Summary
Not every workflow should be automated. The four-quadrant test — frequency by value — sorts candidates into ignore, delegate, automate, and re-examine. Applying it explicitly prevents the common trap of automating work that should have been eliminated.
Objectives
- 01State the four quadrants and their prescriptions.
- 02Apply the test to a real workflow.
- 03Identify workflows that should be eliminated instead of automated.
The Lesson
The quadrants
High frequency, high value: automate first. High frequency, low value: eliminate, don't automate. Low frequency, high value: delegate to a human. Low frequency, low value: ignore. Automation is expensive; apply it where the return justifies it.
Key Ideas
- Automation is expensive. Deploy where the return justifies it.
- Eliminate before automating.