The AEA-DR Method for Limitless Productivity
Assess, Eliminate, Automate, Delegate, Remediate. Our proven 5-step methodology for evolving operational productivity.
The Origin Story
Back in 2023, we published a piece called "From Surviving to Thriving: Four Productivity Hacks" under our original consulting brand. The framework was simple: eliminate, automate, simplify, delegate. Work through that hierarchy systematically, and you'd escape the reactionary survival mode that traps most organizations.
That framework still holds. But after a few more years applying it across dozens of client engagements, we've refined the model. The core principles remain, though the sequence and scope have evolved to reflect how we actually do the work.
Here's the updated methodology: the AEA-DR Method.
The AEA-DR Method
1. Assess
Understand before you optimize.
The original model assumed you already knew what to eliminate. In practice, most organizations don't. They're too close to their own processes. Waste hides in plain sight because "that's how we've always done it."
Assessment is the foundation. We map systems, data flows, and workflows to build a clear picture of the current state. This produces two critical outputs:
- Systems Assessment: Where are the friction points? What's redundant? What's missing?
- Evolution Roadmap: A prioritized plan for improving systems, products, processes, and technologies over time
Without this step, optimization efforts often target symptoms rather than root causes. You end up automating a broken process instead of fixing it first.
This maps to the Understand and Research phases of our Spiral Method.
2. Eliminate (Streamline, Optimize)
Remove what doesn't add value. Simplify what remains.
In the original framework, "eliminate" and "simplify" were separate steps. We've collapsed them into a single stage of Workflow Engineering. Why? Because in practice, they're the same motion: you examine a process, cut what's unnecessary, and streamline what's left.
This is where the highest-ROI wins typically live. Eliminating a weekly meeting that could be an async update. Removing approval steps that add friction without adding value. Consolidating three tools into one.
The question at this stage: Does this step create value, or does it just exist because no one questioned it?
3. Automate
Let machines handle the repetitive work.
Once you've streamlined, you automate what remains. This is the second half of Workflow Engineering: API integrations, automated workflows, scheduled tasks, and intelligent triggers that handle routine operations without human intervention.
The original article cautioned against automating for automation's sake. That advice stands. Spending a month building automation for a ten-minute quarterly task is a net loss. Focus on:
- High-frequency tasks (daily, weekly)
- Error-prone manual processes
- Handoffs between systems or teams
- Data entry and reporting
Automation should feel inevitable once the streamlining work is complete. If you're forcing it, you probably skipped step two.
4. Delegate
Hand off what doesn't require your attention.
Delegation was the final step in the original model. It remains critical, but we've reframed it around one key artifact: the runbook.
Effective delegation requires documentation. Not elaborate process manuals, but clear, executable playbooks that let someone else (or some system) take ownership. Workflow Engineering produces these naturally as a byproduct of the streamline-and-automate process.
Delegation targets two audiences:
- Internal teams: Empower employees with clear ownership and documented processes
- External partners: Vendors, contractors, or managed services who can execute without constant oversight
The goal is freeing leadership bandwidth for strategic work, not operational firefighting.
5. Remediate
Monitor, learn, repeat.
This is the new step. The original framework was linear: eliminate, automate, simplify, delegate, done. Reality is cyclical.
Remediate closes the loop. It encompasses:
- Analytics: Measuring what's working and what isn't (Analytics)
- Governance: Ensuring automated systems behave as expected (Governance & Risk)
- Training: Building team capability to maintain and improve systems
- Circling Back: Re-entering any previous step when conditions change
Business conditions shift. Tools evolve. Teams grow. What was optimal six months ago may be friction today. Remediate is the acknowledgment that productivity isn't a destination but a continuous practice.
This step embodies our Refine principle: iterate based on feedback and new understanding.
The AEA-DR Method at a Glance
| Step | Question | Output |
|---|---|---|
| Assess | What's actually happening? | Systems assessment, evolution roadmap |
| Eliminate | What can we cut or simplify? | Streamlined workflows |
| Automate | What should machines handle? | Integrations, triggers, scheduled tasks |
| Delegate | Who else can own this? | Runbooks, playbooks, clear ownership |
| Remediate | Is it still working? | Analytics, governance, training, iteration |
From Methodology to Execution
The AEA-DR Method is only useful if it translates to action. Here's how each step maps to our services:
- Assess: Strategy & Planning, discovery engagements
- Eliminate + Automate: Workflow Engineering
- Delegate: Documentation, training, managed services
- Remediate: Analytics, Governance & Risk
The acronym helps: A-E-A-D-R. Five steps, continuous improvement, compounding gains over time.
If you're stuck in survival mode (fighting fires, drowning in manual work, never quite getting to strategic priorities), the AEA-DR Method provides a path forward. Not a magic bullet, but a systematic approach to reclaiming bandwidth and building systems that actually work.
The original article ended with this observation: "Freeing up time to focus on increasing value to stakeholders helps organizations get out of a reactionary survival mode so they can innovate and thrive."
A few years later, that's still the point. The methodology just got sharper.