Appendix B: Determining Where to Automate

The following list illustrates a few things to consider when determining what areas of the media supply chain would benefit from automation:

Tasks requiring a significant amount of manual intervention, or hands-on time to complete, e.g., more than _____ hours a ____. Processes that are frequently activated and spun down.
Those processes requiring _____ or more steps, or distinct actions, e.g., filling in metadata fields on multiple dropdown menus.
Functions involving multiple file types.
Functions drawing on data from several legacy systems.
Areas where the occurrence of errors may negatively affect compliance.
Processes requiring tracking information across multiple iterations and modifications.
Tasks that primarily rely on the skill sets of one or just a few specifically trained individuals.
Areas where documentation must always be current and transparent.
Tasks with a high risk of human error due to complexity or the number of steps required.
Processes executed by opaque legacy software, or Frankencode developed as a workaround.
Workflows dealing with highly changeable file formats or file requirements.