When To Automate A Process Vs. Pay For Hourly Support

data cleansing

Business process automation is a trend that continues to grow in popularity among companies of all sizes. 

In 2020, studies found that 66 percent of businesses had used automation for at least one or two of their major processes; a Gartner study predicted that the global hyper automation-enabling software market will reach nearly 600 billion USD in 2022.

Needless to say, most companies are jumping aboard the trend – but is automation the answer in every situation? 

Considering that AI isn’t yet synonymous with the human brain, it’s unlikely that we’ll see a total automation takeover anytime soon. This means that, in many cases, businesses will need to make a decision: automate with software or outsource to hourly support?

It can be a difficult distinction to make, especially in an era where we’ve become so accustomed to delegating tasks to technology. Here, we’ll explore when it’s best to automate a process and when it might be more effective (and cost-efficient) to outsource it instead.

Automation vs. Hourly: What Are the Key Differences?

First, let’s define our terms. Automation is the use of technology to complete a task without human intervention; in business, this usually means using software to complete a process that would otherwise be completed manually. 

Hourly support, on the other hand, is paying another person or company to complete a task for you – often on an as-needed basis.

Under the umbrella of ‘hourly’, you’ve got internal work and outsourcing. Internal hourly support would be something like hiring a part-time employee to complete a task, whereas outsourcing is paying an outside vendor or freelancer – like us, ProsperSpark – to do it for you.

There are a few key differences between automation and hourly that are important to consider when making a decision about which to use.

Cost

In many cases, automation will be the cheaper option upfront. You’re investing in software (or a one-time service fee) rather than paying someone hourly; plus, once it’s set up, you won’t have any more costs associated with it. 

Hourly support, on the other hand, is an ongoing cost. You’re paying someone for their time, so it will be an ongoing expense. 

However, it’s important to consider the long-term costs of automation as well. In some cases, the initial investment may be higher than what you would pay for hourly support, but over time – especially if you need to make changes or updates to the automation – it could end up costing more.

Quality

When done correctly, automation can help you achieve a higher level of quality and consistency in your processes. If you’re automating something like data entry, for example, you can eliminate human error by ensuring that the data is always entered correctly. 

With hourly support, you’re relying on someone else to complete the task, so there’s always the potential for human error.

Time

Automation can help you save time by completing tasks quickly and efficiently. In many cases, it can even eliminate the need for manual input altogether. You’re also saving time on arranging and managing hourly support – although, in some cases, the initial set-up of automation can take longer.

An hourly worker can save you time if they’re someone you regularly use to complete tasks or they’re particularly efficient at what they do.

Flexibility

Automation is inflexible by nature. Once it’s set up, it will complete the task in the same way every time. If you need to make changes, you’ll need to go in and update the automation. 

You can be far more flexible with hourly support. If you need to make changes to the way a task is completed, you can simply communicate those changes to the person completing the task.

Ease of Use

It can be quite complicated to set up automation, especially if you’re not particularly tech-savvy. Even if you are, it can still take some time to get everything up and running smoothly. 

Hourly support is generally much easier to use. In most cases, all you need to do is send over the task and someone else will complete it for you. Keep in mind, however, that you’ll need to be clear about what you want and how you want it done; if not, it could take longer or cost more than expected.

Now that we’ve explored the key differences between automation and hourly support, let’s dive into when you should use each one.

When To Use Automation

Now that we’re well into the digital age, it’s increasingly tempting to buy a software program or online service to automate nearly every business process. After all, automating processes is guaranteed to save your company time and money – right?

Well, not necessarily. If you look at businesses using artificial intelligence, machine learning, and automation, you’ll find that they’re using these tools for a particular set of tasks. Some of the most common business processes that are automated include:

Data Entry and Management

Most companies, if not all, have to handle and store large amounts of data. This task is often automated using software that can quickly and accurately input data into the system, as well as keep track of it and update it as needed.

There’s no need for human input when it comes to data entry and management – machines can do it faster and more accurately, so it makes sense to automate this process.

Customer Service and Support

Another common business process that’s often automated is customer service and support. Automated customer service can take the form of chatbots, which are becoming increasingly popular.

