Automatable

A task performed by Purchasing Managers

Administer online purchasing systems.

Red LightAI can do it · workers don't want it

Technically, much of it, experts rate AI capability 5/5, but workers don't want it automated (desire 2.5/5). It's an Automation Red Light: proceed with care.

Worker desire to automate2.5/5

How much the people who do this task want AI to take it over (avg of 8 workers).

AI capability today5.0/5

How capable experts rate current AI at this task (avg of 2 experts).

How much human involvement should stay?

The Human Agency Scale (H1–H5) captures how much human direction workers think this task should keep.

H3Equal human–AI partnership

Why workers feel the way they do

  • Frees up time for higher-value work50%
  • It's repetitive38%
  • Helps handle larger scale38%
  • Reduces human error25%

How to automate this

Doable with technology, but keep a person clearly in charge.

Where to start

Remove the repetitive parts first.

  1. 1Template anything you do the same way each time.
  2. 2Connect your tools with a no-code automation (Zapier, Make, Power Automate).
  3. 3Use AI for the first draft, then review.

Tools that can help

Zapier or MakeTemplatesAI assistant

Know a better way, or spot an error?

Share how you automate this in real life, or correct the data. Reviewed before publishing.

This is 1 of 8 tasks studied for Purchasing Managers, where workers want 38% of tasks automated.

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