Every company has grunt work. It’s the type of tasks that just about anyone can handle; it just requires the time and effort.
And well, no one really likes doing that. Your highly-skilled employees aren’t too happy about having to do menial work – and as it’s widely known, the happier your employees, the more productive they’ll be.
Grunt work could be, for example, taking all of the leads captured through MailChimp and transferring them to your CRM platform.
Or, you might be copy-pasting a new hire’s personal information from their application to your internal HRM platform.
If you’re doing this manually, this can be very time-consuming, especially if you’re thinking long-term. Doing this a couple of hours a week adds up, ultimately wasting a lot of your team’s time.
Today, those, you really don’t have to be doing a big chunk of menial work.
There are a lot of task automation tools that do your job for you by making your different systems communicate with each other. And you know what the best part is? You won’t even need to write a single line of code for this – all you have to do is pick the right tool
3 Must-Have Task Automation Tools
These task automation tools play the middle-man between all of your different software.
While most of them offer the same general functionality, there are certain features that put them apart from each other.
Zapier
Chances are, you’ve probably already heard of Zapier. It’s only one of the most popular task automation tools out there.
It allows you to “zap” together different software, carrying over data from one tool to another.
Zapier’s main advantage is that the tool offers integrations with most of the apps you’ll find online. To learn about all the potential combinations, you can check out this guide here.
Flow
Flow is Microsoft’s very own task automation tool.
While it doesn’t offer nearly as many software integrations as Zapier, its main benefit is that it works in combination with Office 365.
So, if your organization works mostly with Microsoft products, Flow would be your go-to.
Tallyfy
Let’s say you have a set of different tasks that need to be completed. Once each task is done (either manually or automated), you need to communicate to the next task owner that they have new work to do.
Tallyfy helps with just that – setting up communication between different tasks.
While it doesn’t exactly automate the task, it removes the managerial overhead needed to make sure everything gets done.
And as a given, it can be integrated with all the other tools we’ve mentioned here.
Task Automation Tools: 2 Practical Examples
Depending on what your company does, the tasks you’d automate would be very specific to your own niche.
To get you started, though, we’re going to cover 2 examples of automation in business functions that are present in just about every organization.
Customer Support
It’s pretty common knowledge that your customers are the core of your business.
So, it’s important to make sure that their concerns are taken care of ASAP. Unless you have a dedicated support team, though, customer support turns more into an after-thought.
In a lot of cases, you’re focusing on other tasks, and only occasionally checking your email or customer support tool.
To make sure you’re getting back to your customers in time, you can use a combination between Zapier, Intercom (if you’re using customer support software) / Gmail (if it’s email-based) and Slack.
So now, whenever you get a customer ticket on either Intercom or Gmail, you can set up a direct message to be sent to you on Slack, letting you know that there’s someone waiting for a reply ASAP.
Client Onboarding
Taking on a new client can be a very long process.
You’d need to gather all the right information (company information + their needs), carry out the client onboarding process, and finally kick-start your work with them.
All this is done through different platforms.
- The interaction starts on the website, where the lead leaves their email.
- The salesman has to get in touch with them and get their data through Typeform.
- Based on the information from the Typeform, you start the onboarding process using Tallyfy.
- Once the process is complete, you copy + paste information from Typeform into your favorite project management software and start working with the client.
Yep, you guessed it. That’s a lot of different steps that need manual intervention.
Instead, you can use Zapier to tie all the different apps together. Once someone signs up on the website, they automatically receive the Typeform email. Then, the data is automatically transferred through all the different software tools.
Starting off with Task Automation
Now that you know how task automation works, you can start coming up with your own uses for it.
While the example we provided work for a lot of organizations, they’re not the only task automation uses.
The sky’s the limit! Dive into the different tools & find out yourself how much of your work can be automated.
Related Questions
What is an example of task automation?
Think of that tedious ritual of sending welcome emails to new customers. I’ve seen teams waste countless hours on this! With automation, the system detects a new signup and—poof!—sends a personalized welcome instantly. At Tallyfy, we see all sorts of everyday tasks transformed: document approvals, customer onboarding sequences, and support ticket routing all running silently in the background. It’s like teaching your computer to handle the Monday morning busywork while you focus on what actually matters. No more copy-paste nightmares!
How can I automate my tasks?
Start with a “process hunt” – grab a coffee and list what tasks repeat weekly. Look for those time-vampires! Choose workflow automation software that doesn’t require a computer science degree (that’s where we shine at Tallyfy). Begin small—maybe automating form approvals or turning client emails into tracked tasks. I always tell our customers: don’t try boiling the ocean—find those repetitive tasks that make you think “surely a computer could do this” and free yourself for work that needs your human brilliance.
What are the benefits of task automation?