Chatbots are able to handle a wide range of customer queries and requests, and they’re available 24/7. This means that your customers can get the help they need when they need it, without having to wait for someone to become available.

Accounting and Finance

Financial tasks are ripe for automation, as there are often set rules and procedures that can be followed. Automating these tasks can free up time for your employees to focus on more strategic tasks.

Some of the most common financial processes that are automated include invoicing, payments, and expense reports.

Marketing

There are a number of marketing tasks that can be automated, including email marketing, social media campaigns, and targeted ads. Automating these tasks can help you to save time and to stay on top of your marketing efforts.

What all of these tasks have in common is that they’re relatively simple and straightforward. They don’t require a lot of human intervention or decision-making, and they can be easily handled by machines.

They also:

  • Are not high-stakes in terms of the company’s reputation or survival
  • Are not reliant on human characteristics like empathy or creativity
  • Are based on a set of consistent rules that can be easily programmed and followed

So, when should you automate?

At the moment, McKinsey estimates that roughly 50 percent of business tasks can be automated with the level of technology that’s currently available. So, which are the best candidates for automation in your business?

To start, consider which tasks are most time-consuming and expensive for your employees. These are the tasks that are prime candidates for automation. You should also look at processes that are prone to human error – automating these can help to improve accuracy and efficiency.

Finally, consider which tasks could be automated but would still require some level of human intervention. For example, you may want to automate the task of sending out customer surveys but still have a human being available to answer any follow-up questions.

When Not To Automate

Where you do not want to automate is any situation in which accuracy is required, but not guaranteed. This is because humans are still better than machines when it comes to making decisions that require intuition, empathy, and creativity – and if you’ve got a task that requires absolute accuracy, you need to be sure that it can be achieved.

For example, imagine you want to automate the extraction of text from PDFs, but any inaccuracy would be detrimental to your business. In this case, it would be better to outsource the task to a human being who can guarantee accuracy. 

Why? Because PDFs are inconsistent in quality by nature and often require a human touch to be converted into usable data.

In other words, if the task is important enough that even a small error could have major consequences, it’s probably not a good candidate for automation.

When To Hire Hourly Support

Considering the criteria we’ve just laid out, it should be no surprise that the main tasks delegated to hourly support staff are those that require a human touch and impeccable accuracy.

Here are some common examples:

  • Searching through unstructured data (like images, videos, and text) for specific information
  • Extracting data from hard-to-parse sources (like PDFs or scanned documents)
  • Performing research tasks that require intuition and creativity
  • Responding to customer inquiries that require empathy

In each of these cases, the task is important enough that even a small error could have major consequences. As a result, it’s best to leave them to human beings who can guarantee accuracy.

Thought Process for Decision-Making

When faced with the decision, ‘to automate or not to automate?’, what should your thinking process be? Here’s a quick step-by-step:

  1. Define the task at hand and its objectives. With a complete understanding of what needs to be done, you can more accurately assess whether or not it’s a good candidate for automation.
  2. Consider the potential risks and rewards associated with automating the task. Will an error have major consequences? Is the task time-sensitive? How much will it cost to automate?
  3. Think about the skills required to complete the task. Does it require intuition, empathy, or creativity? Or is it a more mechanical task that can be completed with little room for error?
  4. Browse around for existing solutions. If there’s already a tool that can automate the task with few errors, it might be worth considering. Make sure to also compare the cost of the solution with the cost of hourly support.
  5. Make a decision and test it out. If you decide to automate, start with a small trial to see how well the automation tool performs. If you decide to outsource, find a reputable provider and give them a test run.

Trialing your solution is a crucial part of the process. It will become incredibly clear, very quickly, whether a task should be automated or outsourced. You’ll also get a feel for the nuances of each option and how they can be applied to different types of tasks.

Final Thoughts

We’ve covered a lot of ground in this article, but the decision of ‘to automate or not to automate?’ is still a complex one. In the end, it comes down to taking a step back and thinking about the task at hand, the risks and rewards associated with each option, and the skills required to complete the task. 

With this information in hand, you should be able to make a well-informed decision about which route to take. And remember – if you’re tossing and turning over how to speed up your Excel spreadsheet management, we’re the people to talk to! Get in touch with us today for more information about our high-quality, convenient services.

