The Automation Paradox: When Being More Efficient Makes Us Less Competitive

There's a dangerous trap in automation that few discuss: automating bad processes only makes them bad faster. Most European SMEs are falling into this fundamental error, rushing to implement AI without first questioning whether what they're doing even makes sense.

Zendesk learned this the hard way. After automating their customer support ticket system, they realized they were just processing complaints faster - but weren't solving the problems causing them. The result? Even more frustrated customers, just with quicker responses. Only when they redesigned the entire process, focusing on prevention rather than reaction, did automation bring real value.

The question isn't whether you should automate, but what deserves to be automated. Before implementing any AI solution, ask this simple question: "If this process disappeared completely, would my customers notice negatively?" If the answer is no, eliminate it. If yes, then optimize it first, automate second.

This week, pick one process you're considering automating. Map every step and identify what actually adds value to the end customer. You might discover half the process is unnecessary. At challengingdawn.pt/ai-automation/, we share more cases of SMEs that transformed operations by questioning first, automating second. Which process in your company deserves to be eliminated before being automated?