“Our processes change too often to automate”

COO · Integration and automation

A COO whose processes change every quarter is worried about automating something that's out of date before it goes live, and in a fast-moving business that's a real risk. Don't argue that their processes are more stable than they think. Start with the stable part: ask which steps haven't changed in the last year, and begin there.

What the buyer says

Our processes change every quarter. By the time it's automated, it'll be out of date.

How to handle it

Listen

Hear "by the time it's automated". The worry is how long automation takes to build and change, not whether automation is useful.

Acknowledge

Agree that automating a process that keeps changing can waste effort, and that the business shouldn't slow down to suit its tools.

Explore

Ask which parts of their processes actually change each quarter, and which have stayed the same: approvals, hand-offs, data entry, notifications. Ask how long it takes them to change a process today, and what that change involves.

Respond

Start with the steps that don't change, and show how quickly a change can be made when a process does move on. Be specific about who can make the changes, and how long they take.

Say this
“That makes sense. You don't want to automate something that's out of date by the time it's live.”

Say this
“Which steps haven't changed in the last year?”

Say this
“When a process does change, who updates it today, and how long does that take?”

Variations

Head of Operations: “We're still working out how we do things. It's too early to automate.”
Head of Customer Service: “Our processes change every time the product does.”

Questions people ask

How do you respond when a buyer says their processes change too often to automate?

Agree that automating a moving process can waste effort. Ask which steps have stayed the same and start there, then show how quickly the automation can be changed when the process moves on, and who can make the change.

Should you automate a process that changes often?

Often, yes, but in parts. The steps that stay the same, such as approvals, hand-offs and data entry, are usually good places to start, as long as the automation is easy to change when the rest of the process moves on.