Practical guides for improving everyday work

When not to automate a business process

Automation is useful when it carries a sound process. It is risky when it hides unresolved decisions or unreliable information.

Week beginning Monday: 20 July 2026

Why approvals get lost in email—and what to do instead

Email can carry an approval request, but it rarely provides a reliable shared view of status, evidence and next ownership.

Retrospective edition

Week beginning Monday: 6 July 2026

What to prepare before speaking with an automation consultant

A useful first conversation starts with the work, the people affected and the result you need—not a list of technologies.

Retrospective edition

Week beginning Monday: 29 June 2026

When connecting existing tools is better than building software

If the tools already do their individual jobs well, the missing piece may be the handoff between them.

Retrospective edition

Week beginning Monday: 22 June 2026

How to map a business process without technical knowledge

A useful process map explains what starts the work, who acts, what they decide and what outcome finishes the process.

Retrospective edition

Week beginning Monday: 15 June 2026

Spreadsheet, workflow tool or custom system?

A spreadsheet, configured workflow tool and custom system each solve different levels of coordination and control.

Retrospective edition

Week beginning Monday: 8 June 2026

What should a small business automate first?

The best first automation is usually a stable, repeated process with a clear owner and a visible result.

Retrospective edition

Week beginning Monday: 1 June 2026

Seven signs a manual process is costing your business time

Manual work is not automatically bad. The warning signs appear when the same process repeatedly creates delay, rework or uncertainty.

Retrospective edition

Week beginning Monday: 25 May 2026