PIPELINEGuide
Process Automation: Real-World Examples
How process automation is actually used in the daily operations of small businesses — concrete workflows instead of product promises, including the cases where it didn't work.
In practice, process automation almost always begins with exactly one workflow, not with an overall concept. During the current-state analysis, we regularly find between five and fifteen workflows at small and medium businesses that can be automated with reasonable effort. Expansion only happens once the first step has demonstrably worked in real operations.
01 — Practice
What this looks like in concrete terms
In our current-state analysis, we regularly find between five and fifteen workflows in small and medium businesses that can be automated with reasonable effort.
A typical starting point looks like this: The business names the one workflow that causes the most trouble. Half a day where we observe and take notes. Usually more candidates turn up than expected.
After go-live, we don't expand immediately — we observe. We monitor along with you for the first few weeks and fine-tune. After that it runs, and you only get notified if something gets stuck.
02 — Fit
When it's worth it
- The process in question occurs at least weekly.
- It follows rules you can write down — even if there are exceptions.
- Today it's manual work that no one enjoys doing.
- There's one person who decides, not three who need to coordinate.
- You can name what would tell you it worked.
03 — Scope
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.
04 — Questions
Frequently asked questions
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
05 — Next
Related pages
- Process automation — Overview
- Process automation — requirements
- Process automation — Duration
- Process automation — process
- Process automation — Checklist
- Process automation — provider comparison
- Process automation — team and acceptance
- Process Automation — Common Mistakes
- AI automation
- CRM integration
- Automate Quote Creation
- All guides
Process automation by region
Next step
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