Automation Pick
A framework for deciding which tasks are worth automating. Most tasks aren't.
When to Use
- Someone says "we should automate this"
- You're tempted to write a script for a one-off task
- Reviewing a backlog of "automate X" requests
- Building automation that turned out to be wrong
Procedure
The Decision Tree
Answer in order. Stop at the first "no".
1. Has this been done manually at least 3 times?
If no → don't automate yet. Do it manually 3 times. Patterns only emerge with repetition.
2. Will it be done ≥10 more times in the next year?
If no → don't automate. Even a 2-hour script doesn't pay back.
3. Does manual execution have a real error cost?
| Cost | Examples | Automate? |
|---|---|---|
| Catastrophic | Billing, security, data loss | ✅ Yes, urgently |
| Annoying | Wrong formatting, missed deadlines | ✅ Yes, eventually |
| Cosmetic | Looks bad | ❌ Probably not |
| Zero | "It would be nice" | ❌ No |
4. Is the task fully understood and deterministic?
If the rules keep changing, or humans make judgement calls → don't automate (yet). Standardize first, automate second.
5. Is the task reversible?
If the automation runs and gets the wrong answer:
- Easy to detect and revert → automate
- Hard to detect, propagates → don't automate without safeguards
The 4-Quadrant Matrix
| Low error cost | High error cost | |
|---|---|---|
| High volume | Automate freely | Automate carefully (with monitoring) |
| Low volume | Don't automate | Don't automate (do it manually + check) |
Worked example
A rejected automation that stops at the first failed question.
Job: rename screenshots every week.
1. Manual runs: 2 -> stop here.
Decision: do not automate yet; log the next three manual runs.
Revisit when manual runs >= 3 and forecast >= 10/year.Anti-patterns
- Writing a script for a task done twice.
- Automating a judgment call with no stable rules.
- Automating an irreversible action with no safeguard.
References
- details
Verification Checklist
- [ ] Manual runs >=3 and forecast >=10/year are recorded. (step 1)
- [ ] Error cost and volume place it in the matrix. (step 3)
- [ ] The task has deterministic rules. (step 4)
- [ ] Reversibility and detection are stated. (step 5)
- [ ] A rejected automation has a reason. (step 1)