How to Break Down Work into Tasks That Can Be Automated

Virtually every organization is wrestling and experimenting with automation. But the problem comes in when businesses risk significant collateral damage and minimizing their ROI by trying to automate entire jobs. It’s much better to deconstruct jobs so you can identify the specific tasks that can be automated. How do you know? If the work is repetitive and easily predictable, computers can usually do it faster and with no errors; variable work, like consulting or HR, is not easy to automate. Independent work that doesn’t require collaboration is better for automation, whereas interactive work involving communication skills and empathy is best done by humans. Mental work can usually be automated, but some physical work involves human dexterity or strength. Separating these tasks lets you move on to the harder questions when developing your company’s automation strategy.