Task automation isn’t just about saving time—it’s about reclaiming your workday! Beyond obvious time savings, it dramatically cuts those facepalm moments caused by human error. Our clients report feeling liberated when the robotic tasks go to, well, robots. What fascinates me most: companies discover their talented people suddenly contributing ideas they were previously too swamped to share. Plus, your automated workflows happily chug along at 3 AM without demanding overtime or making tired mistakes. It’s like having tireless digital employees who never complain about mundane tasks.
How can I use AI in task automation?
AI is where automation gets seriously interesting—moving beyond “if this, then that” into “this seems important, so I’ll handle it accordingly.” I’ve seen AI read customer messages, gauge sentiment (furious or just annoyed?), and route them appropriately. The sweet spot is where AI handles cognitive heavy lifting while humans maintain oversight for nuanced judgment calls. The goal isn’t replacing human intelligence but amplifying it—letting AI handle the first 80% of processing so your team can focus their brainpower on the complex 20% where creativity and empathy truly shine.
Which tasks should I automate first?
Hunt for those soul-crushing, repetitive tasks that follow clear rules—they’re automation gold! Data entry, approval processes, and status update reports make perfect first candidates. Also target error-prone tasks where a momentary lapse causes headaches—like compliance checks or calculations. One tip: create a simple “automation value” score by multiplying frequency by time required by tedium level. Start with your highest-scoring tasks and you’ll quickly become the office hero! Save those creative, emotionally complex decisions for humans—at least for now.
What are the common challenges in implementing task automation?
Let’s be real—automation isn’t always smooth sailing. I’ve seen teams spin their wheels trying to automate the wrong processes or getting trapped in tool-comparison limbo. Then there’s the human element—I remember one project where employees quietly sabotaged the automation because they feared becoming obsolete (they ended up loving it once they understood it). Technical hiccups during setup can test anyone’s patience. The secret sauce? Clear communication, starting with process improvement wins that build momentum, and ensuring everyone sees how automation makes their work more meaningful—not threatened.
How much can task automation save in costs?
The numbers can be pretty jaw-dropping—we typically see task time slashed by 40-70%. But the most interesting savings often hide in unexpected places! Beyond time reclaimed, there’s money not spent fixing errors, revenue gained from faster delivery, and innovation unleashed when brilliant people aren’t buried in busywork. One financial client calculated their automation ROI at 3.7x in just six months! Just measure both tangible savings (hours, dollars) and those trickier intangibles like reduced stress. Your CFO wants the first set, but your team feels the second set every day.
How do I measure the success of task automation?
I’m a bit obsessive about measuring automation success—probably because I love seeing the transformation! Capture clear baseline metrics before you start. Track the obvious (time saved, errors reduced) but don’t overlook “happiness metrics”—employee satisfaction and reduced stress levels. Consider creating a simple “automation satisfaction index” through pulse surveys. And remember—automation is never “set it and forget it.” Schedule regular check-ins to uncover friction points. The most successful automations evolve through continuous little tweaks based on real usage patterns.
Can small businesses benefit from task automation?
Small businesses often reap the BIGGEST automation benefits! When you’re wearing multiple hats and racing the clock daily, automation becomes transformative. Today’s tools are designed to be approachable without an IT department or massive budget. I’ve seen tiny teams use simple workflow management to deliver service that looks like it comes from a much larger operation. Start with just one painful process—perhaps client onboarding or proposal generation—and use the time saved to focus on growth. Small business automation isn’t about complexity; it’s about strategically eliminating the tasks preventing you from doing your best work.
How does task automation affect employee jobs?
I’ve seen firsthand how automation transforms jobs rather than eliminates them. What happens is a shift from mind-numbing repetition to higher-value work—employees become process designers, problem-solvers, and relationship-builders instead of data-entry robots. There’s often initial wariness (change is hard!), but I’ve watched skeptical employees become automation champions once they experience life without tedious tasks. The key? Involve your team from day one as co-creators, not recipients. Ask them which parts of their job they’d gladly never do again—that’s your automation starting point.
What does Tallyfy think about task automation personally?
At Tallyfy, we see task automation as liberation technology. We founded this company because we were frustrated watching talented people waste potential on repetitive busywork. Our core belief is that humans should do what humans do best—create, empathize, solve complex problems—while software handles the predictable stuff. When organizations automate effectively, they don’t just save time; they transform their culture from process-bound to innovation-focused. We’re particularly proud when customers tell us how automation has reduced their stress levels and let them focus on work that actually matters.
How does task automation relate to the real-world?
“Tallyfy transformed how we manage client onboarding and policy renewals. It eliminated inefficiencies, reduced meeting times from hours to minutes, and helped us avoid costly penalties by automating key processes. We now have full visibility over tasks, and I no longer need to chase down updates—it’s all right there.” – Lewis Marty, Business Development Director at Simploy
“It used to take us two days to run monthly client campaigns, now, with the help of Tallyfy, we complete them in just a few hours!” – Julie Trelstad, Book Publisher at Julie Ink
These transformations show how automation doesn’t just improve efficiency—it fundamentally changes how teams work. See more stories at Tallyfy’s customer page.
