Delay is the visible cost — inconsistency is the hidden one
A slow approval process is annoying. An inconsistent one — where similar requests get different outcomes depending on who's reviewing — creates real operational and even compliance risk.
Start with volume, not complexity
The highest-ROI automation targets are usually simple, high-volume approvals (expense reports under a threshold, standard purchase orders), not the rare complex exceptions everyone assumes need automating first.
Keep a human in the loop where it matters
Good workflow automation routes the routine 80% straight through and escalates the exceptional 20% to a person — it doesn't try to remove judgment from decisions that genuinely need it.
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