Future-Proofing
Automate or Stagnate: Where to Start with AI in Your Workflow
Automate or Stagnate: Where to Start with AI in Your Workflow by Todd Moss
Let’s start here:
If you’re a founder, a nonprofit director, or the person everyone calls when “something breaks”… you’re probably already overwhelmed. AI might feel like one more thing vendors are pushing—just like the last thing, and the one before that.
So let me be upfront: I’m not writing this to impress you or pitch some futuristic service.
I’m writing this because we’re already seeing the gap widen between organizations that are exploring automation—and those that are still waiting for permission to try.
I’ve been in IT for over two decades. I’ve seen hype cycles come and go. This one’s different. Not because AI is magic (it isn’t). But because this time, automation is actually accessible—even for small teams with no technical staff.
The question isn’t “should we use AI?”
It’s “where do we start, in a way that helps us today—not someday?”
Why It’s Time to Get Practical About AI (Not Philosophical)
There’s no shortage of opinion pieces out there telling you AI will replace jobs, transform the world, or become sentient. But those aren’t helpful when you’re trying to manage a team, hit deadlines, or stretch a tight budget.
What’s helpful is this:
Your competitors are already automating tasks you’re still paying people to do manually.
Your employees are already using AI tools—often without telling you.
And your risk isn’t missing the AI train.
It’s thinking the train isn’t going to stop at your station.
Here’s what I tell our clients at 24hourtek:
You don’t need to become an AI expert. But you do need to become AI-aware.
Think of AI like electricity. When it first came out, people didn’t know what to do with it. But now it powers the things around us so quietly, we forget it’s there.
Automation should feel the same way.
You don’t need to make sweeping changes. You just need to take one or two tasks and ask:
Could this be faster, better, or less error-prone if a machine helped?
Start Small, Win Early
You don’t have to deploy a giant AI initiative to start seeing impact. In fact, we advise the opposite: start small, build trust.
Here are three safe, simple places we’ve seen clients succeed:
1. Email Triage and Summarization
Tired of endless inboxes?
Tools like Outlook Copilot or Gmail with AI add-ons can summarize emails, draft replies, and highlight what matters. One client saves 3–4 hours a week just having AI group and prioritize messages.
2. Meeting Notes & Transcripts
AI can take near-perfect notes from Zoom or Google Meet calls. No more trying to remember what someone said two weeks ago. It’s searchable, it’s timestamped, and it’s accurate enough to hand off action items.
3. Drafting Routine Reports or Memos
One nonprofit ops lead we work with uses AI to create grant application drafts. They still edit every word, but the AI gives them a strong starting point—cutting the time to draft in half.
“But What If We’re Not a Tech Company?”
Perfect. You’re exactly who this article is for.
Some of the most meaningful uses of automation happen outside Silicon Valley. We’ve worked with:
Accounting firms automating repetitive onboarding emails
Construction teams using AI to sort photos and reports from job sites
Nonprofits creating auto-generated donor reports personalized with real impact stats
Healthcare clinics using AI to red-flag compliance gaps in documentation
None of these organizations would call themselves “high-tech.” But they all found a way to make AI work quietly in the background—like good plumbing.
If you’re using a spreadsheet, answering emails, or doing anything twice in a row… AI might help.
Not replace the task, but accelerate it.
And that’s the key: AI isn’t about doing your work for you. It’s about helping you do it with less friction.
AI Doesn’t Have to Be a Security Risk—If You Handle It Right
One thing I hear often is: “We’re worried about the security of using AI.”
That’s a valid concern.
Most teams don’t realize that when staff use tools like ChatGPT without a policy, they may be leaking sensitive info without meaning to.
But ignoring AI because of that is like never using a phone because someone might say something inappropriate.
Instead, we help clients implement safe sandboxes:
Enterprise-grade AI tools with compliance baked in
Clear internal policies on what can (and can’t) be shared
Zero Trust security frameworks to contain misuse
In other words: don’t ban AI. Build guardrails so your people can use it responsibly.
Automation Isn’t Just About Efficiency, It’s About Burnout
Here’s something nobody tells you:
Most teams aren’t asking for AI because they want to “optimize workflows.”
They’re asking because their people are overwhelmed.
Too many tabs. Too many emails. Too much pressure to do more with less.
And when automation is done right, it doesn’t replace jobs—it removes the friction that causes good people to burn out.
I've heard it put it this way:
“AI didn’t make my work go away. It made the noise go away.”
That’s what we want for every organization we support.
Your First Step: Ask One Honest Question
Before you do anything technical, just ask your team this:
“What’s the one task we repeat every week that slows us down?”
That’s it.
No whiteboard. No RFP. No 90-day rollout.
Then look for a small way to automate just part of it.
You might start by:
Using an AI assistant to summarize meeting notes
Letting a smart form tool pre-fill routine fields
Building a simple workflow in Zapier to move files or send updates
Start small. Prove value. Build trust.
That’s the playbook that works.
We’re Still at the Beginning of This Curve
If it feels like you’re late, you’re not.
Most organizations are still trying to make sense of how AI fits in. That’s good news—it means you haven’t missed the boat.
But standing still is a risk.
Because the longer you wait to experiment, the harder it is to catch up once your competitors have systematized what you’re still doing by hand.
This isn’t about being trendy.
It’s about giving your team room to think, create, and lead—instead of just react.
The Human Side of Automation
I want to leave you with this:
AI won’t fix a toxic workplace. It won’t create trust. It won’t replace your culture.
But when used with intention, it can help your people reclaim the time and mental space to focus on what really matters.
And for mission-driven organizations—whether you’re serving communities, building products, or just trying to stay afloat—that matters a lot.
Technology, at its best, should feel invisible.
It should free you up to lead.
About 24hourtek
24hourtek, Inc is a forward thinking managed service provider that offers ongoing IT support and strategic guidance to businesses. We meet with our clients at least once a month to review strategy, security posture, and provide guidance on future-proofing your IT.