This article was written by Maximilian Flightman. Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) Members based in Berlin, Germany. He is the managing partner of wizard ventures and co-founder Freshly bakedis a specialized AI and automation consulting firm that helps leading companies grow faster and more efficiently. what is this fleetman had to say about How to integrate AI and automation into your business today.
AI is not the future. It is now, and it is changing the way businesses operate today.
From startups to large corporations, companies are using AI to automate tasks that once took entire teams and countless hours.
Most founders already know that AI has the potential to improve their business. But with all the hype around AI, it’s hard to know where to start. Fortunately, you don’t need a complex system, a big budget, or a team of engineers to start automating. Automation starts with workflows: the tasks and processes that keep your business running smoothly. Understanding how work gets done makes implementing AI much easier.
Here are six practical steps to start automating parts of your business this quarter.
1. Audit repetitive tasks.
Create a list of daily tasks for the entire team. AI automation is best suited for repetitive, predictable tasks that don’t require a lot of creativity, such as:
- Scheduling a meeting
- Update data in your CRM or spreadsheet
- Answer common customer questions
- Project management tool updates
- Generate and summarize performance reports
To cover all the bases, get input from different teams by asking, “What items on your weekly to-do list would you like to take over?” Once you have your list, prioritize which tasks to automate. To do this, create a scorecard in a spreadsheet and copy the list into one column.
Next, add columns and assign each task a score from 1 (low) to 5 (high) based on:
- Frequency: How often does it happen? (daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, yearly)
- Time: How long does it take?
- Effort: How tedious or labor intensive is it?
- Impact: How important is it to your business?
Adding columns gives you a priority score to help you decide what to automate first. Generally, higher scores indicate ripeness for automation.
Identifying repetitive tasks is just the starting point. Many automation projects fail if you jump to tools without understanding the workflow you’re trying to automate.
Instead, map those core processes first. Then choose the automation platform that best supports them.
For example, a simple sales workflow might look like this: First, a lead fills out a demo form. The CRM is then updated with the lead’s information. Sales teams review leads and qualify them. Qualified leads then receive a follow-up email and a scheduling link. Calendar events and reminders will be sent, and a sales representative will host a demo.
Mapping your workflows will help you understand how your data moves and which platforms to connect to when setting up automation. This shows you need a tool to connect to your CRM, draft emails, and schedule events.
It also highlights where AI adds value and where human input is more meaningful. Automating parts of this workflow, such as CRM updates, lead scoring, and scheduling, can save time and improve your sales process. Humans can stay in the loop, but AI frees up time so sales teams can focus on demos and other high-impact activities.
3. Start with one task at a time.
Quick wins create momentum. Instead of trying to automate everything, focus on one task at a time. Marketing, operations, and customer service are the areas where automation is most likely to have an immediate impact.
Starting small will avoid confusion and AI overload. You’ll be hooked too. Once you test your automation and understand how much time it saves you, it becomes much easier to see ROI across your organization.
No-code tools have made automation accessible to everyone. AI platforms like Make, Zapier, and ChatGPT Assistant connect tools (CRMs, project management apps, spreadsheets, etc.) and create automation. The best part is that all the work can be done without any code.
Don’t be afraid to experiment early. Select one workflow and test automation for each task. For example, you can use Zapier to move new lead information from a form on your website to your CRM. You can also use ChatGPT or Claude to draft follow-up emails, or connect to Google Calendar to schedule events. As you experiment, pay attention to what works and what doesn’t. Use these insights to improve your workflows and automation.
5. Measure what you save.
Automation is effective when there is a measurable ROI. Before using AI, record the amount of time your team currently spends on a task. Then, after implementing AI, use metrics to track ROI.
- Time saved: How much manual time has AI reduced?
- Reducing errors: How does AI eliminate errors and improve quality?
- Time required: How quickly will the project or task be completed?
- Cost savings: Convert time savings and other efficiency gains into financial value.
Measure employee and customer satisfaction as appropriate. These two metrics reveal how AI has impacted the process. Did your employees become more productive or engaged? Did your customers report a faster, more personalized experience?
6. Continue scaling and iterating.
Treat automation as a living process rather than a one-time project. Once you have a working system, you are ready to clone it and adjust it. AI tools are rapidly improving with each new model, adding features that didn’t exist before. Regularly check what’s working and iterate on it. Review your workflow at least once a quarter and update any changes.
Founders who learn to work with AI, rather than against it, will define the next decade of business.
When done correctly, automation focuses on supporting employees rather than replacing them. Letting AI handle boring tasks frees up your team’s time and energy for more creative and meaningful work.
Start small, measure your effectiveness, and make consistent improvements. The strongest automations do more than just assign AI to individual tasks. Build systems that can be scaled and replicated across your business.
The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own and not those of Inc.com.
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