Start with the work, not the tool
A useful automation begins with a clear account of what happens today: who provides the input, which decisions are made, where errors appear and what a good output looks like.
Look for recurring friction
Repeated copying, inconsistent naming, delayed reporting and manual reminders are common signals. The right response is not always a larger platform; it may be a better structure, a carefully placed script or a small interface around the existing data.
Reliable automation makes the normal path faster and the exception path clearer.
Design for handover
A working system should make ownership, validation and recovery understandable. Documentation and sensible interfaces are part of the product, not a final extra.