The 15-minute test: is this task worth automating?
Not every task should be automated. Score any job in your business in 15 minutes with this simple checklist, and find out if automation will pay off.
Ali Hassan
· 4 min read
Quick answer
A task is worth automating if it happens often, follows the same steps each time, takes real time, and causes problems when it's done late or wrong. Multiply the minutes it takes by how often it happens each month. If that adds up to more than a few hours a month and the steps are clear, it's a good candidate.
Here's something you won't often hear from someone who sells automation: a lot of tasks aren't worth automating.
Some happen too rarely. Some change every time. Some need a person's judgment, and should keep it. Automating those just gives you a fragile system to look after.
So before you spend a cent, give the task 15 minutes and four honest questions.
Step 1: Pick one task (2 minutes)
Not "admin". Not "sales". One specific job, like:
- Sending a welcome email to every new client
- Copying web enquiries into the CRM
- Chasing clients for missing documents
- Building the Friday sales report
If you can't describe it in one sentence, it's probably several tasks. Split it and pick one.
Step 2: Work out the real time (5 minutes)
People almost always guess too low. A task that "takes two minutes" often takes ten once you count opening the apps, finding the right record and fixing the odd mistake.
So time it once, properly, from start to finish. Then count how often it happens in a normal month.
Minutes per time × times per month ÷ 60 = hours per month
A 10-minute task done 40 times a month is almost 7 hours. Every month. That's nearly two full working weeks a year.
Step 3: Ask four questions (5 minutes)
1. Does it follow the same steps almost every time?
If the steps are the same 9 times out of 10, it can be automated. The tenth can go to a person.
2. Is the information already in an app, email or form?
Automation moves information between systems. If the information lives in someone's head, or on paper, there's work to do first.
3. Do mistakes or delays cost you?
A late invoice costs cash flow. A slow reply to a lead can cost the sale. These jobs pay back faster because automation makes them faster and more reliable.
4. Would your team be happy to never do it again?
This one matters more than people think. Jobs nobody enjoys are the ones that get done late, or with mistakes.
Step 4: Score it (3 minutes)
Try it below with a real task from your business.
Try it on one task
Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.
10
hours a month
120
hours a year
Not enough time or too many judgment calls. Keep it manual for now and check again as you grow.
What the score really means
Strong candidate. Lots of time, clear steps. This is where automation shines. Look at what it would cost and how fast it would pay back.
Worth a closer look. There's real time to win, but something's unclear. Often the fix is simple: write the steps down, remove the ones that don't need to happen, and score it again.
Probably not yet. That's a perfectly good answer. Keep doing it by hand, and check again when you grow. Not everything needs a robot.
Tasks that should stay human
Even if they score well, I'd usually keep these with a person:
- Handling complaints or upset customers. Speed helps here, but empathy matters more. Automation can alert the right person instantly. A person should reply.
- Negotiating or pricing big deals. Too much depends on context and relationships.
- Anything you'd be embarrassed to get wrong in public. If a mistake would end up on social media, keep a person in the loop.
A quick example
Did a task score well? Book a free 20-minute call and tell me about it. I'll give you an honest opinion on whether it's worth automating, and if it's not, I'll tell you that too. Wondering which tool it'd run on? Read Zapier vs Make vs custom code.