The Efficiency Revolution: Workflow automation and AI become critical for viable businesses

The efficiency divide

So far, being "good enough" could keep the lights on for many companies. I personally geek out on designing systems and SOPs just because I love building the best possible throughput for a company. Until now, companies and founders who care less about their throughput could get away by spending a bit more on payroll to solve problems and relying on manual processes to keep things running.

Hyperautomation is rewriting the rules of doing business. The line between a viable business and a dying one is becoming thinner and thinner. Companies that become AI-First and who integrate AI at the core of their workflows, are exponentially increasing their efficiency. These operations automate decisions, tasks, and even customer interactions. The result is drastically reduced costs and higher-quality output.

Some services that are now considered "high ticket" will soon be offered for a fraction of the price and sometimes even for free. People will pay for results, not for the hours spent on things. Over time, we will move toward a hyper-efficient world where everything we want and need becomes cheaper, better, and faster. The companies with the best systems will rule their markets.

To give you an example: I’ve paid law offices tens of thousands of Euros just to prepare a case. I needed the lawyer to understand the case and outline all my options and potential scenarios. In the near future, this will be done for a fraction of today’s costs. Law offices can build AI agents to handle these tasks for clients without ever needing to get involved. These AI agents can even function as lead magnets, prepping cases for free and driving a massive inflow of leads for the firm.

The efficiency gap between those that adapt and those who don’t is growing, and it’s growing fast. Just adding some GPT licenses to your organization is not going to put you ahead of the competition, it’s about fundamentally rethinking how your business operates in the age of hyperautomation.

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Hyperautomation as the new backbone of the business

Hyperautomation will make many companies redundant in the short term and it will happen quickly. As soon as there is an AI Agent available to prep court cases better than a human lawyer, the demand for these high-ticket human services will drop to zero overnight. First movers will capitalize on this and laggers might go out of business before they can turn their business around.

At Eli5, one thing that we predict with the utmost confidence is the rise in demand for "AI Officers". These professionals will be at the forefront of hyperautomation, bridging the gap between technology and business operations. Their key responsibilities will include identifying automation opportunities, designing scalable workflows, and implementing AI-driven systems to enhance efficiency and output. Unlike traditional business analysts, they will be hands-on operators equipped with the skills to build and optimize systems directly. These are the next-gen business analysts. Not the PowerPoint builders of the past we've all overpaid for the advice of lowering costs and increasing revenue, but hands-on operators with deep knowledge of AI and workflow automation.

This demand will be driven by lots of companies waking up about the technological revolution we are living in. As they say: gradually, then suddenly. Workflow automation and AI are becoming the backbone of the most efficient, scalable, and future-proof businesses. And there is a big advantage for the first movers.

Businesses are becoming programmable. At Eli5, for example, we’ve automated much of our content creation system, allowing us to focus on the parts that require our human touch. AI analyzes our best-performing YouTube videos and suggests new content ideas based on the content that performed best. Thumbnails for blogs and videos are automatically generated through a pipeline of content analysis, prompt writing, and image generation. Social media topics are generated and ranked by AI tools, always providing us with more than enough fuel for content creation.

Automation is making humans less needed for the boring work. To resonate with people, I am still betting on human creativity and empathy for the near future. That’s why we write our blogs and record our podcast ourselves, it's just powered by ultra-efficient AI systems.

The companies winning today aren’t waiting. They are embracing workflow automation and AI, turning SOPs into fully automated workflows. Not for show, but because it works. The winners are automating ruthlessly, now.

Systems are the real competitive advantage

At its core, every business is a collection of systems. Some systems are hyper-optimized and some systems are living inside the chaotic minds of the business' owner. Nevertheless, there are systems. The better they are and the more accessible they are, the better the business is. Yet most companies operate without clear and formalized processes. To leverage the power of hyperautomation in order to remain a viable business, clearly defined systems and SOPs are of critical value.

Hyperautomation leans on well-defined systems and clear, repeatable processes. If your business has these, you’re already ahead of the curve. Cause this means the hardest work is already done. If not, then start moving on this.

