“Automation” covers very different tools. Choosing the right kind saves weeks. Here are the ten you will meet at work, with examples — and the difference between automation and AI.
In this article
Automation vs AI
| Automation | AI |
|---|---|
| Follows exact rules you wrote | Learns patterns and makes judgments |
| Same input → same output, every time | Can vary; can be wrong |
| Great for repetitive, well-defined steps | Great for messy language, images, decisions |
| Example: a macro that formats a report | Example: summarising customer emails |
They work best together: automation moves the data reliably; AI handles the one fuzzy step in the middle (classify this email, extract this invoice). An AI agent is where they overlap — see open-source AI agents.
The ten types
1. Macros and scripts
VBA in Excel/Word/Outlook, Python, PowerShell, Google Apps Script, Office Scripts. Best when the work lives in files and you want full control. Start with the VBA course or Python automation.
2. Keyboard and text automation
AutoHotkey hotkeys and text expansion — tiny wins every day. Guide.
3. Desktop RPA (robotic process automation)
Power Automate Desktop, UiPath, Automation Anywhere: a “robot” clicks and types through applications like a person. Good for old systems without APIs. First flow.
4. Cloud workflow tools
Power Automate (cloud), Zapier, Make, n8n: “when X happens in app A, do Y in app B” — save email attachments, post form responses to a sheet. Example.
5. ERP scripting
SAP GUI Scripting records and replays what you do on SAP screens, usually driven from Excel VBA. It sits under Automation because it is not SAP knowledge itself — it is a way to automate SAP work (exporting reports, mass data entry) with the same scripting skills. How to use it. Other ERP routes: Tally ODBC/XML integration, SAP BAPIs and APIs for developers.
6. Browser automation
Selenium and Playwright drive a real browser — downloading portal reports, testing websites. Respect each site’s terms of use.
7. Schedulers
Windows Task Scheduler and Linux cron run any script at set times — the “run it every morning at 7” glue.
8. Data pipelines (ETL)
Power Query, SQL jobs and Python scripts that extract, clean and load data on a schedule into reports and dashboards.
9. Infrastructure as code
Ansible, Terraform and shell scripts set up servers automatically — like the one-command server setup.
10. AI agents
A model plans and calls tools (search, code, apps) to reach a goal. Powerful but less predictable — keep a human approval step for anything that sends, pays or deletes.
Choosing
| Situation | Best type |
|---|---|
| Same Excel report every month | Macro / Power Query |
| Two cloud apps need to talk | Workflow tool |
| Old desktop app, no API | RPA |
| SAP screens | SAP GUI Scripting |
| Messy text needs judgment | AI step inside an automation |
Stuck on a step? Ask a question and the AI answers using this article.