What a written automation scope should include

Start with the bottleneck, not the software

A useful scope names the work that is stuck. “Invoices wait in one person’s inbox” is a scope. “We need AI” is not. Write down who touches the work today, how often it happens, and what “done” looks like when it leaves their hands.

ITAKY’s Automation Starter is one defined workflow for $2,500. The written scope is what keeps that price honest. If the conversation grows into a second process, that is a different package or a separate quote.

The pieces that belong on the page

Trigger: what starts the workflow. An email with an attachment, a form submission, a Friday morning schedule, or a status change.

Steps and decisions: who approves, what the thresholds are, and which path is the exception. Unknown vendors, missing receipts, and overdue invoices should be named, not discovered after launch.

Systems involved: email, a spreadsheet, a form, an export. Say whether the workflow reads an export or connects directly. Direct connections to accounting software, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, or a CRM are extra scope until they are quoted.

What the business receives: a working example before deployment, documentation, and the 30-day adjustment window on a Starter project.

What is out: auto-posting to an accounting system, a customer portal, or a second department’s process, unless those lines are in the quote.

How to tell the scope is ready

Someone who does the job should be able to read it and say, “Yes, that is the process,” or “You missed the Tuesday exception.” If they cannot, the demo will look clever and still miss the work.

Ask for the interactive example before deployment. It should use sample data and should not send real email or change real records. If a preview implies it already updated your books, stop and ask what actually ran.