Let’s look at a few examples of businesses that scaled because they prioritized systems:

• Amazon: Amazon is a logistics powerhouse. Its obsessive focus on systems, like automated inventory tracking, efficient warehouse operations, and seamless order fulfillment, has made it nearly untouchable in its market. Every process, from clicking “Buy Now” to the package arriving at your doorstep, is meticulously optimized and repeatable. One of the brains behind it, Dave Clark, recently founded Auger, a new company that's set out to build the world’s first true end-to-end supply chain operating system.
• McDonald’s: Love it or hate it, McDonald’s runs like clockwork. Every burger, fry, and milkshake follows the same SOPs worldwide, ensuring consistency and efficiency. This systemization has enabled them to scale globally while keeping quality highly predictable.
• Stripe: In the tech world, Stripe’s success goes far behind its payment solutions. By creating detailed playbooks for sales, onboarding, and customer support, Stripe ensures every touchpoint with customers is consistent and efficient. Their focus on systems has allowed them to grow without compromising on service.

On the flip side, businesses that ignore systems often face catastrophic consequences:

• Theranos: Beyond its ethical and legal failures, Theranos also lacked clear operational systems. Processes were poorly defined, and the company operated on the chaotic whims of leadership. The absence of repeatable, transparent workflows made it impossible to catch errors or build trust.
• WeWork: WeWork’s downfall wasn’t just about overvaluation; it was about chaos at its core. The company scaled too fast without scalable systems. Operational inconsistencies and a lack of clear SOPs turned their rapid growth into an unmanageable mess.
• A Failing Startup You Haven’t Heard Of: For every Stripe, there are countless startups that fail because they didn’t focus on systems early. When teams rely on ad-hoc processes and undocumented workflows, scaling becomes impossible, and problems grow faster than revenue.

The difference between success and failure often comes down to systems. Businesses that prioritize clear, repeatable, and scalable processes are the ones that have always thrived the most. In the era of hyperautomation, it will be the only ones that remain relevant.

Take a hard look at your business. Are your systems optimized? Are your SOPs clear and accessible?

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What you can do today

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the idea of building systems and automating your business. You don’t need to overhaul everything overnight. You just need to start. Taking it step by step will make it manageable and ensures that you’re building something scalable and effective.

Here’s how to start turning your business into a systemized, hyperautomated machine:

1. Audit Your Operations: Begin by understanding the current state of your business. Look at your operations and identify the core throughput systems and the workflows that keep the business moving. This might be sales pipelines, onboarding processes, or production cycles.

• Focus on one system at a time.
• Break it down into individual steps.
• Pinpoint bottlenecks, inefficiencies, or gaps.

2. Design Scalable Systems: With your operations mapped out, it’s time to design systems that are not only efficient but scalable. This means creating processes that work just as well at 10x the workload.

• Make sure every step is executed exactly as designed.
• If something doesn’t work or needs improvement, tweak it and update your documentation.
• Document everything clearly and make it accessible to your entire team.

3. Automate the Low-Hanging Fruit: Now comes the fun part. With your systems laid out in clear blueprints, you’ve turned your business into a collection of repeatable workflows. This is where hyperautomation comes in.

• Identify processes that are ripe for automation. Customer service, content creation, and project preparation are usually great starting points.
• Use tools like n8n and Lindy.ai to tackle these tasks yourself if you’re comfortable with tech. These platforms make it easy to build workflows without needing to write code.

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The future is automated, but it starts with you

Hyperautomation is the new critical part of your company's operating system. The tools are here, and the possibilities are endless, but it’s up to you to take the first step. Start small. Tackle one workflow. Build momentum. The sooner you embrace this shift, the greater your advantage will be.

At Eli5, we live and breathe automation. As an AI-First Product Studio, we build digital products that boost productivity. From AI Agents for hyper-specific workflows to end-to-end SaaS products that serve customers around the globe. We’ve seen how workflow automation and AI transform businesses and free up human capacity to focus on what truly matters.

Ready to make your business more efficient, scalable, and future-proof? Let’s build the systems and automation your business needs to win.

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