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Business Process Automation That Scales: How a Dutch Telemarketing CEO Reclaimed 160 Hours a Year
Explore how Lumina Studio delivered business process automation for a Dutch telemarketing scale-up, cutting 160 hours/year and automating email workflows at scale.
Results
160
House Saved
€12,000+
saved annually in manual task cost
Business process automation has become essential for founders trying to scale lean, high-efficiency operations. That was exactly the situation faced by the CEO of a Dutch telemarketing scale-up who found himself buried in repetitive manual tasks, like managing emails, extracting lead data, assigning sales tasks, and scheduling meetings. Processes that could have been streamlined with sales automation tools. These steps took up nearly 13 hours per month, time that should have been spent growing the business.
With Lumina Studio’s help, the company implemented a modular business process automation system and email workflow automation that turned into a scalable, error-resistant workflow. The solution removed 90% of manual effort, improved lead handling accuracy, and saved over €10,000 annually.
1. ROI Snapshot
160 hours/year saved in administrative processing
€12,000+ saved annually in manual task cost
96% data accuracy rate on extracted lead and appointment info
<2% error rate in routing, parsing, or scheduling
99.1% of emails accurately processed using workflow automation
2. About the Client
The client who called us for this project is the founder of a growing telemarketing scale-up in the Netherlands, leading a team of five sales reps. With seven active B2B clients, the company handled inbound leads and appointment requests via a shared email inbox.
Despite the team’s strong sales performance, the operational backend lacked sales automation and other workflow efficiencies. The CEO was personally reviewing each email, categorizing it, extracting details into spreadsheets, assigning tasks, and setting appointments on behalf of his team; a classic bottleneck.
Scaling his client base required more than task delegation; it called for scalable workflow automation for small business that wouldn’t add complexity or headcount.
3. The Challenge: Lacking Sales Automation Tools to Scale
Each day, 5-10 client emails landed in a shared inbox and manually sorted into different Google Spreadsheets. The emails varied widely. Some were for new leads, others meeting confirmations or questions. There was no standard format, no templates, and no routing logic; the kind of structure business automation software could provide.
Also, sales automation tools were missing completely, as it was all handled manually.
This process required:
Identifying which client sent the message
Understanding the email type
Extracting structured data into spreadsheets
Assigning the task to a telemarketer
Manually creating calendar events
On average, it took 40-45 minutes per day (15h/month and 160h/year). Worse, the email load varied unpredictably. On some days there were no emails; on others, five or more.
These conditions made it clear: email workflow automation wasn’t optional. It was urgent.
4. Discovery and Strategy: Turning Email Automation into Scalable Systems
Lumina Studio began the project with a strategic discovery call to map every step of the workflow. The findings:
Lack of structure in email formatting and inconsistent data
High dependency on the founder for decisions and context
No routing logic, no tags, no automation software in place
Updating the Google Sheet that was tracking leads & calls was entirely manual
Appointment scheduling was inconsistent and repetitive
From there, we crafted a plan for a scalable email automation example tailored to his team structure, inbox patterns, and spreadsheet logic, which served as a first step toward a broader business process automation framework that could adapt as the company grew.
5. The Solution: Email Workflow Automation Designed to Scale
The final solution was an end-to-end business automation software system built in Make.com, implemented directly on the client’s own account. This approach gave him full ownership and control over the automation, and it meant he would own it forever, without needing to pay a monthly subscription. This not only increased his confidence in the solution but also ensured long-term independence.
The automation connected email, OpenAI, and Google Sheets, combining advanced data extraction logic with intelligent routing to deliver accurate information to the right place every time. Designed with scalability, flexibility, and precision in mind, it also served as a replicable email automation example that could be adapted to other departments or processes as the company grows.
1. Client-Based Routing Logic
We built individual flows for each client rather than a single global automation. This kept systems modular and easy to manage as clients changed. (Client information is hidden for confidentiality)
2. Email Type Detection
Each email was classified as either a:
New lead
Appointment confirmation
General inquiry
This categorization determined the next flow step, either calendar integration, lead parsing, or assignment.
3. Automated Data Extraction
Using email parsing logic, structured data was extracted and logged into client-specific spreadsheets. Fields included name, lead type, contact info, and requested action.
4. Sales Assignment
Each client was already assigned to a dedicated telemarketer. The system matched parsed emails to the correct team member, who received an automatic update. This step eliminated delays and errors in lead handling, which is one of the core benefits of sales automation.
