Start with friction, not software
The strongest first project is rarely the most impressive demo. It is a frequent workflow with a clear owner, recognisable inputs and an outcome the business already understands.
Use five selection criteria
Score candidate processes before choosing a platform.
- Frequency: how often does the work happen?
- Stability: are the rules understood?
- Cost of delay: what happens when it waits?
- Exception rate: how often does judgement intervene?
- Evidence: can improvement be measured?
Design the exception path first
A dependable automation does not assume every case is normal. It explains what happens when information is missing, a system is unavailable or confidence is too low.