A while ago, I was rolling out a new feature in our CRM, one of those new AI-powered tools that records and transcribes calls, pulling out key subjects and client details automatically. A brilliant feature that saves time and improves documentation accuracy.

The catch? It cost an extra £450 a year.
When I brought this up to my manager, the answer was pretty reasonable:

“We’re already spending a lot on the CRM… let’s just have the team write their notes manually after each call.”
No extra cost. Seemed like a fair compromise.

At first, I was on board. But something didn’t sit right.
I walked back into his office and said:

“We’re paying over £200k a year in salaries to our team. Why hesitate to spend £450 to make sure their time is being measured, optimized, and protected?”

💡 That feature would automate call recording for 4 people, saving each of them roughly 30 minutes a day.
That’s 10 hours a week of time we’d otherwise pay for, just to manually document calls. Not to mention the inevitable human error or forgotten details.

He thought about it… and agreed. We switched it on.

Takeaways:

• Don’t just think in terms of cost, think in terms of value and time saved.
• Automating tasks means fewer errors, better insights, and more time for real work.
• Measurement and visibility aren’t optional anymore, they’re essential to good management.
• Small tools can make a big difference, if you frame them properly.

In modern project and team management, measurement isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity. Without tracking real activity, you’re managing based on assumptions, not data. Optimization begins with visibility: knowing exactly where time goes, what’s working, and what’s not. Even small process improvements, when tracked, can compound into significant results. The more clearly you measure, the more effectively you can lead.