How would you decide whether a manual process is a good candidate for automation?

What the interviewer is looking for

• This question tests process analysis & discovery. Assesses volume, rules, stability and exceptions before automating, and maps the real process rather than the documented one.
• Strong answers: Volume and time spent, clear rules, stable systems and inputs, exception rate, error cost and expected benefit.
• Likely follow-up: What would make you say no to automating it?

Another way it may be asked: The accounts team copies data from emails into a system all day. What would you look at to decide if it's worth automating?

A structure to follow: Frame, structure, analyse, recommend

1. Step 1

   Frame

   Restate the goal and ask what success is and what the constraints are.

2. Step 2

   Structure

   Split the problem into a few separate parts you can check one by one, and say what you will look at first and why.

3. Step 3

   Analyse

   Reason with the information you have, state your assumptions out loud, and say what data would change your mind.

4. Step 4

   Recommend

   Give a clear recommendation, the main risk, and the first step you would take.

This is guidance on shape, not a script. Use your own real experience and facts; never invent details to fill a gap. See the STAR guide and answer frameworks.

Common slips

• Listing ideas without choosing between them.
• Hiding assumptions instead of stating them.
• Finishing without a recommendation.

How to practise it

Answer in four spoken parts, one per step, then check you ended on a recommendation.

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