Automation is one of the promises that attracts people to ecommerce. It is also one of the easiest ways to hide a broken process. A tool can move data and trigger actions, but it cannot decide what the process should be.
I want the work performed manually enough times to understand the normal path, common exceptions, and decision points.
Document the current process
Write down what starts the process, who owns it, which information is required, what a good result looks like, and how failures are handled. Record a short screen walkthrough if the steps are visual.
Remove before you automate
Ask whether the step should exist. Ask whether two approvals can become one, whether the source data can be corrected, or whether the customer can receive a clearer answer earlier. The cheapest automation is deleting unnecessary work.
Automate the predictable middle
- Moving known data between systems
- Sending status notifications
- Creating tasks when conditions are met
- Flagging exceptions for a human
- Producing recurring operating reports
Keep a human at expensive decision points
Refunds, supplier disputes, high-value quotes, unusual fraud signals, and sensitive customer situations deserve judgment. The system should assemble the context and surface the decision, not pretend every case is identical.