Enhance Team Coordination with a Shared Calendar

Airtable’s built-in calendar goes beyond a simple scheduling tool. It transforms into a powerful hub for task management within your team. Project managers can create timelines, assign deadlines, and set reminders within the calendar view. Team members can access this centralized calendar to view upcoming tasks, track project progress, and collaborate seamlessly. This eliminates the need for multiple calendars and ensures everyone is on the same page, fostering efficient project execution.

Real-World Examples:

  • Marketing Team Campaign Management: Create a shared calendar to visualize brainstorming sessions, content creation deadlines, social media posting schedules, and campaign launch dates. This keeps everyone aligned and ensures a smooth marketing rollout.
  • Sales Team Activity Tracking: Use the calendar to track sales calls, client meetings, and follow-up deadlines. This allows managers to monitor individual and team performance, identify potential roadblocks, and provide timely support.

  • Product Development Team Sprint Planning: Block out dedicated times for user interviews, design sprints, development cycles, and testing phases on the shared calendar. This transparency ensures everyone involved knows what’s happening at each stage and fosters collaboration.

  • Customer Support Team Shift Scheduling: Create a visual schedule for customer support representatives, including breaks, training sessions, and planned maintenance windows. This ensures adequate coverage during peak hours and avoids customer service disruptions.

  • Content Creation Team Editorial Calendar: Manage a shared calendar for brainstorming sessions, content assignment deadlines, editing and revision cycles, and publication dates. This keeps the content creation process organized and on track.

Simplify Resource Management with Custom Spreadsheets

Airtable’s true strength lies in its ability to transform traditional spreadsheets into dynamic tools for resource management. Gone are the days of static data! Airtable spreadsheets can be customized with various field types, including formulas and automation. Teams can track project budgets, allocate resources efficiently, and monitor project timelines, all within a single, adaptable workspace. This level of customization empowers teams to manage resources effectively and identify potential roadblocks before they arise.

Real-World Examples:

  • Project Budget Tracking: Craft a custom spreadsheet to track project expenses, categorize costs, and compare them to allocated budgets. This allows for real-time financial health monitoring and facilitates informed resource allocation decisions.

  • Team Member Capacity Planning: Design a spreadsheet to visualize team member workloads, including deadlines, project assignments, and estimated time commitments. This helps identify potential bottlenecks, distribute tasks efficiently, and avoid overallocation of resources.

  • Inventory Management: Create a custom spreadsheet to track inventory levels, reorder points, and supplier information. This ensures you have the necessary resources in stock when needed and avoids stockouts or excessive storage costs.

  • Client Project Profitability Analysis: Develop a spreadsheet to track project costs, billable hours, and client fees. This facilitates profitability analysis for individual projects and helps identify areas for improvement in resource allocation for future client engagements.

  • Scenario Planning and Resource Forecasting: Build a custom spreadsheet to model different project scenarios and their resource requirements. This allows you to anticipate potential resource needs, plan for contingencies, and make data-driven decisions about resource allocation.

Boost Productivity through Automation

Airtable automates repetitive tasks, freeing up valuable time for your team to focus on high-impact activities. Imagine automatically sending task reminders, assigning new projects based on workload, or generating reports based on predefined criteria. Airtable’s robust automation features allow you to streamline workflows and eliminate manual data entry, boosting overall team productivity.

Real-World Examples:

  • Automated Task Management: Automatically create tasks in a to-do list when a new record is added to a specific Airtable base. This eliminates manual data entry and streamlines your workflow.

  • Email Reminders and Notifications: Automate sending email reminders or notifications based on deadlines or specific field changes in your Airtable base. This ensures you and your team stay on top of important tasks and upcoming events.

  • Data Pre-Population and Field Updates: Use automation to pre-populate fields with default values or automatically update related fields based on user selections. This reduces manual data entry errors and saves time.

  • Data Aggregation and Reporting: Automate the process of collecting and summarizing data from different Airtable bases into a single report. This saves time on manual data manipulation and provides a consolidated view of key metrics.

  • Content Approval Workflows: Create automated workflows that route content for review and approval based on pre-defined criteria. This streamlines the content creation process and ensures timely feedback and approvals.