5. Appointment Setting
Appointment-related emails triggered automated meeting scheduling, exactly 14 days after email is received.
6. Scalability and Maintenance
All flows were stored in isolated folders per client, making it easy to add or update automation logic without breaking the system, which is a key advantage of well-designed business automation software for a growing company.
In Make.com, an operation is simply one action the system performs, such as reading an email, extracting data, or updating a spreadsheet. Each processed email in this setup used only 4 operations, out of the 10,000 monthly operations included in the most basic plan.
This means the system can handle up to 2,500 emails per month without upgrading to a more expensive plan, giving the company a scalable foundation for expanding into other business process automation projects, adding new sales automation tools, and creating additional email automation examples as needed.
7. Volume Buffering
We added a processing cap of 10 emails per day (with the possibility of extending it infinitely), ensuring future client expansion or high-volume days wouldn't overwhelm the system.
This is a prime email automation example of how modular logic and dedicated flows create both performance and flexibility.
Results: Sales Automation That Delivers ROI
After launch, the company transitioned from founder-dependent daily email management to a fully automated email workflow automation system. Everything became more stable, scalable, and required zero daily intervention.
Metric | Pre-Automation | Post-Automation |
Daily Admin Time | 40–45 mins | <2 minutes |
Annual Hours Spent | 160+ hrs | ~3 hrs |
Processing errors | Manual, untracked | <1% error rate |
Data Accuracy | Variable | 96%+ accuracy |
Lead Assignment | Manual | Automated |
Meeting Scheduling | Manual | Automated |
Cost of Time (per year) | €12,000+ | >250€ |
More than just sales automation, it reshaped daily operations by cutting our manual work significantly, reducing human errors and giving the founder back the hours he needed to grow the business.
The Founder’s Feedback
“Anna and Martin took the time to truly understand my challenges and delivered a complete solution, helping me automate key parts of my business. Their strategic insight and hands-on support made a real difference. Highly recommended for anyone looking to scale through smart automation!”
Why Business Process Automation Matters for Lean Teams
This case study proves workflow automation for small business, the right sales automation tools, and effective business automation software can deliver enterprise-level results without the enterprise budget.
If you're a founder or operations / marketing lead spending time on repetitive tasks like sorting emails, updating spreadsheets, or assigning leads, it’s time to consider workflow automation for your business. It doesn’t just save hours; it makes it easier to scale without adding more tools, people, or complexity.
Ready to Reclaim 160+ Hours a Year?
Book a free discovery call to explore how we can build a custom automation system for your team.
Start your automation journey today
Business process automation has become essential for founders trying to scale lean, high-efficiency operations. That was exactly the situation faced by the CEO of a Dutch telemarketing scale-up who found himself buried in repetitive manual tasks, like managing emails, extracting lead data, assigning sales tasks, and scheduling meetings. Processes that could have been streamlined with sales automation tools. These steps took up nearly 13 hours per month, time that should have been spent growing the business.
With Lumina Studio’s help, the company implemented a modular business process automation system and email workflow automation that turned into a scalable, error-resistant workflow. The solution removed 90% of manual effort, improved lead handling accuracy, and saved over €10,000 annually.
1. ROI Snapshot
160 hours/year saved in administrative processing
€12,000+ saved annually in manual task cost
96% data accuracy rate on extracted lead and appointment info
<2% error rate in routing, parsing, or scheduling
99.1% of emails accurately processed using workflow automation
2. About the Client
The client who called us for this project is the founder of a growing telemarketing scale-up in the Netherlands, leading a team of five sales reps. With seven active B2B clients, the company handled inbound leads and appointment requests via a shared email inbox.
Despite the team’s strong sales performance, the operational backend lacked sales automation and other workflow efficiencies. The CEO was personally reviewing each email, categorizing it, extracting details into spreadsheets, assigning tasks, and setting appointments on behalf of his team; a classic bottleneck.
Scaling his client base required more than task delegation; it called for scalable workflow automation for small business that wouldn’t add complexity or headcount.
3. The Challenge: Lacking Sales Automation Tools to Scale
Each day, 5-10 client emails landed in a shared inbox and manually sorted into different Google Spreadsheets. The emails varied widely. Some were for new leads, others meeting confirmations or questions. There was no standard format, no templates, and no routing logic; the kind of structure business automation software could provide.
Also, sales automation tools were missing completely, as it was all handled manually.
