You can’t avoid it; everyone is talking about AI in the workplace.

While the world went crazy selling AI automation, we sell time. 

We can walk into any meeting with confidence and claim, “We will automate ALL the things.” “You will save 40 hours a week in accounts.” But is it that easy? 

There are “Three Truths” of creating solutions:

1. It will create fear. Rachel in accounts is worried about her job now. Everyone fears change.
2. It will allow Rachel in accounts to do the job she was employed to do. The nice result of change.
3. Customers will think, “hmmmm, what else can I automate?” – they will come back again and again. The money in change.

So, what are we really selling?

What software solution is best for you? We sell time, and business owners love buying time, right? 

And how that time saved has evolved over the years as technology changes, it could have been:

• A scheduled task in Windows Server with a bit of PowerShell magic 
• A Python script and cron 
• VBA macros (shudder) 
• Robotic process automation (RPA) clicky click wizardry 
• Some low/no-code tools (Zapier, N8n, Node-RED) 

The thinking was always the same: if a human can do it, surely we can automate it. The good thing about our line of work is that AI has made a lot more people aware of what might be possible. The customer won’t always know how to do it, but at least the AI hype train spreads the automation message that “anything” is possible and that encourages people to ask questions, and questions lead to opportunity.

But… The word “automation” instantly triggered alarm bells. People pictured job losses and mysterious tech they didn’t really understand, messing with their valuable data! As we all know, “Fear is the mind-killer” 

So, what’s the answer?

If you don’t like what people are saying, change the story.  Instead of selling “automation”, we sell time back to the people the business owners trust (their staff). 

“Right now, Rachel in accounts spends 2 hours a day chasing invoice matches. Imagine she knocks that out in under 10 minutes and uses her saved time negotiating payment plans, you know, the reason why she came for the job in the first place” 

Suddenly, the conversation wasn’t about replacing people. Automation is NOT about replacement; it’s about giving good people superpowers. Let Rachel be Rachel!  AI, automation, workflows, etc., call it what you like, but it’s all the same thing at the end of the day, time. 

This reframe transforms technology from a threat into a powerful asset. By automating the mundane, we free your team to focus on high-value, strategic work. You know, the kind that truly engages them, drives business growth, and increases overall job satisfaction. That is the real value.

Most people know Selectec as a software distributor – “you sell the solutions, we supply them.” But there’s more we do behind the scenes. Our in-house development team builds the tools that make all the solutions work together smoothly. When standard software gets you 90% of the way there, our team creates the custom features to cover that final 10%. From custom payment systems to special connectors between apps, we don’t just deliver software – we craft solutions that fit your business perfectly.

Interested? Get in touch with a time expert today!