Automation isn't just for large enterprises. SMEs can save hundreds of hours annually by automating repetitive tasks. Here are 10 processes to start with.
1. Invoice Processing
Current Pain: Manual data entry, filing, approvals
Solution: OCR to extract invoice data, automatic matching with POs, approval workflows
Tools: N8N + Google Sheets, or dedicated platforms like Dext
Time Saved: 5-10 hours/week
2. Lead Qualification
Current Pain: Manually reviewing every inquiry
Solution: Scoring leads based on criteria, auto-routing to sales or nurture sequences
Tools: HubSpot, Pipedrive, or custom N8N workflows
Time Saved: 3-5 hours/week
3. Customer Onboarding
Current Pain: Manual emails, document collection, setup
Solution: Automated welcome sequences, document requests, account provisioning
Tools: Customer.io, Intercom, custom integrations
Time Saved: 2-4 hours per customer
4. Social Media Posting
Current Pain: Logging into each platform, posting manually
Solution: Schedule posts in advance, cross-post automatically
Tools: Buffer, Hootsuite, or N8N + native APIs
Time Saved: 5 hours/week
5. Report Generation
Current Pain: Exporting data, creating charts, compiling reports
Solution: Automated dashboards, scheduled email reports
Tools: Metabase, Google Data Studio, custom scripts
Time Saved: 4-8 hours/week
6. Employee Onboarding
Current Pain: Creating accounts, sending documents, scheduling training
Solution: Triggered workflows when new employee added to HRIS
Tools: BambooHR, Rippling, or custom integrations
Time Saved: 4-6 hours per hire
7. Customer Support Triage
Current Pain: Reading every ticket, routing manually
Solution: AI categorization, auto-responses for common issues, smart routing
Tools: Intercom, Zendesk, custom AI integration
Time Saved: 10+ hours/week
8. Data Backup & Sync
Current Pain: Manual exports, copying between systems
Solution: Scheduled backups, real-time sync between platforms
Tools: N8N, Zapier, custom scripts
Time Saved: 2-3 hours/week
9. Meeting Scheduling
Current Pain: Back-and-forth emails to find times
Solution: Share booking links, automatic calendar sync
Tools: Calendly, Cal.com, SavvyCal
Time Saved: 2-5 hours/week
10. Expense Reporting
Current Pain: Collecting receipts, manual entry, approvals
Solution: Mobile receipt scanning, automatic categorization, approval workflows
Tools: Expensify, Spendesk, custom solutions
Time Saved: 3-5 hours/week
Getting Started
Pick one process that causes the most pain. Automate it. Then move to the next. We help businesses design and implement automation workflows. Let's discuss your pain points.