Throughout history, humans have relied on repetitive actions and tasks to fulfill daily duties. This isn’t just a modern phenomenon; our ancestors used rituals—repeated actions—to get the job done. While these rituals provide reliability and comfort, they aren’t great for companies focused on efficiency. Businesses thrive on creativity and problem-solving, not monotonous tasks. Here are four actionable steps to help you automate the boring stuff at work using the DRY (Don’t Repeat Yourself) framework, freeing your mind for more meaningful work.
Step 1: Identify Repetitive Tasks
Take a week to document crucial tasks and steps you take to complete work assignments. Note the ones that are repeated frequently, especially those that make you feel miserable. If these tasks are so simple that even a trained monkey could do them, add them to your list.
Step 2: Analyze Their Automation Potential
Evaluate the tasks for their automation potential by considering the following criteria:
- Volume: Is the task repeated often?
- Consistency: Is the task performed consistently every time?
- Complexity: Can you explain the logic to a 5-year-old?
If the answers to these questions are yes, the task is a good candidate for automation.
Step 3: Implement and Iterate
Identify the tools and stack needed for automation. Start with the software stack your company is comfortable with to develop a minimum viable product (MVP). Use tools like pyRevit, Grasshopper, and Dynamo to quickly prototype the automation. Test the MVP thoroughly to gather feedback from team members.
Step 4: Full Implementation
Once the MVP is successful, scale up. Get programmers in your organization to develop full working packages and deploy them company-wide, starting on a smaller scale. Monitor the impact of the automation by evaluating time savings, error reduction, and cost efficiency.
If you score well on these metrics, you’ve saved yourself and your peers from hours of monotonous work, making work more enjoyable. Automation should be embraced, not feared. While there might be some resistance, the benefits of improved productivity, precision, and employee satisfaction far outweigh the downsides.