Keep Projects Aligned with Real-Time Updates

Airtable Sync ensures your teams are constantly working with the latest information. This innovative feature lets you link projects across different bases, enabling real-time updates. No more refreshing pages or chasing down the newest document version – Airtable Sync keeps everyone in the loop, fostering smoother collaboration and faster project completion.

Real-World Examples:

  • Centralized Project Hub: Consolidate all project-related information in a single Airtable base, including tasks, deadlines, files, and discussions. With real-time updates, everyone can access the latest project information, fostering transparency and alignment.
  • Dynamic Dashboards and Reporting: Develop dashboards that automatically update with the latest Airtable data. This provides a real-time view of project progress, metrics, and potential roadblocks, allowing for data-driven decision-making and course correction.

  • Automated Dependency Management: Set up automations to track dependencies between tasks within your Airtable base. When a dependent task is completed, the automation can trigger updates or notifications for subsequent tasks, ensuring a smooth workflow and everyone stays on the same page.

  • Streamlined Communication and Feedback: Leverage Airtable’s commenting features to provide real-time feedback directly on tasks, files, or project updates within the platform. This eliminates the need for separate communication channels and ensures all project conversations are documented and centralized.

  • Collaborative Brainstorming and Planning: Use Airtable as a collaborative workspace where team members can brainstorm ideas, add notes, and update plans in real time. This fosters a dynamic and interactive environment where everyone can contribute and see the project evolve continuously.

Organize Workspaces by Linking Records

Airtable goes beyond simple data storage, allowing users to create relationships between records. Imagine linking customer information to related sales orders or connecting project tasks to their corresponding deadlines. This functionality fosters organization within your workspace, making tracking dependencies and visualizing project flow easier. Additionally, Airtable offers pre-built templates with pre-defined relationships, saving you time and ensuring a well-structured workspace from the outset.

Real-World Examples:

  • Content Management System: Create a system where content ideas in a brainstorming base are linked to corresponding production stages in a separate base. This allows you to track the progress of content pieces seamlessly across the entire creation process.

  • Sales Pipeline Management: Link opportunities in your sales pipeline to relevant customer information in a separate CRM base. This provides a holistic view of each prospect and streamlines the sales process.

  • Bug Tracking and Development Workflow: Link bug reports to corresponding tasks assigned to developers. This allows developers to easily access all relevant information for each bug fix and track the progress of their work.

  • Event Planning and Vendor Management: Link event details to specific vendors involved in the planning. This keeps track of all associated vendors, their services, and any communication threads related to each event.

  • Research Project Management: Link research topics to relevant source materials, such as articles or data sets. This allows researchers to easily access and reference the sources used for each aspect of their project.

Flexible Task Scheduling Options to Suit Any Project

Not all projects require the same management style. Airtable caters to this by offering a variety of task-scheduling options. Choose from list views for a simple overview, Kanban boards for visualizing workflow stages, Gantt charts for tracking project timelines, or gallery views for showcasing creative assets. This flexibility allows teams to select the view best suits their project management style and needs.

Real-World Example:

  • Agile Development Sprints: Airtable’s flexible scheduling allows you to define sprints (iterations) within your project base. Tasks can be assigned due dates within each sprint, enabling agile development teams to manage short work cycles and adapt to changing priorities.

  • Freelancer Project Management: Assign tasks with flexible deadlines based on freelancer availability and project milestones. This approach caters to the dynamic nature of freelance work, ensuring clear expectations while accommodating individual schedules.

  • Content Marketing Calendar: Schedule blog posts, social media content, and other marketing materials with specific publish times or deadlines. Airtable’s flexibility accommodates recurring tasks and seasonal content, ensuring a consistent and well-paced marketing strategy.

  • Event Planning with Staggered Deadlines: Manage complex event logistics with tasks due at various stages leading up to the event date. This could include tasks for venue booking months in advance and social media promotion closer to the event.

  • Long-Term Project Roadmaps: Airtable’s flexible scheduling isn’t limited to short-term tasks. Outline major project milestones and phases with tentative due dates, providing a high-level roadmap that can adapt as the project progresses.

