Smarter Week

How to automate it

How to automate “firefight escalations and urgent problems”

Here are 2 ways to spend less time on this, best first. Each comes with steps you can follow today.

45 min
typically, every day
25%
of the time can be automated
Some setup
to set up

Fix 1 of 2

Process fixBest fix

Write a one-page runbook for your most common escalations

When severity levels, who to call and first steps are written down, the team handles routine escalations without you.

Typically saves about 25% of the time2 h to set up
  1. 1List the five escalation types you saw most last month.
  2. 2For each, write: how to tell severity, first three steps, who decides, template message to the customer or team.
  3. 3Put it where the team works and walk them through it.
  4. 4Only step in for the top severity level.

Tools: Notion, Confluence or SharePoint · ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Microsoft Copilot

Fix 2 of 2

Process fix

Hold a weekly 30-minute review of repeat problems and fix one

Most firefighting is the same few problems coming back. Fixing the top repeat cause each week shrinks the fire count.

Typically saves about 20% of the time30 min to set up
  1. 1Log each escalation with a short cause tag.
  2. 2Each week, look at the most frequent cause.
  3. 3Ask "why" until you reach something you can change, and assign one fix.
  4. 4Check next month whether that cause dropped.

Tools: Shared log or ticket system

Who does this task

Roles in our library that list this as one of their common tasks. Each guide covers the rest of that role’s week.

Operations manager

HourLeak · the 8-minute work audit

How many hours does this cost you?

The free 8-minute check works out where your week goes and gives you your top fixes. The team scan does the same for everyone and adds it up, so you know which leaks to fix first.

Take the free check Scan my team, $49

Answers are anonymous. Leaders only see team totals.

Other common tasks for Operations managers