Why we measure first
Many automation projects start with a hunch: invoices take too much time, the inbox is overflowing, quotes take too long. Often the hunch is right, but sometimes the bigger potential lies somewhere else entirely. A process audit replaces the hunch with measurement.
The goal is a prioritised list: which task costs how much time, what can be automated and what cannot, and in which order it makes sense to proceed. With this list you decide on solid ground rather than gut feeling.
What a process audit is, and what it is not
A process audit is a short, structured review of the processes that are candidates for automation. It is not a months-long consulting engagement and not a hundred-page requirements document.
What it includes
- Conversations with the people who carry out the process today.
- Measurement on real cases rather than estimates.
- An assessment of how well each process lends itself to automation.
- Classification of each use case under the EU AI Act.
What it does not include
An audit does not build anything yet. Nor does it replace legal or tax advice or a review of your entire IT. It answers one specific question: where is the first step worth taking?
How an audit works
An audit follows a simple pattern that can be carried out on site or by video call:
- Overview: which processes exist, who is involved, which systems are in use?
- Selection: which processes are frequent, regular and document-heavy enough to look at more closely?
- Measurement: five to ten real cases are traced to see how long each step takes and where things get stuck.
- Assessment: effort and impact are estimated for each process.
- Result: a prioritised list with a recommendation on where to start.
It is important that the people who actually do the work are at the table. They know the exceptions that appear in no process description.
Which tasks are measured
Not everything is measured, only what matters for a decision. Typical candidates are:
- Entering, checking and passing on supplier invoices.
- Sorting and answering enquiries from web forms and the inbox.
- Creating quotes from price lists and standard text blocks.
- Logging and acknowledging job applications.
- Matching delivery notes against purchase orders.
- Pulling together information from several systems for a report.
For each task, we record how often it occurs, how long it takes, which systems are involved and how frequently queries or errors arise.
Weighing effort against impact
Measurement alone does not tell you where to start. For that, two questions are weighed against each other.
Impact
How much time does the process tie up today? How costly are errors or delays? How many people are involved? A process with high impact brings noticeable relief.
Effort
How many systems need to be connected, and do they have interfaces? How many exceptions are there? How easily can the result be checked? A process with low effort goes live quickly.
Processes with high impact and manageable effort go to the top of the list. Processes with high effort and low impact are deliberately put on hold, even if they would be technically appealing.
Classification under the EU AI Act
The EU AI Act came into force in August 2024, and its obligations apply in stages. Every company using AI has to ask which risk class a use case falls into. Most office processes, such as incoming invoices or inbox handling, are currently understood to be minimal risk or subject to transparency obligations. Applications in HR, such as screening job applications, may by contrast count as high risk.
That is why the audit classifies each use case before anything is built and records the obligations that apply. This does not replace legal advice, but it ensures the question is not only asked after go-live.
What you should prepare
The better an audit is prepared, the more meaningful it becomes. Helpful are:
- Two to three hours with the people who carry out the processes today.
- A few real example cases, such as invoices, enquiries or applications, anonymised if you prefer.
- An overview of the software in use, from the inbox to accounting.
- A first idea of where things get stuck most today.
Nothing has to be perfect. The messy areas are often exactly where automation brings the most benefit.
Conclusion
A process audit answers the question of where automation pays off before you spend a single euro on implementation. With the Scalient Group it costs €890 excluding VAT and takes two days. If you then book a package, the audit fee is credited in full. If not, you keep the list anyway.