Automation Go/No-Go

Autonomy Bridge · Analytical Definition

The pre-investment diagnostic phase that tests whether minimum conditions - labor intensity, demand stability, workflow fit, and capital recovery viability - are met before vendor evaluation begins.

Automation go/no-go is a structured screen applied before entering the vendor evaluation and selection process, designed to confirm that the operation being considered for automation actually meets the conditions under which automation investment can succeed. The screen tests four conditions: whether labor intensity is sufficient to generate an adequate savings pool; whether demand is stable enough to sustain utilization above the capital recovery threshold; whether the workflow is standardized to a degree that automation systems can operate without excessive exception rates; and whether the capital recovery timeline is achievable given volume, labor rates, and automation cost. Operations that fail the go/no-go screen should not proceed to vendor evaluation - the evaluation process creates sunk cost pressure toward commitment regardless of whether the economics are sound. The go/no-go discipline prevents automation projects from advancing into procurement based on vendor enthusiasm or technology curiosity rather than defensible economics.