{
  "id": "axiomao:automate-existing-business",
  "edition": "0.1",
  "language": "en",
  "status": "reference",
  "title": "Apply an AO to existing activity",
  "description": "Transfer a bounded operation, function, department, end-to-end process or business using observed quality.",
  "canonical": "https://axiomao.org/en/automate-existing-business/",
  "published": "2026-10-15",
  "modified": "2026-10-15",
  "sections": [
    {
      "id": "study",
      "heading": "Study the work before assigning it",
      "paragraphs": [
        "Collect real inputs, decisions, results, exceptions, deadlines and dependencies. Include informal duties and handovers to people. A job title is not a full description of a function. Use anonymized representative cases where possible."
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "scope",
      "heading": "Choose the scale of transfer",
      "paragraphs": [
        "One operation is bounded work inside a process; a professional function includes recurring tasks and exceptions. A department combines functions, an end-to-end process follows a request to its outcome, and a whole business adds coordination across functions. Choose the smallest scope that can demonstrate useful responsibility."
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "transfer",
      "heading": "Transfer responsibility gradually",
      "paragraphs": [],
      "bullets": [
        "Map existing work and choose a bounded function.",
        "Describe inputs, results, exceptions and acceptance criteria.",
        "Set authority and required approvals by action.",
        "Test representative ordinary and difficult cases.",
        "Compare quality, time, cost and human intervention.",
        "Transfer agreed responsibility gradually and monitor results."
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "first-result",
      "heading": "What to obtain first",
      "paragraphs": [
        "Start with comparable execution of a small real case and an explicit review. Maintain a fallback to the existing process and name a stop condition. No automatic replacement of all employees or predetermined saving follows from the organizational form."
      ],
      "links": [
        {
          "label": "Describe the scope",
          "url": "https://axiomao.org/en/taxonomy/"
        },
        {
          "label": "Compare transfer scenarios",
          "url": "https://axiomao.org/en/organization-archetypes/"
        },
        {
          "label": "Prepare the mandate and passport",
          "url": "https://axiomao.org/en/organization-profiles/"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "references": [],
  "related": [
    "https://axiomao.org/en/design-your-organization/",
    "https://axiomao.org/en/professional-profiles/",
    "https://axiomao.org/en/evaluation-methods/"
  ]
}