Why Most Businesses Get Automation Completely Wrong (And How to Fix It)
Last week I had a brilliant conversation with Paul Rhodes and Sean Sale on the Ctrl Alt Dev podcast. We talked about automation, AI, and why so many businesses are still doing everything the hard way.
Listen to the podcast
Here’s what struck me most during our chat: nearly every business owner I meet knows they should be automating. They’ve watched the tutorials, downloaded the guides, maybe even bought the software.
And yet nothing changes.
The Real Problem Isn’t Tech
Paul made a really sharp observation during our conversation. He’d been to one of our automation workshops and spotted something most people miss: even a “simple” monthly task expands massively once you actually think it through properly.
That’s the issue right there.
People jump straight to “which CRM should I buy?” before they’ve figured out what they actually need it to do. They’re shopping for solutions to problems they haven’t properly defined yet.
And that’s how you end up with five different systems that don’t talk to each other, half-finished automations that nobody really understands, and a team that’s gone back to doing everything manually because “the system doesn’t work.”
The MAP Framework
On the podcast, I introduced the framework we use at Configure Me This. It’s called MAP, and whilst it’s not particularly creative, it works.
- Map: Document your current process in painful detail. Not the way you think it happens, but every single step that actually happens. When a lead comes in, where does that data go? Who gets notified? How? What happens next?
- Assess: Look at your mapped process and identify the bottlenecks. Which steps take too long? Which ones depend entirely on you? Which could be automated, delegated, or honestly just binned?
- Plan: Now – and only now – can you start researching software solutions. But you’re not looking for “a CRM system.” You’re looking for software that can automatically route leads based on location, or send proposal follow-ups after three days, or trigger a task when someone opens a document.
See the difference?
The 12-18 Month Reality
Here’s something nobody wants to hear: proper automation takes time.
On the podcast, we talked about how most businesses need 12-18 months to properly implement automation. Not because the tech is complicated, but because change management is hard.
Just because you’re excited about automating doesn’t mean everyone else is. Your team needs to understand what’s changing, why it’s changing, and what’s in it for them. You need to phase things in gradually, test as you go, and adjust when things don’t work as planned.
Trying to automate everything at once is like trying to renovate your entire house whilst you’re still living in it. Possible, but deeply unpleasant for everyone involved.
When Automation Goes Wrong
Sean shared a brilliant (awful) story on the podcast about trying to claim on his car insurance. He’d just been in an accident – already stressful – and had to spend six hours battling a chatbot that kept crashing.
The insurance company couldn’t take claims over the phone. Everything had to go through the automated system. And when that system didn’t work? Well, tough.
That’s what happens when companies automate to cut costs rather than to improve experience. Someone sat in a boardroom and decided “how can we slash 20% off our overheads?” instead of asking “what do our customers actually need when they’re stressed and shaken up?”
And here’s the opportunity for small businesses: you can do this properly. You can think about how your customers should feel at every step. You can keep the human touch where it matters whilst automating the repetitive stuff that doesn’t need you.
AI Changes Everything (But Not in the Way You Think)
We spent a chunk of the podcast talking about AI, and I’ll be honest – I’ve never been more productive in my life than I am now.
But here’s what AI isn’t: it’s not about replacing your team or automating every human interaction.
It’s about freeing people up to do the work that actually needs human creativity, empathy, and judgment. The stuff that makes your business special.
One of our clients – a boutique travel company – used basic automation and AI to cut their admin workload by 50%. That meant they could take on 50% more clients without hiring anyone new.
But more importantly, their team stopped spending time on spreadsheets and started focusing on creating incredible experiences for hotel guests. Their customer reviews went through the roof because the humans were doing human work, not robot work.
Where to Start
If you’re reading this thinking “this all sounds brilliant but I don’t know where to begin” – start with one process.
Not your entire business.
Just. One. Thing.
Maybe it’s what happens when someone fills in your contact form. Maybe it’s how you send proposals. Maybe it’s how you onboard new clients.
Pick one, map it out in detail, and look for the bottlenecks. Then – and only then – start thinking about what tech might help.
And if you need help with that? Well, that’s what we do at Configure Me This. We’ve been helping businesses untangle messy systems and build scalable automated processes for years now.
You can find resources and examples on our website at www.configuremethis.com/work-with-us, or book a call if you want to chat through your specific situation.
Listen to the Full Episode
The conversation with Paul and Sean covered so much more than I can fit in one blog post. We talked about:
- Why you only know what you know (and how that limits your thinking about automation)
- The difference between automating sales processes and automating operations
- How to maintain humanity in your customer interactions
- Real examples of automation done brilliantly (and terribly)
- The role of AI in business right now
Episode #10 of Ctrl Alt Dev – “Unlocking Efficiency: The Real Power of Automation in Small Business” – is available on all podcast platforms now.
Massive thanks to Paul Rhodes and Sean Sale for having me on. It was a proper good conversation, and I hope it helps some businesses avoid the expensive mistakes we see all too often.
About Ctrl Alt Dev
Ctrl Alt Dev is a podcast for software founders, digital leaders and curious builders navigating the fast-changing world of tech, AI, and business. Hosted by two veteran tech founders, Paul Rhodes and Sean Sale, each episode cuts through the hype with honest conversations, sharp war stories, and frameworks that actually work. Check out all of their other episodes here.
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