How Automation Can Lead to Big Impact on Tool Adoption

In today’s business landscape, systems like project management (PM), ERP, and CRM are essential for running operations efficiently—whether in small businesses or large enterprises. When implemented well, these systems can significantly enhance productivity, coordination, and transparency.

However, many companies face a common challenge: they adopt off-the-shelf solutions only to discover that the tools don’t quite fit their existing workflows. Teams are then forced to adapt their entire way of working to match the software, which often leads to frustration for both employees and leadership.

This is where custom software plays a transformative role. By tailoring solutions to existing processes rather than forcing process changes to fit rigid software, businesses can improve adoption, efficiency, and cross-team collaboration—without adding unnecessary complexity.

The Missing Link: Usability and Adoption

Even the best system is only as good as its adoption. Especially in high-volume environments or at the senior management level, usability can make or break a system’s success. If a tool is perceived as time-consuming or cumbersome, it will be underutilized—no matter how powerful it is.

This is why small, targeted automation enhancements can make a world of difference.

A Real Example: Outlook Add-in for Project Management

One such enhancement we implemented involved building a custom Microsoft Outlook add-in that integrates directly with our internal Project Management Tool (PMT).

The result? A simple, intuitive way to create tasks directly from emails—boosting the tool’s daily utility by nearly 10x. Previously, team members found task creation time-consuming, which discouraged use. But now creating a task from an email is as easy as clicking a button.

How the Tool Works

• A new ribbon tab in Outlook includes the add-in button called ‘Add Task’.
• Clicking this button while viewing an email brings up a pre-filled form with email content and fields for additional project-related details filled in based on the content of email.
• Once submitted, the task is created within the PMT system and automatically assigned to the selected team member.

Key Benefits:

• Fast, Accurate, and Effortless Task Creation: Reduces manual entry and minimizes errors.
• Smart Dropdowns for Project & Assignee Selection: Simplifies and speeds up the assignment process.
• Time-Saving Workflow Integration: Helps users stay focused on work rather than administrative steps.

Adaptable to Your Systems

The tool can be easily customized to work with your existing PM Tool, CRM, or ERP platforms. It’s a small investment with a big payoff in user engagement and operational efficiency.

Interested in streamlining processes within your organization? Reach out to us to explore custom automation ideas tailored to your team’s workflow.