Centralized Documentation for Easy Collaboration

Airtable isn’t just for data – it can also house all your project-related documents, images, videos, and files. This eliminates the need for scattered folders and email attachments, centralizing everything in one easily accessible location. Team members can collaborate on documents in real time, add comments, and ensure everyone has the latest version readily available. This fosters a culture of transparency and streamlines communication within your team.

Real-World Examples:

  • Single Source of Truth: Consolidate all project-related documents, such as meeting notes, design specifications, and user manuals, within a dedicated Airtable base. This ensures everyone can access the latest and most accurate information, eliminating confusion and wasted time searching for scattered documents.

  • Version Control and Revision History: Airtable tracks changes to documents stored within bases. This allows teams to collaborate on documents in real-time, see revision history, and revert to previous versions if necessary. This fosters transparency and prevents accidental overwrites.

  • Inline Collaboration and Feedback: Airtable facilitates document collaboration directly within the platform. Team members can add comments, suggestions, and questions on specific sections of documents, streamlining feedback exchange and eliminating the need for separate communication channels.

  • Conditional Content Visibility: Leverage Airtable’s view functionality to control document visibility based on user roles or project phases. This ensures team members only see the information relevant to their tasks, reducing information overload and maintaining a focused workspace.

  • Centralized Knowledge Base Creation: Develop a comprehensive knowledge base within Airtable to store best practices, FAQs, and troubleshooting guides. This centralized repository empowers team members to find answers independently, reducing the need for repetitive questions and promoting knowledge sharing across the organization.

Expand Functionality with Custom Apps

Airtable’s open API unlocks a whole new level of customization. Developers can leverage this API to create custom applications that fit your business needs perfectly. Imagine integrating your CRM system with Airtable for seamless customer data flow or connecting your project management tool for a unified workflow. The possibilities are endless, allowing you to tailor Airtable to your unique business processes and maximize its functionality for your team.

Real-World Examples:

  • Advanced Data Integration: Airtable offers robust built-in integrations, but the Open API allows for even deeper connections. Imagine a custom app that pulls real-time weather data from an external API and integrates it with your project timelines in Airtable. This could be crucial for construction projects where weather can significantly impact scheduling.

  • Customizable Workflows and Automations: While Airtable automations are powerful, they might not handle every complex scenario. The API allows you to build custom apps that trigger multi-step workflows based on specific events in your Airtable base. This could involve sending automated notifications to multiple channels or initiating external actions upon data changes.

  • Machine Learning and AI Integration: The API allows you to incorporate machine learning or AI functionalities into your Airtable workflows. Imagine a custom app that analyzes customer support data in your Airtable base and suggests potential solutions or categorizes incoming tickets based on sentiment analysis.

  • Custom User Interfaces and Branding: Airtable offers a functional interface, but the API allows you to develop custom apps with a user interface tailored to your specific needs and branding. This could be crucial for creating public-facing portals or client dashboards that seamlessly integrate with your Airtable data.

  • Advanced Data Analytics and Reporting: Airtable’s built-in reporting features are useful, but for in-depth data analysis, you might require more. The API allows you to connect your Airtable data with powerful analytics tools. This could involve building custom dashboards with interactive visualizations or generating comprehensive reports that go beyond Airtable’s native capabilities.

 

Conclusion

Airtable offers a powerful and versatile toolkit that can revolutionize your company’s operations. By implementing the strategies outlined above, you can streamline workflows, optimize resource allocation, and foster seamless team collaboration. Imagine a work environment where everyone has access to the latest information, tasks are completed efficiently, and projects stay on track. Airtable can be the key to unlocking this efficiency level and propelling your business towards sustainable growth.

But what if Airtable’s pre-built features aren’t quite what your team needs?  ProsperSpark’s team of Airtable consultants and developers can help.  We craft custom Airtable solutions tailored to any team’s needs and workflows.  Whether you need help with automation, data management, or building a complex project management system, ProsperSpark can turn your Airtable vision into reality.

Here are a few more resources to learn more about Airtable and its potential for your business:

ProsperSpark’s Airtable Consulting Services

Airtable for Beginners Guide

Airtable Community Forum

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