Your First AI Automation in 5 Days

Day 1: Identify Your Automation Target

Morning Session (1 hour)

Task: List all repetitive tasks

Start by creating an inventory of all tasks you or your team do repeatedly:

1. Open the Process Audit Template (download below)

2. Set a timer for 30 minutes

3. Write down every repetitive task you can think of:

   • Tasks you do daily/weekly
   • Tasks that frustrate you
   • Tasks with lots of copy-paste
   • Tasks with clear rules
   • Tasks done by multiple people

4. For each task, note:

   • How often it's done
   • Time it takes
   • Who does it
   • Main pain points

Afternoon Session (1 hour)

Task: Score and prioritize tasks

Now we'll identify the best automation candidate:

Scoring Criteria (1-5 scale):

• Frequency: How often is this done? (5 = daily, 1 = monthly)
• Time Impact: How much time does it take? (5 = hours, 1 = minutes)
• Complexity: How rule-based is it? (5 = very predictable, 1 = requires judgment)
• Pain Level: How frustrating/error-prone? (5 = very, 1 = not at all)
• Impact: How many people affected? (5 = whole team, 1 = just you)

Calculate Total Score (max 25 points)

Your Day 1 Deliverable: Top 3 automation candidates with scores. The highest scoring task becomes your target for this week.

Day 2: Map the Current Process

Morning Session (1 hour)

Task: Document the step-by-step process

For your chosen automation target from Day 1:

1. Open the Process Mapping Template

2. Document every single step (even the tiny ones):

   • What triggers the process?
   • What data/information is needed?
   • What decisions are made?
   • What actions are taken?
   • Where does information come from?
   • Where does it go?
   • What happens if there's an error?

3. Be ruthlessly detailed - automation fails on the steps you forget

Afternoon Session (1 hour)

Task: Identify automation blockers

Look for these common blockers:

• Manual judgment calls (requires human decision)
• Unstructured data (handwritten notes, random emails)
• External dependencies (waiting for people)
• Complex approvals (multi-step sign-offs)

Decision Point: If your process has major blockers, you have two options:

1. Simplify the process first (remove/change blockers)
2. Choose a different automation target (go back to Day 1 list)

Your Day 2 Deliverable:
Complete process map with all steps documented and blockers identified.

Day 3: Choose Your Automation Tool

Morning Session (1 hour)

Task: Match your process to the right tool

Based on your process map, choose the best automation approach:

For Data/File Operations:

• Moving files between folders
• Copying data between spreadsheets
• Renaming files in bulk
• Tool: Zapier, Microsoft Power Automate, or Python scripts

For Web-Based Tasks:

• Filling out web forms
• Extracting data from websites
• Social media posting
• Email management
• Tool: Zapier, IFTTT, or browser automation

For Communication/Scheduling:

• Email sequences
• Calendar scheduling
• Slack/Teams notifications
• Tool: Calendly, Zapier, or built-in platform automation

For Data Processing:

• Calculations and analysis
• Report generation
• Data cleaning
• Tool: Excel/Google Sheets macros, Power BI, or Python

Afternoon Session (1 hour)

Task: Set up your chosen tool

1. Create account for your chosen platform
2. Complete tutorial (most have 10-15 minute quickstarts)
3. Test with simple example (not your target process yet)
4. Verify permissions (can the tool access what it needs?)

Your Day 3 Deliverable: Tool selected, account created, and basic functionality tested.

Day 4: Build and Test Your Automation

Morning Session (1.5 hours)

Task: Build your first automation

Using your process map from Day 2 and tool from Day 3:

1. Start simple - automate just the first 2-3 steps
2. Use test data (don't risk real work yet)
3. Follow the process map exactly
4. Test each step before moving to the next

Common Building Tips:

• Name things clearly (you'll forget what they do)
• Add error handling (what if a file doesn't exist?)
• Include notifications (so you know it ran)
• Save frequently (automation platforms can be glitchy)

Afternoon Session (30 minutes)

Task: Test with real data

1. Use a small, safe sample (1-2 real items)
2. Watch it run step-by-step
3. Check the results manually
4. Document what works and what doesn't

If it works: Great! Move to Day 5. If it doesn't: Debug the specific step that failed. Common issues:

• Wrong file paths
• Missing permissions
• Data format mismatches
• Timing issues (automation runs too fast)

Your Day 4 Deliverable: Working automation that handles your target process end-to-end.

Day 5: Deploy and Monitor

Morning Session (1 hour)

Task: Deploy to production

1. Create monitoring (how will you know if it fails?)

   • Error notifications
   • Success confirmations
   • Regular check-ins

2. Set the schedule

   • How often should it run?
   • What time of day?
   • Any exclusions (weekends, holidays)?

3. Create backup plan

   • What if the automation breaks?
   • Who else knows how it works?
   • How to do the task manually if needed?

4. Go live!

Afternoon Session (1 hour)

Task: Document and plan next steps

Create your Automation Playbook:

• What the automation does
• How to monitor it
• How to fix common issues
• When to review/update it

Measure your success:

• How much time will this save per week?
• What's the hourly value of that time?
• Annual savings = Weekly savings × 50 weeks × Hourly rate

Plan automation #2:

• Go back to your Day 1 list
• Pick the next highest scoring task
• Schedule time to automate it

Your Day 5 Deliverable: Live automation saving you 5+ hours per week and a plan for your next automation project.

Congratulations! 🎉

You've gone from zero to having a working automation in just 5 days. This is your foundation - now you can build on it.