Which processes are poorly suited to automation?

Automation is promoted as something everyone should do more of. There are cases where it is the wrong answer, and they are worth recognizing.

Processes that require judgment

If someone has to assess whether a customer should be granted an exception, this cannot be reduced to a written rule. If you automate the process, human judgment must be replaced by crude criteria, and the outcome will be worse than before.

Changing processes

If the rules are being revised, the workflow will be outdated before it is finished. Wait until things have settled. What is most urgent is rarely what is most mature.

Where errors are costly and detected late

Payments, invoicing, and anything that goes directly to customers. Here, the automation should do the preparation, and a person should approve it. The check takes a few seconds and saves time on cleanup afterward.

What is done twice a year

Even a simple workflow requires setup, documentation, and maintenance. For infrequent tasks, a good checklist is both cheaper and more robust.