// Preparing for an automation audit
What to prepare before an automation audit
Bring a process, representative examples and a definition of success. A large technical specification is not required.
agentoriq · Practical guide · 3 min read
Choose one process with clear boundaries
An audit is easier to use when it starts with a particular handoff rather than a list of tools. Choose a repeated task and describe its beginning and end. For example: a signed proposal arrives, and the team needs a complete onboarding checklist. Name the person who performs the work today and the person who decides whether the finished result is correct.
Show how the work happens today
Write down the steps in their current order, including copying data, waiting for replies and checking exceptions. Note which application holds the authoritative value when the same field appears in several places. Bring a normal example and a few awkward ones: missing information, a duplicate request or a change after approval. These often reveal requirements that a polished process diagram leaves out.
Prepare examples without unnecessary exposure
Use representative samples with personal or confidential details removed wherever those details are not needed. Preserve the structure that matters: field names, document layout, attachment types and realistic missing values. Explain where the data originates and who may use it. Do not send passwords in an audit brief. Access arrangements should follow a defined scope and use only the permissions the work requires.
Agree what improvement would mean
Estimate how often the process runs and observe how much active work a typical item needs. Separate hands-on effort from waiting time. Then choose a practical success measure, such as fewer missing onboarding fields or less manual copying. Record the starting measurement method so the pilot can use the same one. A rough, clearly labelled estimate is more useful than an unsupported promise of savings.
Example: preparing a client onboarding process
Imagine a team creates a folder, copies contact details and assigns tasks whenever a new client accepts a proposal. Bring the existing checklist, an anonymised proposal and an example of a delayed start. Decide who approves the project details before tasks are created. A sensible first pilot might prepare a draft checklist for review while leaving external messages and account access with the owner.
Leave the audit with a testable first scope
The output should identify the trigger, required inputs, intended result, owner and fallback. Agree what the pilot will not do, how exceptions will be handled and which examples must pass before rollout. Assign someone to review the first runs. You are ready to begin when everyone can explain how a successful run looks and how to recover from an unsuccessful one.