Where to start with process automation
You do not need a transformation programme. You need one painful, repetitive process and a fortnight.
Pick the process everyone complains about
The best first automation is the one your team already dislikes: re-keying invoices, chasing approvals by email, copying data between two systems. It is visible, measurable, and the people doing it will champion the change.
Map it before you automate it
Spend an hour walking through the process end to end with the people who run it. Many automation wins turn out to be steps that can simply be removed.
Use the tools you already pay for
If you are on Microsoft 365, Power Automate and Power Apps are already in your licence. A workflow that routes approvals, posts to Teams and writes to SharePoint can be live in days, not months.
Measure hours saved, then tell people
Track the time the manual process took and report the hours returned each month. It builds the case for the next automation and keeps momentum.