How processes are ranked
Priority score = value × 2 − effort − (risk − 1) × 0.5
Value counts double because a process has to save meaningful time or errors to be worth doing at all. Effort reduces the score directly. Risk reduces it more gently, because risk can usually be managed with checks and approvals rather than avoided entirely.
Quadrants
| Low effort (1–2) | High effort (3–5) | |
|---|---|---|
| High value (4–5) | Quick wins: do these first | Major projects: plan properly, do in phases |
| Lower value (1–3) | Fill-ins: do when convenient | Avoid for now: cost likely outweighs benefit |
Any process rated risk 4 or 5 is flagged for a human approval step, whatever its quadrant. These rules are a simple, transparent heuristic. Adjust the ratings rather than the formula if something feels wrongly placed.
Rating consistently
- Value: use annual hours or cost from the Manual Task Cost Calculator to anchor ratings.
- Effort: consider how many systems are involved, whether they connect easily, and how many exceptions there are.
- Risk: consider customer impact, money movement, sensitive data and how easily a mistake can be undone.
Rate with the people who do the work; they know where the exceptions are. For a deeper check on any single process, use the Automation Suitability Scorecard.