Automations

From this article you will learn:

• How one-stop project management eliminates organizational chaos.
• How time control translates into real savings.
• Why contextual communication is more effective than traditional messaging.
• How the combination of CRM and project execution increases customer satisfaction.
• How a vibrant knowledge base accelerates business growth.
• Why automation in a single tool yields better results than in distributed systems.

15 minutes looking for a client email, 10 minutes trying to find a document in SharePoint, and your team just informs you that an important message is lost somewhere between Slack and Teams? There's a better way.

In this article, I'll introduce you to a tool that we use at Automation House and that we're introducing to many companies around the world. And no, it is not another tool for your already overflowing digital inbox. It's a solution that replaces 5 key systems in your company: project management, time control, company communicator, CRM and document database. Here you have everything in one place, without jumping between applications.

Automation House, as an official ClickUp partner in Poland, has implemented this solution in dozens of organizations. See how this system can now transform your team's work.

1. project management - the foundation of an efficient organization

Every company struggles with a similar problem - how to effectively manage projects when information is in different places? Documentation is hosted on SharePoint, communication happens on Slack, and tasks are stored in Jira or Trello. Fortunately, we found a solution by centralizing all aspects of project management in one place.

At the heart of the system are tasks, but not in the form of a simple to-do list. Each task in ClickUp is a hub of information and communication. When you create a new task, you can not only specify basic parameters such as deadline or priority, but also connect it to the broader context of the project. The tool automatically tracks the time spent and collects all discussions and documents related to the task.

A real-life example: the marketing team is working on a new social media campaign. In the traditional approach, the brief is in one place, the graphics in another, and the discussion of campaign details takes place in several different email threads. At ClickUp, it's all in one space. The graphic designer sees the brief and can add his designs directly to the assignment. The copywriter can comment on the graphics and suggest changes in the same space. The project manager keeps track of progress and time spent.

What's more, ClickUp adapts to the way each team member works. The same people, working on the same project, can see it in different ways. A project manager can track progress on a Gantt chart, while individual team members see only their task list for today. All this without duplicating data or having to manually synchronize it.

Protip

Start with the simplest view and gradually add more features. Introducing all the capabilities too quickly can overwhelm the team.

2. time control that really helps

"I don't know why this project took so long." - this phrase heard in many companies may be history. ClickUp brings transparency to time management, but not in the form of oppressive supervision, but a practical tool for optimizing work.

The system automatically tracks how much time each task and project takes. However, it's not about simply counting hours. The tool shows a broader picture - where the team is wasting the most time, which projects are dragging on beyond assumptions and, most importantly, why this is happening.

For example, one of our clients discovered that its development team was spending an average of 25% of its time on fixes submitted by the marketing department. After deeper analysis, it turned out that the reason was not the quality of the developers' work, but the lack of clearly defined requirements at the beginning of the project. The introduction of a standard brief form at ClickUp reduced the number of revisions by about 40%.

The ability to compare estimated time with actual time is also key. When you see that similar tasks regularly take more time than expected, you can adjust the scheduling of future projects accordingly. This not only streamlines your work, but also eliminates the stress of unrealistic deadlines.

3. communication that is not lost in the noise

Remember the situation when an important piece of information was lost in the stream of messages on Slack? Or it was necessary to search through three different communicators to find the findings of last week's discussion? The answer to these kinds of pains is contextual communication.

Chat in ClickUp differs from standard instant messaging in that any conversation can be immediately linked to a specific task or project. When you discuss details, you don't have to later rewrite the findings into the task system - they are already where they should be.

Worth knowing

ClickUp's artificial intelligence helps organize communications. Imagine you're looking for last month's pricing strategy discussion. Instead of wading through hundreds of messages, you ask the AI, "Find a conversation about pricing strategy for project X." The system finds the right conversation and shows you all the related documents and decisions.

4. a CRM that links sales to fulfillment

Traditional CRM systems have one fundamental flaw - they are disconnected from the actual execution of projects. A salesperson closes a contract in the CRM, but then loses visibility into what is happening with his customer. We, on the other hand, connect the sales process with actual customer service.

Take the example of an implementation company. A sales person is sourcing a customer for a system implementation. In a standard process, he or she would have to communicate all the customer information and findings to the implementation team - often via email or in a separate meeting. At ClickUp, this transition happens seamlessly. When the status in the sales funnel changes to "Won," the system automatically creates a project space for that customer, transferring all relevant data.

What's more, the salesman doesn't lose touch with the customer once the sale is closed. He can see the progress of the implementation, can react to potential problems, and even receives automatic notifications of upcoming milestones. This not only improves customer service, but also increases the chance of additional sales.

