Brain Teaser: The Process Automation Race
Two companies adopt process automation:
Company X waits for a "perfect" automation solution for 6 months, then implements perfect automation that reduces task time by 90%
Company Y implements 60% automation immediately, then improves by 10% each month
Assuming both start with 100 hours of manual work per month, after how many months does Company Y overtake Company X in efficiency?
Answer: 9 months. Company X: 100 hours for 6 months, then 10 hours ongoing. Company Y starts at 40 hours (60% automation), with monthly improvements: 36, 32.4, 29.16... By month 9, Company Y reaches ~13.1 hours, while Company X is at 10 hours. However, Company Y's cumulative time advantage from earlier automation makes it more efficient overall.