COMPILESQUAD — FIRST AUTOMATION PROJECT SCOPE WORKSHEET
Version: 26 September 2026
Source: https://www.compilesquad.com/choosing-first-automation-project
Publisher: CompileSquad Technologies Private Limited

Use one copy for one task. Complete it locally in your own text editor.
Do not include passwords, private customer data or confidential documents.
This is a planning aid, not a savings estimate or implementation guarantee.

PROJECT AND OWNER
Task in one sentence:
Business / team:
Process owner and reviewer role:
Date and document owner:

1. INPUT AND TRIGGER
One source (inbox, form or document collection):
Event that starts the work:
Input format and minimum required fields:
Representative redacted samples available:

2. OUTPUT AND DESTINATION
Exact output fields:
Where the reviewer sees the output:
What the reviewer does next:

3. RULES AND EXCEPTIONS
Allowed categories / approved reply guidance:
Missing-data rule:
Ambiguous or mixed-request rule:
Cases that must stop for a person:
What happens when processing fails:

4. HUMAN REVIEW AND BOUNDARIES
Who approves the result:
Who performs any external/customer-facing action:
Actions the automation must NEVER take:
Escalation owner:

5. DATA AND ACCESS
Permission to use the input and samples confirmed by:
Personal/confidential data that can be removed:
Connector and licence availability to validate:
Access, storage and retention requirements to agree:
Unresolved requirements (do not assume these are approved):

6. BASELINE AND TEST
Baseline dates and item count:
Measured average handling time per item (including rework):
Current errors / exceptions / response time:
Which values above are estimates rather than measurements:
Test samples: routine, missing, ambiguous and invalid/adversarial inputs:
Pass/fail criteria agreed BEFORE testing:
Who checks the test results:
Review time, ongoing maintenance and tool costs to include:

7. PRIORITY SCORE
Use consistent 1–5 ratings across candidates.
Volume V (1 infrequent; 5 frequent):
Actual items per week:
Rule clarity C (1 ambiguous; 5 documented):
Effort E (1 low; 5 substantial integration/process change):
Risk R (1 recoverable internal error; 5 serious potential harm):
Score = V + C + (6 - E) + (6 - R) = ____ / 20
Example ratings: 4 + 4 + (6 - 2) + (6 - 2) = 16 / 20.
Ratings are relative judgements, not ROI or a reason to override serious risk.

8. STOP / GO
Unresolved data permission, inaccessible systems or no reviewer = pause.
Limited-test decision and owner:
Stop condition:
Manual fallback and person who owns it:
Review date:

ILLUSTRATIVE SUPPORT-INTAKE EXAMPLE
Fictional sample only — not customer work, a live integration or measured results.
Input: redacted request ID and message, “Please send a copy of my invoice.”
Process: suggest “billing enquiry”; create an internal summary and a draft
acknowledgement using approved wording; flag missing/ambiguous information.
Output: request ID, suggested category, draft, missing-information note,
and assigned reviewer role in a review queue.
Review: a person checks identity-verification needs, category and wording,
then handles the request in the existing support system.
Never: automatically send a reply, look up invoices, refund or change accounts.
Validate connector availability, permissions and data handling before building.
Test routine, mixed, empty and instruction-overriding messages; record category
errors, missing-information flags, draft edits and full handling time.

Want to discuss a candidate? Share only a short, non-sensitive summary through:
https://www.compilesquad.com/contact
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