5. a knowledge base that is alive and evolving

How many times have you created a document that became outdated after a month? How much time does your team spend looking for updated versions of procedures or materials? At Automation House, we approach corporate documentation in a whole new way.

Documents in ClickUp are not static files locked in folders. They are living resources that are linked to projects and tasks. When a team is working on a project, they can directly refer to the relevant parts of the documentation. What's more, if a team member discovers that something needs to be updated, he or she can do so right away, and the system will automatically notify everyone involved of the changes.

This is especially useful for onboarding new employees. Instead of an overwhelming presentation with all the procedures, the new person receives a personalized implementation path. The system automatically provides further documents and tasks at the appropriate time, based on the employee's progress.

Automation that truly frees up time

The word automation often sounds like an empty promise. We translate processes into tangible time savings. We're not talking about complex and elaborate systems that require a programmer. We're talking about practical automations that anyone can set up in minutes.

A real-life example: a marketing agency serving 50 clients was wasting an average of 5 hours a week sending emails with progress reports. After implementing ClickUp, the process looks like this: when the team marks a task as completed, the system automatically attaches the progress report, formats the email according to the template and sends it to the appropriate people. Completely no manual work.

Another example: the error handling process in an IT company. Previously, reporting a problem required sending an email, which someone had to manually convert into a task and assign it to the right person. Now the customer fills out a simple form in ClickUp, and the system automatically creates the task, assigns it according to competence and priority, and even informs the customer of the expected turnaround time - all within seconds.

Why invest in one tool instead of five? Switching to ClickUp is not just a change of tools. It's a change in work philosophy. When all information, communication and processes are in one place, the team stops wasting time searching for information and switching between applications. Instead, it focuses on what's really important - productive work.

Summary:

• Integrating five key tools in one place eliminates information chaos and saves the team time.
• Automating routine tasks frees up time for strategic activities.
•  Full process transparency allows for better business decisions.

From this article you will learn:

• What are the foundations of modern business agility.
• How to implement an agile culture step by step with practical examples.
• What results can be achieved by automating and integrating processes in the organization.
• How to use case studies to see how much an agile approach to management can change.
• How to manage change and maintain a competitive edge through continuous process optimization.

An agile organization is able to respond rapidly to changing conditions, introduce new products or services in a short period of time, and effectively manage internal processes. If you want to learn how to build a culture of agility in your company and how it will affect your results, I invite you to read on. In this post you will find the most important issues related to agility in business and find out how to implement this model in practice.

Why is agility a must in today's reality?

We live in a time when the saying "the only constant is change" is gaining more and more meaning. Markets are evolving at a dizzying pace, customer expectations are rising, and new technologies are emerging faster than we manage to fully understand them. For you, as a business representative, this means one thing: flexibility and the ability to adapt quickly have become key factors for survival and success. This is why business agility(agility) is gaining so much importance today.

Foundations of modern business agility

Agility - more than a management methodology

You often hear that agile in business is simply a project management methodology - such as Agile, Scrum or Kanban. In reality, it's a comprehensive approach to running a company, which includes not only the way projects are executed, but also the internal organizational culture, the structure of processes, the technologies used or the methods of collaboration with both clients and within teams.

The key elements of agility are:

• Theability to react quickly to changes (e.g., market or technology changes),
• flexibility and openness to modification of processes and corporate strategy,
• short feedback cycles - regularly checking what is working and what needs improvement,
• Value orientation - focusing on what actually benefits (customers and the company).

Flexible technology stack

One of the main pillars of agility is choosing the right set of tools that allow you to quickly adapt and modify your processes. Such a "flexible technology stack" that allows your company to operate more efficiently is usually:

• flexible databases and information management platforms - like Airtable, a tool that combines the features of a spreadsheet and a professional database,
• automation and integration tools - such as Make.com, which enables the linking of different systems and applications,
• application-building platforms - such as Bubble.io or Webflow, allowing to create advanced web applications through a visual interface,
• Cloud - file storage and management solutions such as Google Drive, Dropbox or OneDrive,
• platforms for creating forms and surveys - such as Typeform or Tally, which enable data collection and processing without coding.

Airtable - a flexible data management system

With Airtable, you can:

• Quickly create and modify tables/data collections,
• define different forms of views (kanban, calendar, gallery), which makes it easier to work in different teams,
• automate repetitive tasks - such as sending notifications when a value in a column is updated,
• create integrated databases (e.g., CRM, project database, document database) and use add-ons that extend functionality.

Make.com - efficient automation and process integration

Make.com is a platform that allows you to build workflows without coding. In practice:

• You integrate any applications (CRM, email, Slack, Google Drive, online store, etc.),
• you develop automatic scenarios, such as "when a new e-mail request arrives, automatically update the record in the database and send a response to the customer."
• you can scale the complexity of flows - from simple actions (e.g., social media) to advanced processes across the company.

