Independent field research · South Australia

Business systems work.
The gaps between them often don’t.

I’m documenting how work actually moves through South Australian businesses — where information is re-entered, checked, chased or carried manually between email, spreadsheets, quoting, scheduling, accounting and other systems.

See what I’m investigating ↘ Share one process →

Example workflow Process hand-offs

Customer enquiry Email / web / phone

copy details

CRM or spreadsheet Customer + job information

re-enter data

Quote & approval Pricing + follow-up

update another system

Schedule & invoice Calendar + accounting

An example of the type of workflow being researched — not a claim about every business.

2.74M actively trading Australian small businesses at 30 June 2026 ASBFEO / ABS ↗

13% cited uncertainty around ICT cost/benefits as limiting ICT use in 2024–25 ABS ↗

32% of innovating businesses reported increased productivity as a benefit of innovation ABS ↗

The research question

The question isn’t “what can we automate?”

It is: why is a person doing this step at all?

A business can already own capable software and still spend hours moving information manually between tools. I’m looking at those transitions first — before assuming that another platform, an AI tool or a large technology project is the answer.

The goal is to separate problems that genuinely need new technology from problems that may be improved through better configuration, clearer process design, integration, or more effective use of tools already in place.

The aim is to identify recurring workflow patterns across industries — and understand which interventions consistently remove unnecessary manual work.

Original fieldwork

This is not a desk-research project.

Public data provides context. The core of this project is direct research with South Australian businesses: understanding real workflows, documenting where manual effort occurs, and looking for patterns across different industries and locations.

Talk to businesses

Ask owners and teams which repetitive processes consume time and where the work currently breaks down.

Map the process

Trace how information moves from enquiry to quote, scheduling, delivery, invoicing and follow-up.

Measure the effort

Estimate how many people touch the process and how much recurring manual work it creates.

Test practical fixes

Determine whether the answer is process change, better configuration, integration, automation — or simply leaving the process alone.

Research status Fieldwork in progress

Findings will be published here only when they come from direct research and can be presented without identifying participating businesses unless permission is given.

Where friction can appear

Follow the information.

The interesting part is often not any one application. It is what a person has to do when work crosses from one application to the next.

Re-entry

Customer or job information is copied from an inbox into another system.

Status chasing

Someone checks several places to understand what happened and what should happen next.

Manual hand-offs

A quote, booking, invoice or update relies on a person remembering the next step.

Fragmented context

Important information exists, but it is distributed across inboxes, files and systems.

Australian context

External evidence sets the context. It does not replace the fieldwork.

Australian Bureau of Statistics data indicates that uncertainty around technology costs, benefits and staff capability can limit ICT use. These figures are included to frame the environment in which this research is being conducted — not as findings from Ospinac’s own research.

16%

Insufficient staff skills and capabilities limited ICT use.

13%

Uncertainty around ICT cost/benefits limited ICT use.

11%

Cost of development or implementation was reported as a barrier to innovation.

External source

Australian Bureau of Statistics, Characteristics of Australian Business, 2024–25, released 25 June 2026.

View the ABS release ↗

The approach

Understand first.
Recommend second.

Map the real workflow. Understand where information enters, moves and stops.

Measure the manual work. Identify repeated effort before assuming automation is valuable.

Respect what already works. Better use of existing systems can be preferable to unnecessary replacement.

Keep the outcome practical. The goal is less friction, not more software.

About the researcher

Jorge Ospina

I’m a software engineer interested in how business processes, system integration and automation can reduce repetitive administrative work without adding unnecessary complexity.

This research is being used to learn directly from Australian businesses before drawing conclusions about what should be built, automated or changed.

admin@ospinac.com ↗

Four questions

A useful conversation can start with one process.

01
Which repetitive or manual task takes the most time in your business?
02
Which systems, tools or people are involved in that process?
03
How many people touch it, and roughly how much time does it consume?
04
If one part could be simplified, removed or automated, what would make the biggest difference?

South Australia ·

Tell me one process that wastes your time.

A short reply is enough. Tell me what the process is, which systems are involved and where the repetition or frustration happens. There is no obligation to buy anything.

Share a process ↗

Research & privacy

Information shared for this research is used to understand business processes and potential areas for improvement. Business-specific details will not be published publicly without permission.

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