How to automate internal processes at your startup?

As your startup grows, the processes that worked initially slowly start breaking down. So how do we tackle it? - By automating your internal processes.

When?

So, automating & building for scale from Day 1 of your startup is a mistake. You are going to be tweaking many processes and even getting rid of some. So, wait for internal flows to stabilise and then identify the tasks that suck the most amount of your time.

How?

But yes, then manual processes will cause errors, cost you new initiatives, and become more challenging. So, in the report, we break it into:

Identifying areas to automate
Finding the right tools
Of course, implementing the automation

We discuss these three steps including the usage of CRMs, Airtable, and Zapier/Integromat.

Additional Context

I also share, multiple other tools that supercharge processes! All this in this report. It is just 5 mins, as promised :).

The entire tech @Flexipletweets built on #Nocode.

Tools used:
1. @zoho
2. @airtable
3. Other use case-based tools connected with @zapier + @integromat

So, I want to share the advantages & the process of automating internal systems.

Thread👇🏽

Report: https://t.co/8c7a9OVf03
— Karthik Sridharan (@KarthikS2206) November 4, 2020

No-VC Report #11

Problem🤕

I want to automate internal processes to save time that can then be invested in better activities.

Solution🕵️

CRM solutions along with other modern no-code tools can build a solid backend infrastructure for your startup. The key is being able to identify the tasks for which automation actually makes sense.

Why and when to worry about this?⏱️

a. Rationale

Manual processes might be required to ensure quality in a startup, especially in the early stages. But later on, they can get quite painful and eat into your bandwidth to take up other initiatives. Finding smart ways to automate tasks can save you an immense amount of time, avoid manual errors, and allow you to scale.

b. Timing

Automating & building for scale from day 1 of your startup is a mistake. You are going to be tweaking many processes and even getting rid of some. So, wait for internal flows to stabilise and then recognise the tasks that suck the most amount of your time.

Further, building automation takes time. Therefore, pick this up when you don't have other important initiatives or when manual processes are just not tenable anymore.

Tools

Platforms to search for tools:

CRMs

Other core tools

Specific use case tools

Implementation 🔨

a. Realistic expectation

Automations take time to put in place and can disrupt processes if set up poorly. So, test it extensively. Also, start small - begin with less critical flows. For the more important tasks, automate piece by piece instead of taking up the tough job of automating the entire flow at once.

b. Process

Of course, the setup for each startup will be different. However, the approach can be broadly broken down into three steps:

i. Identifying areas to automate

ii. Finding the right tools for automation

iii. Implementing the automation

i. Identifying areas to automate

These are manual workflows that you realise are one or more of the following:

Repetitive in nature

For e.g. Moving data from forms to your CRM

Take a substantial amount of time

For e.g. Looking through multiple LinkedIn profiles to find your ideal lead

Result in errors when done manually

For e.g. Manual tagging of data based on defined rules

Worked at a small scale but are increasingly getting challenging

For e.g. Scheduling of meetings, Candidate recommendations for a HR firm

ii. Finding the right tools for automation

Next, finding the right tool is key. For this you can look at:

Tool repositories such as Product Hunt and Remote Tools
The marketplaces of your CRMs, as most popular CRMs already have readymade add-ons
Communities like IndieHackers, RemoteClan, etc. stating your specific use case so that others can suggest one based on their experience

iii. Implementing the automation

Since we can't examine the exact automation of your startup, we instead focus on the popular tools and how/where they can be used.

CRMs

Typically, startups start with Google Sheets and realise the need for structure as they grow
Among other reasons, CRMs bring structure to data by:

Cleaner interface with better organisation of data
Restriction on the type of values fields can take
Regulating internal access to data
Easy data analysis

Based on certain criteria some of the automations you can set up in a CRM include:

Pre-defined yet customised mails to leads
Auto-allotment of leads internally
Prioritisation of leads through scoring, etc.

Airtable

As discussed in an earlier report, Airtable can be understood as an advanced Google Sheets
It can function as a CRM, but when multiple people access it, its easy editing interface puts the data at risk
A typical way to use Airtable's automation includes:

Collecting data from its form
Using its smart "Views" functionality to segregate data & setup automations accordingly
For more advanced flows, its new "script block" can be used
Overall, the criteria you can use are far more advanced than a CRM, as almost any excel formula is implementable

Zapier/ Integromat

As discussed in an earlier report, these function as the glue connecting different tools
Many times you can't implement automations only with CRMs & Airtable