Application building platforms

With tools like Bubble.io or Webflow, you can:

• Create custom web applications without programming knowledge,
• Quickly prototype and test new business solutions,
• adapt functionalities to the changing needs of users,
• integrate the created applications with other tools in the organization.

Cloud storage and file management systems

Tools such as Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive allow you to:

• Central storage and organization of company documents,
• File sharing with appropriate access permissions,
• collaboration of multiple people on the same documents in real time,
• Automatic synchronization of files between different devices.

Data collection and processing platforms

Tools, such as Typeform or Tally, make it possible:

• Creating professional forms and surveys without coding,
• automatic processing of collected data and its integration with other systems,
• Personalizing the user's path depending on the answers provided,
• generating reports and analysis based on the collected information.

Worth knowing

As a versatile platform, Airtable can replace many of the solutions mentioned above, as it has the following functions: file storage, form creation, interface building and workflow automation.

Practical applications of agility: tools in action

Example 1: Airtable invoice management

Managing invoices is often a challenge - especially when a company is growing and the number of documents is increasing. With Airtable, it is possible:

• Flexible adaptation to company processes - create your own invoice statuses, categories, payment terms,
• Real-time collaboration - accounting and management can simultaneously work on the same data,
• Automatic updates and notifications - such as reminders for upcoming payment deadlines or manager alerts for high-value invoices,
• Customized views - each department can view invoices in the way that best suits them:
  • Accounting - a tabular view with payment details,
  • management - calendar view of commitments,
  • Managers - view filtered to their departments' invoices.

Example 2: Automations from Make.com

If you want to save time, streamline the flow of information and avoid errors resulting from copying data between systems, Make.com, specifically, comes to the rescue:

• Marketing process automation - e.g., pulling in leads from a form on the site, saving them in the CRM and sending a welcome email automatically,
• Integration with CRM tools - sending information about new customers to communication tools (e.g. Slack, Teams),
• Automatic data processing - for example, converting PDF files from an e-mail attachment to a specific format and putting them into Google Drive and Airtable,
• create flexible processes - every time the situation changes, you quickly adjust scenarios in Make.com, without having to write complex code.

Protip

Think about which activities in your company are repetitive and consume the most time. Most often, these are processes such as filling out forms, updating data in several systems or sending email notifications. Start by automating them - you will quickly see tangible benefits, and your team will be able to devote the saved time to more important tasks.

Case studies - practical examples of transformation

Case study 1: Streamlining invoice management in a manufacturing company

Context and challenges

A leading producer in the food industry (seeds, grains, plant products) was struggling with the real bane of modern companies: chaotic invoice management. There were several reasons for this:

• Large number of documents: dozens of invoices a day from various sources.
• Manual processing of these documents took a lot of time, and human errors translated into delays in payments and inaccuracies in financial reports.
• No centralization of data: invoices were collected in different places (e-mail, OneDrive, physical binders).

Solution: Automation with Make.com and centralization in Airtable

A comprehensive invoice processing package, based mainly on Make.com integrations and a centralized base in Airtable, came to the rescue.

• Automatic import of invoices from the electronic mailbox.
• Checking the existence of invoices to ensure that no invoice is entered twice.
• Storage and management of data in Airtable - full transparency, quick search, no need for manual data entry.
• Ongoing communication with stakeholders - the finance team receives real-time notifications of new invoices and any data issues.

Achieved results

• A drastic reduction in labor intensity - work that used to be done by hand has been automated.
• Fewer mistakes - data flows directly and is verified automatically.
• Improved relations with suppliers - faster processing of invoices and payments translates into satisfied contractors.
• Increased transparency - the accounting department can see in real time which invoices have been processed and at what stage they are.

Visuals and screenshots of the implementation

Case study 2: Transformation in photovoltaic project management

Challenges

A photovoltaic company specializing in the installation of photovoltaic panels, heat pumps, air conditioners and furnaces struggled with the following challenges:

1. Manual creation of documents (consents, powers of attorney, execution protocols) - time-consuming and prone to errors.
2. No central data management system - data wandered between Excel sheets, e-mails and binders.
3. Low efficiency of information flow - it was difficult to maintain data consistency with so many projects.
4. Lack of transparent allocation of resources - excessive time spent on so-called paperwork instead of developing and handling further investments.

The solution: document automation with Make.com and Airtable

To speed up and streamline the entire process, the company has implemented an integrated system in which:

• Webhooks and Make.com integrations received data from forms (e.g., collected customer information or installation parameters).
• Airtable became a central database of projects and clients from which data was taken to generate documents.
• Document templates in Google Drive were automatically populated with data downloaded from Airtable.
• File sharing permissions could be configured according to the user's role - only the right team could see the documents, which improved security and order.

