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Case Study · Automation · System Design · 2022–2024

Workflow
Automation System

How I redesigned a global PM team's operational workflow — converting repeated human decision-making into structured system logic, eliminating 5,200+ hours of manual work annually.

0
Hours Saved / Year
70–90%
Manual Effort Reduced
0
Folder Naming Errors
9
Team Members Benefited
System Architecture
How the automation works — click any step to explore
→
Step 01
Trigger / Input
Project name or source file reference provided
→
Step 02
Condition Mapping
Request type identified, rules applied
→
Step 03
Decision Logic
If/then logic replaces manual judgment
→
Step 04
Action Path
Folder created, files downloaded & moved
→
Step 05
Extraction
Files unzipped, duplicates handled
Step 06
Output
Ready workspace in <1 min, zero errors
The Problem

In a global PM environment handling hundreds of projects simultaneously, every new project triggered the same five manual steps — repeated, without exception, by every PM on the team.

The root issue wasn't the steps themselves. It was that the same decisions were being made repeatedly by experienced people who should have been focused on delivery strategy, not folder management.

Multiply 15–20 minutes per project across hundreds of projects and a 9-person team — the annual cost exceeded 5,200 hours.

Before vs After
Manual
  • Create server folder manually
  • Rename to TMS project name
  • Download source files
  • Move files to directory
  • Extract all files
  • 15–20 min per project
  • Consistent naming errors
Automated
  • Input: project name
  • Auto-created & named folder
  • Files downloaded automatically
  • Files moved to correct path
  • Auto-extracted, deduped
  • Under 1 minute
  • Zero naming errors
My Role
Associate PM · Automation Owner
Identified workflow inefficiencies
Designed process logic end-to-end
Defined automation requirements
Used AI tools to build & refine
Tested with real production projects
Measured and documented impact
Technology
Python File System Automation Windows Scripting ChatGPT / Azure AI Azure DevOps JIRA Excel / Internal Trackers
Stakeholders Impacted
Project Managers
Freed from repetitive tasks — shifted to strategic delivery work.
Delivery Teams
Faster resource access, fewer delays at project kick-off.
Senior Management
Measurable cost savings, improved operational efficiency.
QA Team
Standardised structures reduced downstream file-location time.
IT Department
Reduced ad-hoc support requests from manual errors.
Clients
Faster project kick-offs, fewer delivery errors.
Consulting Insight

"Operational inefficiencies often stem from repeated human decision-making at the same level of abstraction. By identifying high-frequency, low-variation decisions and converting them into explicit logic, organisations can transition from people-dependent execution to system-driven workflows — significantly improving scalability and consistency."

Future Enhancements
  • 01UI dashboard — no command line required
  • 02API / email auto-trigger on new project creation
  • 03Integration with JIRA / Azure DevOps boards
  • 04Logging and full audit trail system
  • 05Error notification and retry mechanism
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