How Automation Saved Our Client 200 Hours a Year

When a Minneapolis-based logistics SMB came to us, their ops team was spending 15+ hours a week manually pulling reports, sending follow-ups, and updating spreadsheets. It was unsustainable — and it was holding their growth back.

We started with a process mapping session. Every manual task was documented: who does it, how long it takes, when it happens, and what triggers it. Within two days, we had identified 11 distinct workflows that could be fully or partially automated.

The biggest wins came from automating their weekly KPI report (6 hours/week saved), client onboarding emails (3 hours/week), and invoice follow-up sequences (4 hours/week). We built these workflows using a combination of Make (Integromat), Google Sheets, and their existing CRM.

Total time saved in year one: just over 200 hours. That's five full work weeks handed back to the team. They reinvested that time into client relationships — and closed 30% more business in the following quarter.

The lesson: automation isn't about replacing people. It's about removing the friction that keeps good people from doing their best work.