Results of implementation

• Saving time - the system generated the necessary documents (contracts, powers of attorney, acceptance reports) literally in a few clicks.
• Fewer errors - dynamic data insertion has reduced the number of typos and inconsistencies.
• Better project management - Integration with Airtable provided constant insight into the progress of the work and the status of each stage of the installation.
• Increased team productivity - employees were finally able to focus on key tasks instead of wasting time on administrative tasks.

Visuals and screenshots of the implementation

Summary of case studies - what do the two companies have in common?

Although one company is in the photovoltaic sector and the other in the food industry, both had common pieces of the agility puzzle:

• Implementing a flexible technology stack (Airtable for key data management, Make.com for automation and integration),
• Focus on automating the most labor-intensive areas (invoices, project documentation),
• More efficient management of time and resources.

In both cases, the transformation has brought long-term benefits and opened up new opportunities to scale the business.

Implementing agility in an organization - step by step

Regardless of the size of your company or industry, there are a few proven steps to help you successfully incorporate agility into your daily operations:

1. Analysis of current processes
   • Look at all repetitive tasks and look for places where you are wasting time or where errors occur.
   • Ask yourself, "Can this step be simplified or automated to speed up the work?"
2. Choice of flexible tools
   • Opt for platforms such as Airtable or Make.com instead of closed or hard-to-extend solutions.
   • Consider low-code/no-code systems to quickly prototype integrations and applications.
3. Implementation in the form of small pilot projects
   • Start with one key process, such as automating invoices, generating contracts or managing contacts.
   • This will help you avoid chaos and check how the team reacts to changes.
4. Gradual expansion of automation
   • Once you see the first successes and positive impact on efficiency, implement further scenarios.
   • Monitor the effects, draw conclusions and adjust solutions.
5. Continuous improvement and adjustment of processes
   • Don't stop at one implementation - agility is about continuous improvement.
   • Don't close yourself off to feedback from employees and customers.

Cross-commentary: Legal aspects in an agile organization

To enrich the perspective of the topic at hand, we asked a legal advisor from Sawicki Legal, which specializes in serving technology companies, to comment:

Damian Sawicki, Sawicki Legal:

In the era of digital transformation, special attention must be paid to data protection and corporate confidentiality issues. When automating processes, especially if customer or employee data is processed on external platforms (such as Airtable or Make.com), it is crucial to enter into appropriate data processing entrustment agreements and to ensure compliance with RODO and an appropriate degree of security. An important role is also played by internal policies and regulations, in which the company defines the rules and standards for the use of technology and sets out the consequences of non-compliance. A good example would be a bylaw for the use of AI, which allows the business owner to maintain control over his team's use of popular artificial intelligence tools.

Benefits of implementing an agile approach

The benefits of implementing an agile operating model in a company are multidimensional. Here are the most important ones:

1. Faster response to market changes
   With short decision cycles and greater flexibility, you can instantly adapt your offerings to new realities.
2. Greater operational efficiency
   Eliminating unnecessary steps or manual activities allows the team to focus on key tasks.
3. Cost reduction
   Process automation leads to fewer errors, less time spent on administration and better use of resources.
4. Improved team collaboration
   Transparent processes, shared tools and regular feedback foster team integration and strengthen a culture of collaboration.
5. Greater transparency
   When everyone can see what stage a project or process is at, it is easier to manage priorities and avoid conflicts.

The future of business agility

Observing market trends, one can see several directions of agility development in organizations:

• Automation and integration - companies will reach even more boldly for tools to connect multiple systems and processes into one cohesive ecosystem.
• Low-code/no-code solutions - even the most non-technical people will be able to create simple applications or automated workflows.
• Flexible data management models -databases such as Airtable will evolve to become even more personalized.
• Adaptive, intelligent systems - artificial intelligence-based solutions are increasingly emerging to predict trends, automatically respond to anomalies and recommend actions based on data analysis.

If you want your business to keep growing, use the tips in this article. With flexible technology solutions, automation and a culture of continuous improvement, you have the opportunity to become a leader in your industry - even in a rapidly changing market.

Summary:

• A flexible technology stack is a must - tools such as Airtable and Make.com make it significantly easier to customize processes to meet company needs and help eliminate time-consuming steps.
• Stick to the "small steps, big effect" principle - start with a few key areas where automation and an agile approach can bring the fastest return on investment. Success in these sectors will help you convince the entire organization to continue making changes.
• Continuous evolution is better than evolution - agility is a process, not a one-time project. It's worth analyzing, testing, tweaking and learning from mistakes on a regular basis to continuously evolve company processes and business models.