# Module 14: The Automation Audit
## Sample Department Workflows for Audit Practice

If participants struggle to inventory their own processes, use these examples to prime the exercise.

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## Operations Department

1. **Weekly defect report** - Pull data from 3 systems, normalize, write summary, format for leadership. 8 hrs/week.
2. **Shift schedule publishing** - Build next week's schedule in spreadsheet, check PTO requests, distribute via email. 3 hrs/week.
3. **Vendor scorecards** - Compile on-time delivery rates, quality metrics, cost data for top 10 vendors. Monthly. 12 hrs.
4. **Equipment maintenance log review** - Read maintenance logs, flag overdue items, generate work orders. 4 hrs/week.
5. **Safety incident reporting** - Transcribe handwritten incident notes into formal reports. 2 hrs per incident, avg 3/month.
6. **Inventory reconciliation** - Compare physical counts to system records, investigate discrepancies. Monthly. 16 hrs.
7. **Production meeting prep** - Pull KPIs from dashboard, create summary slides, distribute agenda. 2 hrs/week.

## Sales Department

1. **CRM data entry** - Log meeting notes, update deal stages, record next steps after calls. 5 hrs/week per rep.
2. **Proposal generation** - Customize proposal template for each prospect, insert specs, pricing, case studies. 4 hrs per proposal.
3. **Pipeline report** - Export CRM data, calculate forecast, write summary for VP. Weekly. 3 hrs.
4. **Win/loss analysis** - Review closed deals, document reasons, identify patterns. Monthly. 8 hrs.
5. **Competitive monitoring** - Check competitor websites, LinkedIn, news for updates. Weekly. 2 hrs.
6. **Territory planning** - Assign accounts, balance workload, set targets. Quarterly. 20 hrs.
7. **Sales enablement materials** - Update battle cards, one-pagers, case studies when product changes. As needed. 6 hrs each.

## Human Resources

1. **Offer letter generation** - Customize template with candidate details, compensation, start date. 1 hr each, avg 4/month.
2. **Onboarding checklist tracking** - Ensure all new hire tasks complete (IT setup, training, benefits enrollment). 3 hrs per hire.
3. **Benefits enrollment questions** - Answer employee questions about plan options during open enrollment. 40 hrs/year in Oct-Nov.
4. **Exit interview compilation** - Transcribe notes, identify themes, write quarterly summary. 6 hrs/quarter.
5. **Job description writing** - Draft from hiring manager's notes, align with band/level, post to boards. 2 hrs each.
6. **Policy FAQ updates** - When policies change, update the FAQ document and notify employees. 4 hrs per policy change.
7. **Compliance training tracking** - Monitor who's completed required trainings, send reminders. Monthly. 3 hrs.

## Finance

1. **Invoice matching** - Match POs to invoices, flag discrepancies, route for approval. 6 hrs/week.
2. **Expense report review** - Check policy compliance, verify receipts, approve or reject. 4 hrs/week.
3. **Month-end close tasks** - 47 tasks across 15 days. Journal entries, reconciliations, variance analysis. 80+ hrs.
4. **Budget vs. actual reporting** - Pull data, calculate variances, write commentary. Monthly. 12 hrs.
5. **Cash flow forecasting** - Project receipts and disbursements for next 13 weeks. Weekly. 4 hrs.
6. **Board deck preparation** - Compile financial data, create charts, write narratives. Quarterly. 40 hrs.
7. **Audit prep** - Organize documentation, pull samples, answer auditor questions. Annual. 200+ hrs compressed into 3 weeks.

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## Facilitator Prompt

After showing these examples: "Notice that every department has processes that are repetitive, rule-based, and time-consuming. Those are your automation targets. The question is not whether AI can help. The question is which process saves the most time with the least effort to automate. That's what the scoring matrix answers."