04 — Questions
Frequently asked questions
What if our processes change?
Then the workflows are adjusted. We build them so that the variable parts — text blocks, recipients, thresholds — are in a table that you maintain yourself, without needing us.
Are there subsidies for this?
For digitalization projects in Austria, there are several funding programs, such as KMU.DIGITAL or the aws digitalization funding (kmudigital.at, aws.at). Whether and to what extent this currently fits your situation, we check together — important: The application must be approved before the contract is awarded. Plan lead time for this.
Do we lose control over our processes?
On the contrary: An automated process is fully documented and logged for the first time. You see every run. Before, only the person who always did it knew.
How quickly does it pay off?
For the processes we typically start with, payback is between four and ten months. We calculate that before the quote, not after.
How do we know what's worth automating?
Rule of thumb: A process is worth it if it occurs at least weekly, has clear rules and is manual work today. In the current-state analysis, we calculate every candidate — frequency times duration times cost — and you decide based on numbers.
What happens to the people who used to do this?
In practice, a position rarely disappears — the part of the work that nobody liked disappears. The time goes into things there was never time for before.
Do we have to buy new software for this?
Usually not. Most of it runs on the systems you already have, plus an automation layer. We only suggest new software if there's a real gap.
05 — Next
Related pages
- Process automation — Overview
- Process automation — requirements
- Process automation — Where to start
- Process automation — integration
- Process automation — contract and ownership
- Process automation — Duration
- Process automation — Measuring success
- Process automation — how it works
- AI automation
- CRM integration
- Automate Quote Creation
- All guides
Process automation by region
Next step
Let's talk briefly about whether this makes sense for you.
A twenty-minute conversation is usually enough to clarify whether a project makes sense. If not, we'll say so — that's cheaper for both sides than an offer nobody needs.