Technology & Innovation

Automation Opportunities: Where to Start and What to Avoid

A strategic framework for VASCOs to identify, prioritize, and implement workflow automation that delivers real efficiency gains while avoiding common pitfalls that waste time and resources.

14 min read

The promise of automation is seductive: set up a few workflows, and watch repetitive tasks handle themselves while you focus on higher-value work. Yet many VASCOs who enthusiastically dive into automation end up frustrated, having invested significant time building complex workflows that break frequently, create more problems than they solve, or automate the wrong tasks entirely. Smart automation requires strategic thinking about what to automate, when to automate, and—critically—what should remain manual.

The Automation Paradox for VASCOs

  • VASCOs spend 35-40% of their time on tasks that could theoretically be automated
  • Yet 62% of automation attempts fail to deliver expected time savings
  • Successful automators report 15-25% productivity gains, but they automate selectively
  • The problem isn't automation technology—it's choosing the wrong processes to automate
  • Best practice: Automate the boring, standardize before automating, and keep humans in the loop

This guide provides a systematic approach to automation assessment, helping you identify high-value opportunities, implement solutions that actually work, and avoid the common traps that turn automation from efficiency tool into time sink.

Process Analysis: Identifying Automation Candidates

Before automating anything, conduct systematic analysis of your workflows using the "Automation Readiness Framework":

The 4 Criteria for Automation Readiness

1. Repetitive & Frequent

Task occurs regularly (daily, weekly, or at predictable intervals) with minimal variation

✓ Good examples: Sending certification reminders, updating enrollment spreadsheets, filing documents

✗ Poor examples: Complex student case management, one-off special projects

2. Rule-Based & Predictable

Process follows clear, documented rules with minimal judgment required

✓ Good examples: Data entry from forms, status calculations, deadline notifications

✗ Poor examples: Academic advising conversations, mitigating circumstances evaluations

3. Time-Consuming & Low-Value

Task takes significant time but doesn't require your professional expertise or add strategic value

✓ Good examples: Copying data between systems, scheduling appointments, generating reports

✗ Poor examples: Student crisis intervention, compliance interpretation, policy development

4. Well-Documented & Stable

Process is clearly defined and unlikely to change frequently

✓ Good examples: FERPA-compliant document storage, standard email responses, data backups

✗ Poor examples: Experimental pilots, processes under regulatory review, evolving procedures

The "4 Yes" Rule

Only automate tasks that meet ALL FOUR criteria. If a task fails even one criterion, it's likely a poor automation candidate and will cause more problems than it solves.

High-Priority Automation Opportunities for VASCOs

Based on the 4-criteria framework, here are proven high-value automation opportunities:

Opportunity 1: Certification Deadline Reminders

The Manual Process: Checking calendar weekly, sending individual emails to students approaching certification deadlines, tracking who responded

Automation Solution: Email automation tool (Mailchimp, Constant Contact) or calendar system (Google Calendar, Outlook) sends automated reminders at 2 weeks, 1 week, and 3 days before deadlines

Implementation Steps:

  1. Create email template with deadline info and action required
  2. Set up automation to trigger based on certification date
  3. Test with small group first semester
  4. Time saved: 3-4 hours per month

Opportunity 2: Data Entry from Forms to Spreadsheets

The Manual Process: Students complete intake forms (Google Forms, paper), you manually enter data into tracking spreadsheet

Automation Solution: Connect Google Forms directly to Google Sheets, or use Zapier/Make to automatically populate spreadsheet when form is submitted

Implementation Steps:

  1. If using Google Forms, select "Create Spreadsheet" in responses (instant automation)
  2. If using other forms, create Zapier connection: Form submission → Add row to spreadsheet
  3. Set up data validation rules for quality control
  4. Time saved: 5-6 hours per month

Opportunity 3: Appointment Scheduling

The Manual Process: Back-and-forth emails finding mutually available times, manually adding to calendar, sending confirmation and reminder emails

Automation Solution: Self-service scheduling tools (Calendly, Microsoft Bookings, Google Calendar appointment slots) let students book available times directly

Implementation Steps:

  1. Set availability parameters (days/times you offer appointments)
  2. Create different appointment types (15 min check-in, 30 min certification, 60 min complex case)
  3. Enable automatic calendar addition and email reminders
  4. Share booking link in email signature and website
  5. Time saved: 2-3 hours per week

Opportunity 4: Document Organization and Filing

The Manual Process: Saving email attachments, renaming files with consistent naming convention, moving to appropriate folder, updating file log

Automation Solution: Email rules automatically move attachments to specific folders based on sender/subject, with automated naming and organization

Implementation Steps:

  1. Create standard folder structure and naming convention first
  2. Set up email rules (Outlook Rules, Gmail Filters) for common document types
  3. Consider tools like Zapier to auto-save email attachments to Google Drive/OneDrive
  4. Time saved: 2-3 hours per month

Opportunity 5: Enrollment Status Monitoring

The Manual Process: Regularly checking student information system for enrollment changes, withdrawals, or credit hour adjustments that affect VA certification

Automation Solution: If your SIS allows, set up alerts/notifications for enrollment changes, or use automated report generation to flag changes requiring action

Implementation Steps:

  1. Work with IT to determine if SIS has alert capabilities
  2. If not, schedule automated report to run weekly comparing enrollment snapshots
  3. Create rules to highlight changes that require certification updates
  4. Time saved: 3-4 hours per month

Implementation Roadmap: From Concept to Reality

Successful automation follows a structured implementation process:

Phase 1: Document Before Automating

Critical Rule: Never automate a process you haven't documented. Automation of unclear processes just makes chaos faster.

