The Automation Project Playbook

Step 6: Demo

After making the necessary changes in the fifth step of the Automation Project Playbook, it’s time to present the first working version of your automation project.

The sixth step, "Demo", is your chance to showcase the positive impact of your automation project on key performance indicators (KPIs) and ensure user support by addressing any final feedback. Keep reading to learn how to deliver an impactful demo!

Start automating!Get Playbook

It’s time to show what your project can really do! The demo phase is your chance to highlight how your automation solution supports business goals and win over both users and decision makers. Here’s how to run a smooth and impactful demo:

Start with the users

Give a demo of the use-cases to the intended users, as your first audience should be the people who will actually use the solution. Since they’ve been involved from the beginning, what is shown in this demo should not come as a surprise. As we’ve mentioned in the previous steps, bringing users into the process early on helps with smoother adoption, minimizing resistance and ensuring a successful transition.

The objective is to reinforce their confidence in the project and address any final questions they might have.  

Measure KPIs

As highlighted in this Forbes article, using data effectively allows companies to make informed decisions, track performance, and identify areas for improvement. Businesses that integrate data effectively into their decision-making can boost efficiency, reduce risks, and increase overall profitability.  

That's why, before you show your project to management, you should take a moment to review the KPIs you registered during the "Goals setting” stage. Have they improved? If so, great—use that to tell your success story. If not, be ready with an explanation. Strong data points can reinforce the value of your project, showing clear, measurable improvements. However, if results aren’t what you expected, it’s important to have a thoughtful explanation prepared. It could be that the improvements will take time to materialize, or perhaps some factors were outside the control of your project. Either way, be transparent and honest in your evaluation.

By showing exactly how your automation project benefits the organization—whether it’s through improved efficiency, cost reductions, or higher productivity—you can prove its real value. By discussing both successes and any areas where KPIs fell short, you show you're committed to continuous improvement too.

Presentation time

When it’s time to present to upper management or shareholders, keep your focus on what really matters: the outcomes that align with organizational goals.  

Skip the technical deep dive, and instead, emphasize how your automation project addresses business needs. Walk through your KPIs, showing not just how they’ve improved, but why those improvements matter. For example, if you’ve reduced operational costs or increased output efficiency, translate that into tangible business value like increased profit margins or better customer satisfaction.  

In conclusion, keep the presentation simple, impactful, and tightly focused on business results rather than the technical aspects of the solution.

Checklist:

Demo your solution to the intended users first and give them a chance to provide final feedback.
Measure your KPIs, create a clear report with them and be prepared to explain unexpected outcomes.
Present the project to upper management focusing on how it supports the company’s goals and its value through improved metrics.

Ready to automate your business?

Take the Quick Scan to find your starting point!

Begin by automating one key process and iteratively extend automation throughout all your operations. Take the Quick Scan to get custom actionable insights for free.
Take the Quick Scan

More resources

Keep exploring the Playbook

1
1
Goal setting
2
2
Sketching
3
3
Building
4
4
Testing
5
5
Making changes
6
6
Demo
7
7
Support