Automation seems to be a great buzzword these days, and anyone that knows me knows I’m a fan of true automation – because it delivers both speed and quality. However, how often do we automate BEFORE we optimize? Which means we automate an inferior process, much more liable to break. So, as you look for areas of process improvement daily, both in yourself and in your work, think about how well the process works, should you try to optimize before you automate? Optimizing doesn’t have to be hard, or take long, or require lots of time or money investment. It can be simple changes that “just work more smoothly and efficiently”. Then you can automate the steps to allow you to focus on more creative and value-added work. What will you optimize today?