How to Use AI to Improve Administrative Processes: Where to Start and What to Measure
By Pedro Sonda, dooop
To use AI in administrative processes, start with workflows that have high volume, many documents, and clear exception rules, such as accounts payable, purchasing, contracts, reconciliations, and internal service. Use AI to read and classify documents, extract data, draft texts, detect inconsistencies, and answer recurring questions, always with human review at risk points. The benefit comes from redesigning the workflow and is measured by cycle time, errors, and rework—not by the number of tools adopted.
Updated October 2026.
Administration Is Already the Area Where Companies Use AI the Most
In Brazilian industry, administration is the area where companies that use AI apply it the most: 87.9% of them use AI in administrative activities, according to the IBGE's PINTEC Semestral (IBGE, 2025). In finance, Gartner recorded that 58% of finance functions used AI in 2024, with intelligent process automation and error and anomaly detection among the most common uses (Gartner, 2024).
Interpretation: Using AI in administration is already common. What differentiates is using it in an organized way, with selected processes and measured results.
dooop Framework: The 4 Types of Opportunities in Administration
| Type | What AI Does | Generic Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Automation | Executes repetitive steps with variation | Reading invoices and payment slips, extracting data, and entering it into the system; classifying and forwarding requests |
| Decision Support | Prepares information for decision-makers | Summarizing contracts and highlighting non-standard clauses; comparing supplier proposals |
| Analysis | Finds patterns and inconsistencies | Detecting duplicate payments, expenses outside policy, discrepancies in reconciliations |
| New Internal Services | Creates something previously unfeasible | Assistant that answers questions about internal policies based on official documents |
The 5-Criteria Filter to Choose the First Process
| Criterion | Question | Positive Sign |
|---|---|---|
| Volume | How many times does the process occur per month? | Hundreds or thousands of occurrences |
| Documents and Text | Does the work involve reading, interpreting, or writing? | Invoices, contracts, emails, forms |
| Exception Rules | Do we know what to do when something deviates from the standard? | Known and documentable exceptions |
| Cost of Error | What happens if AI makes a mistake? | Detectable and reversible error |
| Accessible Data | Are data and documents available? | Systems with access and digital documents |
A process that passes all five criteria is a good candidate. One that fails on "cost of error" can start with AI only suggesting, and a person deciding.
What Research Shows About Writing Tasks
Much administrative work involves writing: emails, reports, announcements. In an MIT experiment with 453 professionals, those with access to ChatGPT reduced writing task time by 40%, with an 18% increase in quality as evaluated by independent professionals (MIT News on Noy and Zhang, 2023). The authors themselves emphasize that the experiment did not evaluate factual accuracy, a known limitation of generative AI.
Implication: In writing tasks, time savings are real, but review remains necessary, especially when numbers, names, and deadlines are involved.
How to Redesign, Not Just Automate
- Map the current flow, including steps, times, frequent errors, and rework.
- Mark what AI can do at each step, using the 4 types.
- Define human control points where errors are costly.
- Eliminate steps that only existed to compensate for lack of information.
- Measure before and after.
McKinsey reported that nearly three-quarters of high-performing AI companies fundamentally redesigned workflows, compared to about a quarter of others (McKinsey, 2026).
What to Measure
| Indicator | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Cycle Time | How long the process takes from start to finish |
| Error Rate | How many cases require correction |
| Rework | How many times the same case returns |
| Cases Handled per Person | Team capacity |
| Exceptions Forwarded | Whether the flow is well designed |
Precautions
- Personal and confidential data: Use company-approved tools and comply with LGPD.
- Official documents: AI can make reading errors; maintain verification of values and dates.
- Dependence on one person: Document rules so the flow does not depend on the person who configured it.
What to Do Now
- List five administrative processes and apply the 5-criteria filter.
- Choose one and measure the current situation for two weeks.
- Redesign and test with a small group; see How to Evaluate if AI Automation Is Really Worth It.
To map and prioritize opportunities by area, learn about dooop's discovery at dooop.com.br/discovery-de-oportunidades-de-ia.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a new system to use AI in administration? Not always. Many gains come from corporate AI assistants and features already present in systems the company uses. Larger integrations make sense after the process has proven value.
Can AI approve payments on its own? It can prepare and check, but payment approvals are risk decisions. It is recommended to keep human approval, at least above certain amounts.
Also Read
- How to Identify Repetitive Tasks That Can Use AI
- How to Use AI to Reduce Rework
- How to Use AI to Improve Business Productivity
About dooop
dooop is a consultancy based in Caxias do Sul (RS) that prepares leaders and organizations to transform artificial intelligence into business capability through strategy, governance, and training.