  • • Write step-by-step process documentation
  • • Identify decision points and rules for each decision
  • • Note exceptions and how they're currently handled
  • • Time the process to establish baseline for measuring ROI

Phase 2: Optimize Before Automating

Critical Rule: Automating a bad process makes it a faster bad process. Fix it first.

  • • Remove unnecessary steps
  • • Simplify complex decision trees
  • • Standardize inputs and outputs
  • • Eliminate workarounds and "band-aid" solutions

Phase 3: Start with Simple Tools

Don't start with complex automation platforms. Use simple, low-code tools first:

Beginner-Friendly Tools:

  • Email rules (Outlook, Gmail)
  • Calendar automation (Google Calendar, Outlook)
  • Form-to-spreadsheet (Google Forms)
  • Scheduling tools (Calendly)

Intermediate Tools:

  • Zapier (connects apps)
  • Microsoft Power Automate
  • IFTTT (If This Then That)
  • Airtable (database automation)

Phase 4: Test Thoroughly

Automation errors can be catastrophic. Test extensively before full deployment:

  • • Run automation in test environment with sample data
  • • Test edge cases and exception scenarios
  • • Have colleague review automated outputs for accuracy
  • • Pilot with small group of students before full rollout
  • • Monitor closely for first two weeks after launch

Phase 5: Build Maintenance Plans

Automation isn't "set and forget." Plan for ongoing maintenance:

  • • Schedule monthly review of automation performance
  • • Document the automation (what it does, how it works, how to fix it)
  • • Create error monitoring and alert systems
  • • Update automation when processes or regulations change
  • • Train backup person to manage if you're unavailable

Common Automation Pitfalls to Avoid

Learn from others' mistakes—here are the most common automation failures:

Pitfall 1: Over-Automation (The "Automation for Everything" Trap)

The Problem: Attempting to automate too many processes simultaneously, or automating processes that require human judgment

Example Gone Wrong:

VASCO creates complex automation to respond to all student emails based on keywords. System sends inappropriate canned responses to students in crisis, damaging relationships.

How to Avoid: Start with 1-2 simple automations. Master them. Add more only after success.

Pitfall 2: Automation Without Documentation

The Problem: Creating automated workflows without documenting how they work or how to troubleshoot them

Example Gone Wrong:

VASCO builds Zapier automation connecting 5 systems. Six months later, it breaks. No documentation exists. VASCO spends days trying to remember how it worked.

How to Avoid: Document every automation: purpose, inputs/outputs, decision logic, troubleshooting steps.

Pitfall 3: No Error Monitoring

The Problem: Assuming automation continues working perfectly without ongoing monitoring

Example Gone Wrong:

Automated certification reminders silently fail due to email system change. VASCO doesn't notice for a month. Students miss deadlines, certifications delayed.

How to Avoid: Set up monitoring, alerts, and regular spot-checks. Verify automation output weekly.

Pitfall 4: Forgetting the Human Touch

The Problem: Automating communication so thoroughly that students feel like they're interacting with robots rather than caring professionals

Example Gone Wrong:

All student communications become automated. Veterans report feeling disconnected, "just a number." Office reputation suffers despite technical efficiency gains.

How to Avoid: Automate administrative tasks, but preserve personal touchpoints. Balance efficiency with relationship.

Pitfall 5: Tool Overkill

The Problem: Purchasing expensive automation platforms for simple tasks that free tools handle fine

Example Gone Wrong:

VASCO purchases $200/month automation platform to send reminder emails—a task Outlook rules could handle for free. Budget wasted, complexity unnecessary.

How to Avoid: Start with free tools. Upgrade only when you've maxed out their capabilities.

The "Should I Automate?" Decision Framework

Before automating any process, run it through this decision tree:

1

Is this process clearly documented?

If NO: Document first, then reconsider automation

2

Does it meet all 4 readiness criteria?

If NO: Keep manual or simplify process first

3

Will automation take less time than doing task manually for 6 months?

If NO: Don't automate—not worth the setup investment

4

Can you easily monitor and fix it when it breaks?

If NO: Too complex—simplify or don't automate

5

Does keeping this manual preserve important relationships or insights?

If YES: Consider keeping manual or hybrid approach

If YES to questions 1-4 and NO to question 5:

Proceed with automation using the implementation roadmap

Key Takeaways

  • ✓Automate selectively: Use the 4-criteria framework to identify truly automation-ready processes
  • ✓Document before automating: Clear documentation is prerequisite for successful automation
  • ✓Start simple: Use free, basic tools before investing in complex platforms
  • ✓Test thoroughly: Automation errors can be catastrophic—verify extensively before full deployment
  • ✓Monitor continuously: Automation requires ongoing maintenance, not "set and forget"
  • ✓Preserve the human touch: Automate administrative tasks, but maintain personal student relationships

Smart automation isn't about automating everything possible—it's about strategically automating the right things in the right ways. The VASCOs who achieve meaningful efficiency gains aren't those with the most complex automation setups; they're those who carefully select high-value, low-risk processes, implement thoughtfully, and maintain diligently. Automation should enhance your effectiveness, not become another time-consuming obligation or barrier between you and the veterans you serve.

Start this week with one simple automation that meets all four readiness criteria. Implement it carefully, document it thoroughly, and monitor it consistently. When it's running smoothly and saving you time, add another. Resist the urge to automate everything at once. Sustainable automation is built incrementally, one proven success at a time. The time you save through strategic automation creates space for the work that truly matters: supporting veterans through their educational journeys.