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Where to Start in Automating Manual Tasks

Where to Start in Automating Manual Tasks

Andrew Walker
March 25, 2025

Don’t overthink it—start with small, high-impact automation wins.
Skip the shiny tech and fix what’s already draining time.
Pilot fast, govern tightly, and build momentum from real results.

For-purpose organisations, similar to their corporate and government counterparts, invariably have pockets of highly manual tasks that tie up staff and volunteers, preventing them from engaging in more meaningful and impactful activities.

Most managers acknowledge that automating these tasks is the easiest way to deliver greater impact with existing resources. However, executives often express apprehension about initiating automation projects.

Common concerns include:

We've tried before, but implementations rarely make a difference and often fail entirely.
Shouldn't we take a holistic approach and analyse all processes comprehensively?
With manual work present everywhere, how do we decide where to start?
How do we effectively govern the automation process?

Taking no action guarantees no improvement, so how do we break this cycle without repeating past mistakes?

Below is an approach to diagnosing and initiating automation effectively.

1. Where to Look

Frontline Staff and Volunteers

For beneficiary-facing roles, I always recommend starting here due to the significant multiplier effect. Saving even a few hours daily across numerous frontline staff or volunteers can significantly amplify organisational impact.

In care and social services, these frontline roles typically include direct care workers. In education, this might involve educators delivering services either in person or remotely. For organisations with large fundraising teams or physical retail outlets (such as pre-loved goods stores), these frontline positions represent prime opportunities for efficiency gains. In food distribution contexts, distribution teams and drivers are similarly impactful targets.

Interviewing a representative cross-section of these staff members usually yields insightful opportunities for improvement.

Team Leaders of Frontline Staff

The next step is examining the management layer behind frontline staff. Team leaders frequently absorb considerable manual administrative tasks, often performing 4-6 hours daily. Addressing these inefficiencies directly translates to freeing up significant leadership time, enabling better management and strategic focus.

High-Value Staff

Additionally, prioritise high-value roles such as fundraising or finance. Recently, I worked with an organisation where a fundraising staff member spent six hours daily on administrative tasks post-sale, none of which added direct value. Automating these processes freed hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. Similarly, reducing administrative burdens in finance departments allows staff to engage in higher-order strategic activities, such as developing impact measurement frameworks.

2. Where to Start

Crucial tips to consider include avoiding common pitfalls:

Don't combine initiatives. Projects typically fail because combined initiatives become costly, slow, risky, and challenging to manage, which demoralises staff due to delayed outcomes.
Focus on one initiative at a time. Change requires significant effort and energy; multiple simultaneous projects can overwhelm and burn out staff at all levels.
Avoid a technology-first approach. Don't start by immediately considering new software purchases, which typically escalate costs and timelines. Often, 90% of the benefit can be realised by optimising existing systems and processes.

Once you've identified 2 or 3 potential improvements, evaluate them through simple, practical comparisons based on time saved multiplied by the number of people affected. Extensive studies or precise financial calculations aren't necessary—just well-informed estimates obtained through discussions with impacted staff.

Typically, initiatives freeing time for high-value activities, such as fundraising, naturally become priorities.

3. Governance

Establishing effective governance during the planning stage significantly influences successful implementation. Clearly define the success criteria of each initiative around measurable outcomes, such as the amount of time freed, rather than system features alone.

Adopt a phased approach. If a simple solution captures 80% of the benefits quickly, implement it first and then progressively address the remaining complexities.

Pilot First: Instead of perfecting solutions initially, validate effectiveness through a small pilot group of proactive staff. This approach reduces risk and accelerates the feedback loop, facilitating incremental improvements.