The do's and don'ts of automations in program management

Automations leverage technology to perform tasks without direct human intervention. In the context of program management, automations use tools and systems to streamline routine and repetitive tasks, enhance efficiency, and improve overall performance. They allow program managers and teams to focus on higher-value, strategic planning, instead of manual work. 

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Here are example automations you’ve probably seen, or use:

• Automated Slack notifications
• A weekly, automated email report sent to your team

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Why are automations beneficial?

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At minimum, they save time. 

In their full glory, they lead to increased efficiency, reduced error, and enhanced scalability. If you’re able to reduce time spent on manual tasks, you can easily put that time back into enhancing your program. 

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Here’s what you should keep in mind when building:

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✅ Do: Begin with smaller, well-defined processes 

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As with many things, it’s best to start simple, especially if you’re implementing automations for the first time.  

Automations are most effective for tasks that follow a predictable pattern and can be precisely defined, so review your daily tasks and determine where you can slot in a quick win.

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❌ Don’t: Do it just to do it 

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Automations are great tools, but they’re not required. Don’t implement automations unless it actually makes sense for your program.

Ask yourself: is this a repetitive, time-consuming task? How frequently am I performing this task? Will this mitigate human error? 

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✅ Do: Establish a schedule for regular updates, maintenance, and monitoring

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Continuously monitor the performance of your automation to ensure that it’s not only working, but working as expected. There have been many instances where I go to make an update and realize the automation was turned off the whole time. 

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❌ Don’t: Implement without considering future scalability needs

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Your automation should grow with your program, not against it. The last thing you want is an automation that becomes a bottleneck as your program continues to grow. The more scalable your automation is, the more flexibility it lends to business shifts and updates.

If you’re building out an employee onboarding system, you’ll probably start with simple automated emails. As the company grows, you want to make sure you can build on top, not in resistance to, the automations you initially set up.  

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✅ Do: Communicate with team members involved in, or affected by, the automation

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Teach people about the automation. Tell them how it works. Show them how they'll be impacted (or not). Some teams might want this documented, some may want a quick Loom for instructions. Either way, let your teammates know what this thing is.

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❌ Don’t: Skip thorough testing before deployment

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Test your automations. Then test them again. You need to make sure they work or you're going to spend more trying to fix them post implementation.