---
title: "Which process should I automate first?"
description: "The one with the highest weekly volume, the clearest right answer and the lowest consequence when it is wrong. In most Hungarian SMEs that is inbound enquiry ha"
canonical: https://aiautomatizaciocegeknek.hu/en/answers/which-process-should-i-automate-first
language: en
publisher: AI Automatizáció
updated: 2026-09-22
---

# Which process should I automate first?

The one with the highest weekly volume, the clearest right answer and the lowest consequence when it is wrong. In most Hungarian SMEs that is inbound enquiry handling: calls, emails and web forms. It runs dozens of times a week, a mistake costs a correction rather than money, and it frees 2–15 hours a week.

## Rank your candidates in one table

Write four columns: how often per week, minutes per occurrence, how bad a mistake is, and how many systems it touches. Multiply the first two for hours, then push anything with severe consequences or four-plus systems down the list regardless of hours.

## Good first candidates by business type

The pattern is the same everywhere: the channel that generates the most repeat work is the one to automate first.

- Service businesses: missed calls and appointment booking
- Webshops: order status questions and returns
- B2B trade: order intake from email and supplier documents
- Contractors and manufacturers: quotes and site documentation
- Accounting and offices: incoming invoices and document filing

## The trap to avoid

The process that annoys you most is rarely the best first project. Annoyance correlates with complexity, not with volume. Pick the boring high-volume one first; it builds the connections that make the annoying one cheaper later.

## Asked next

**What if two processes are equally good?**

Choose the one whose owner is most willing to be involved. Enthusiasm from the person who does the work shortens the project more than any technical advantage.

**Should we automate our worst process to fix it?**

No. Automation makes a bad process faster, not better. Fix the obvious defects first, then automate what remains.

Related solutions: https://aiautomatizaciocegeknek.hu/en/configurator/missed-call-text-back, https://aiautomatizaciocegeknek.hu/en/configurator/email-triage-drafts, https://aiautomatizaciocegeknek.hu/en/configurator/wismo-autopilot, https://aiautomatizaciocegeknek.hu/en/configurator/b2b-order-intake, https://aiautomatizaciocegeknek.hu/en/configurator/invoice-ocr-nav