Measure the change, not just the time saved.

A useful automation improves the experience of work as well as the speed of a task.

Take a baseline

Before making a change, observe a representative set of tasks. Record handling time, waiting time, corrections and the number of handovers. Note unusual cases separately so they do not hide the typical experience.

Watch quality and ownership

A faster process is only valuable if the output is still right. Check missing fields, duplicates, exception volume and whether someone knows what to do when something fails.

Ask the people involved

Does the team understand the workflow? Can they see its status? Has it reduced interruptions, or moved effort elsewhere? These questions help reveal costs that a simple time calculation misses.

Review after the novelty wears off

Agree a review date and an owner. Compare the results against the original problem, including support effort and ongoing costs. Keep the improvement, revise it or stop it based on what the evidence shows.