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Automation for businesses

If you copy data from one tool to another, build the same report every week or have two programs that don’t talk to each other, I can program it to happen on its own.

It’s what I do every day as a developer: connecting a CRM to other services so data moves from one to the other on its own.

Tell me which task you repeat

Jaume Pérez SentísWeb developer in Barcelona

To get started, it helps to know

  • What the task is, how often you do it and how long it takes.
  • Which tools are involved: management software, spreadsheets, your website, a CRM, email.
  • Whether those tools let you get the data out (as a spreadsheet, for example) or have an API, which is the door other software uses to ask for or send data. If you don’t know, I’ll check.
  • What happens today when something goes wrong, and who fixes it.

Tasks you can take off your plate

Illustrative examples, not client cases. Each case depends on the tools you use.

  • Copying data between tools

    Now
    Every order or booking from your website gets typed again into your management software or a spreadsheet.
    Automated
    It arrives where you need it on its own, with the same fields every time.

  • Preparing reports

    Now
    Every week you pull data from several places into the same Excel file, by hand.
    Automated
    The report builds itself and reaches you by email or lands in a folder.

  • Syncing information

    Now
    You update stock, prices or contacts in two systems and sometimes they don’t match.
    Automated
    One is the source and the other updates from it; if something doesn’t match, you get an alert.

  • Using what your software already allows

    Now
    Your software or a supplier’s can connect to other programs, but nobody uses that and data is moved by hand.
    Automated
    A small custom program moves the data from one to the other and notes down everything it did.

How I work

  1. Review tools and access

    I look at the tools you use, how they can be connected and what access is needed.

    You get: what can and can’t be automated, in writing.

  2. What it will do and what it costs

    I set out what the automation will do, what it won’t, what happens when something fails and what it costs.

    You get: a fixed quote, with what’s in and what isn’t, in writing.

  3. Build

    I build it in parts, starting with whatever takes most of your time.

    You get: progress you can try out.

  4. Test with real data

    We test it with real data, odd cases included, before leaving it to run on its own.

    You get: the list of what has been tested.

  5. Hand over

    I leave it running, with alerts if it fails, and show you how to check it.

    You get: the automation up and running and a short guide.

Limits and dependencies

I tell you about them before quoting, not after.

  • It depends on your tools: they must let data in and out, through a spreadsheet, a file or their API. If they don’t, there’s no shortcut.
  • Some programs charge for connecting to them or limit it by plan. That cost is yours and we look at it first.
  • If a tool changes the way it gives out its data, the automation needs adjusting. That’s why maintenance is worth having.
  • I use dedicated access for the automation with just the permissions it needs, not your personal password.
  • If it moves customer data, we review where it’s stored and who can see it.
  • Anything that needs judgement is still decided by a person: the automation does the same thing every time and flags what doesn’t fit.

Common questions

  • Will it work with the software I use?

    It depends on the software. First I check whether it lets you get the data out or connect to it, and until then I won’t promise it can be done. If it can’t, I’ll tell you before quoting.

  • I already use Zapier or Make. Does something custom make sense?

    For simple cases those tools are enough, and I’ll say so. Custom work pays off when they fall short, get complicated or become expensive at volume.

  • Where does the automation run?

    It depends: inside a tool you already have, or on a computer on the internet (a server) that runs it when it’s due. If one is needed, its cost is separate and it’s in your name.

  • What if it fails one day?

    It’s designed to alert: if a run fails, you know about it and no data is lost silently. What happens next is agreed before the quote.

  • How much does it cost?

    It depends on how many tools need connecting, the volume of data and how tidy it is. I give you a fixed quote in writing after reviewing the tools.

Which task do you repeat every week?

Tell me what you do by hand and with which tools. I’ll tell you whether it can be automated and where I’d start.

Tell me which task you repeat

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