Here’s an article demonstrating how just a little bit of coding knowledge, combined with AI tools, can dramatically expand what you’re able to accomplish and automate.
I still consider myself a beginner in python but even this small amount of knowledge can be put to use in extremely impactful ways. This example is not any world-changing but to me, it was a remarkable time saver.
The AI tools available today make it simple to generate customized Python code for your specific needs. You don’t have to build entire applications. You can build a small collection of files and folders that can shave days or weeks of your whatever workflows you perform.
Managing a government program, for instance, can be tedious, especially when you’re required to manually create documents that often follow the same basic pattern. By applying a small, targeted script (with the help of AI), non-technical professionals can solve these kinds of problems on the spot, without the scale, timelines, and costs associated with large application development efforts.
There’s an additional benefit of using AI tools to create task based scripts as opposed to trying to build an AI integrated tool, your data stays local and secure. Many people are trying to sell tools that utilize AI to augment or automate tasks but the most capable models can only be accessed by sending requests to a model provider's servers. With just basic coding skills, professionals can unlock impressive efficiency gains without exposing your data to external parties.
At the end of this article, you’ll find a real-time video demonstrating how quickly I built a solution that saved an administrative staff member an entire week of work. You’re literally watching me go through a week-long process in a few minutes.
Coding Example: Create customized template spreadsheets from a single template and spreadsheet.
Districts across the state need to receive reimbursements for a portion of their salary expense. There’s a template with the necessary calculations, and each district must fill it out with their specific expense data. Every district also needs their own specific federal and state allocation percentages included in their copy of the template.
Manual Workflow Steps:
In the past, an admin staff member would:
Open the master template.
Rename it for each district.
Manually copy/paste the correct allocation percentages into each new file.
AI Workflow Steps to Create a Python Solution:
For using the AI tool, there’s a general workflow that I follow when I want it to give me code to solve my problem.
First, I tell the AI tool, “Don’t write any code yet.” And I repeat this in every prompt until I'm fully through the next 2 steps.
Ask the AI tool to create a plan.
Provide the AI tool with a the workflow details.
Ask to AI tool to suggest a project structure and begin creating the files it.
In this example, I'm only creating 4 templates to keep it simple, but imagine doing this by opening, saving, copying, and pasting data for over 90 districts in 4 programs and it's clear there's a big advantage to
Prompt:
Data:
Empty Template:
Video:
Conclusion
This is a very simple example of transforming a manual, week-long process into a task that could be run in just a few seconds. Whether you’re managing government programs, compiling financial data, or processing routine forms, you can quickly craft time-saving scripts that keep sensitive information in-house. Using AI tools to automate processes doesn't have to include eliminating staff or working with application development teams, timelines, and budgets, it can be about taking control of your day-to-day tasks and customizing AI-assisted code to fit your unique needs.
#AI #Automation #Productivity #GovTech