Workflow Automation: Should You Hire a Pro or DIY?

When you start out with workflow automation, one of the first things you have to decide on is whether to hire a professional or begin doing the work by yourself. 

Before we get into details, let’s cross out the obvious regarding this decision: It’s not as straightforward as it may seem.

This happens because modern automation platforms (and Make in particular) are bridging the gap between technical and non-technical users, empowering anyone to automate beyond imagination.

As a result, it’s becoming normal to see all kinds of people - marketers, product managers, salespersons, business owners -automate workflows by themselves.

What once required solid coding skills and heaps of time can now be rapidly done in a few clicks. 

However, ease of use and fast implementation times do not necessarily provide a full answer to everyone out there. 

There are other factors and needs involved, and we’ll use this article to shine a light on them so you can make the right decision early on.

1. What are you trying to automate?

Workflows and processes vary a lot from company to company, and so does its complexity, goals, and extension.

As such, it’s fundamental to take a look at which processes you’re looking forward to automating, and categorize them by relevance and difficulty. 

If you’re wondering how to go about evaluating what to automate, check what seasoned Make experts recommend in our workflow automation checklist.

2. How much time can you invest?

With a clear view of the workflows and processes you wish to automate, you’ll have to assess two key aspects: Time to deployment (TTP), and your availability.

Flexible deployment times work in your favor, even when your availability is somewhat limited. 

On the other hand, if you need to deploy fast, you’ll have to tackle a learning curve while creating the solutions your business needs. 

Fans of “build in public” methodologies won’t be too bothered by this occurrence, but everyone else might incline for external help at this point. 

3. What is your available budget?

With paid plans starting at $9/month, automating by yourself with Make is tempting to say the least.

Indeed, you’ll be hard pressed to find a more powerful product than Make at this price point, but that’s just half of the story.

The get the full picture, you’ll have to answer two extra questions:

• How much money can you spend on an automation consultant or agency?

• How much is your time worth as a business owner or entrepreneur?

The first question is easy to answer: All you have to do is look at your balance sheet and see how much you have available (and willing to assign to automation).

As for the second question, doing the math will give you a better idea of whether a do-it-yourself approach is feasible from a business cost perspective. 

4. Are you a natural problem-solver?

Before making a decision, it’s important to take a look in the mirror and answer this question in an honest way.

If you’re the type of person that finds energy and motivation in challenges, you’ll have plenty of fun with workflow automation. 

It’ll be a fun ride where you’ll be able to display your creativity and problem-solving skills to achieve tangible results in little time.

On the other hand, if you prefer things to be easy, hiring an automation professional will keep you away from the ebbs and flows of automating a variety of processes and workflows.

5. Are there service providers in your country and industry?

With Make, the chance to find a professional automation consultant that shares your geography, language, and industry knowledge is quite high.

However, this may not apply for other tools and technologies, and this is a key factor to consider when evaluating which direction to go. In some cases, DIY is not just an option, but the only one you get.

Conclusion: Keeping decisions logical and within a framework

In order to determine the best course of action, you’ll have to balance the factors mentioned above:

• Processes and workflows that need to be automated

• Available time

• Budget

• Motivation

• Availability of service providers

After considering these, the logical decision will become clearer, allowing you to embark on an automation journey that makes sense from all angles. 

Before you go, we recommend you to sign up to Make and automate a couple of simple workflows by yourself (starting from scratch, or using one of our templates). 

In the end, first-hand experience will be the cherry on top that’ll help you make the best possible decision for you and your business.