What are some automation best practices you should follow?

Starting small, testing thoroughly, and maintaining documentation are key best practices in automation. This approach allows for manageable implementation of automation initiatives. By beginning with smaller projects, teams can focus on specific processes, making it easier to identify issues or challenges that may arise. Thorough testing is crucial as it helps ensure that the automation is functioning as intended and meets the desired outcomes before scaling up. Additionally, maintaining documentation is essential for tracking the automation process, facilitating communication among team members, and ensuring that knowledge is preserved for future reference or enhancements.

In contrast, starting large can overwhelm teams and lead to significant challenges in managing complex implementations. Testing occasionally may fail to catch crucial errors that could hinder the automation’s success, while eliminating documentation can create knowledge gaps and difficulties in troubleshooting or scaling in the future. Focusing solely on performance without adequate testing compromises reliability and could lead to failures in critical operations. Lastly, developing multiple bots simultaneously without proper testing can multiply risks, as interdependencies and potential issues might not be addressed effectively. This could result in poor performance and a lack of reliability across the automation infrastructure.