This process required:
Identifying which client sent the message
Understanding the email type
Extracting structured data into spreadsheets
Assigning the task to a telemarketer
Manually creating calendar events
On average, it took 40-45 minutes per day (15h/month and 160h/year). Worse, the email load varied unpredictably. On some days there were no emails; on others, five or more.
These conditions made it clear: email workflow automation wasn’t optional. It was urgent.
4. Discovery and Strategy: Turning Email Automation into Scalable Systems
Lumina Studio began the project with a strategic discovery call to map every step of the workflow. The findings:
Lack of structure in email formatting and inconsistent data
High dependency on the founder for decisions and context
No routing logic, no tags, no automation software in place
Updating the Google Sheet that was tracking leads & calls was entirely manual
Appointment scheduling was inconsistent and repetitive
From there, we crafted a plan for a scalable email automation example tailored to his team structure, inbox patterns, and spreadsheet logic, which served as a first step toward a broader business process automation framework that could adapt as the company grew.
5. The Solution: Email Workflow Automation Designed to Scale
The final solution was an end-to-end business automation software system built in Make.com, implemented directly on the client’s own account. This approach gave him full ownership and control over the automation, and it meant he would own it forever, without needing to pay a monthly subscription. This not only increased his confidence in the solution but also ensured long-term independence.
The automation connected email, OpenAI, and Google Sheets, combining advanced data extraction logic with intelligent routing to deliver accurate information to the right place every time. Designed with scalability, flexibility, and precision in mind, it also served as a replicable email automation example that could be adapted to other departments or processes as the company grows.
1. Client-Based Routing Logic
We built individual flows for each client rather than a single global automation. This kept systems modular and easy to manage as clients changed. (Client information is hidden for confidentiality)
2. Email Type Detection
Each email was classified as either a:
New lead
Appointment confirmation
General inquiry
This categorization determined the next flow step, either calendar integration, lead parsing, or assignment.
3. Automated Data Extraction
Using email parsing logic, structured data was extracted and logged into client-specific spreadsheets. Fields included name, lead type, contact info, and requested action.
4. Sales Assignment
Each client was already assigned to a dedicated telemarketer. The system matched parsed emails to the correct team member, who received an automatic update. This step eliminated delays and errors in lead handling, which is one of the core benefits of sales automation.
5. Appointment Setting
Appointment-related emails triggered automated meeting scheduling, exactly 14 days after email is received.
6. Scalability and Maintenance
All flows were stored in isolated folders per client, making it easy to add or update automation logic without breaking the system, which is a key advantage of well-designed business automation software for a growing company.
In Make.com, an operation is simply one action the system performs, such as reading an email, extracting data, or updating a spreadsheet. Each processed email in this setup used only 4 operations, out of the 10,000 monthly operations included in the most basic plan.
This means the system can handle up to 2,500 emails per month without upgrading to a more expensive plan, giving the company a scalable foundation for expanding into other business process automation projects, adding new sales automation tools, and creating additional email automation examples as needed.
7. Volume Buffering
We added a processing cap of 10 emails per day (with the possibility of extending it infinitely), ensuring future client expansion or high-volume days wouldn't overwhelm the system.
This is a prime email automation example of how modular logic and dedicated flows create both performance and flexibility.
Results: Sales Automation That Delivers ROI
After launch, the company transitioned from founder-dependent daily email management to a fully automated email workflow automation system. Everything became more stable, scalable, and required zero daily intervention.
Metric | Pre-Automation | Post-Automation |
Daily Admin Time | 40–45 mins | <2 minutes |
Annual Hours Spent | 160+ hrs | ~3 hrs |
Processing errors | Manual, untracked | <1% error rate |
Data Accuracy | Variable | 96%+ accuracy |
Lead Assignment | Manual | Automated |
Meeting Scheduling | Manual | Automated |
Cost of Time (per year) | €12,000+ | >250€ |
More than just sales automation, it reshaped daily operations by cutting our manual work significantly, reducing human errors and giving the founder back the hours he needed to grow the business.
The Founder’s Feedback
“Anna and Martin took the time to truly understand my challenges and delivered a complete solution, helping me automate key parts of my business. Their strategic insight and hands-on support made a real difference. Highly recommended for anyone looking to scale through smart automation!”
Why Business Process Automation Matters for Lean Teams
This case study proves workflow automation for small business, the right sales automation tools, and effective business automation software can deliver enterprise-level results without the enterprise budget.
If you're a founder or operations / marketing lead spending time on repetitive tasks like sorting emails, updating spreadsheets, or assigning leads, it’s time to consider workflow automation for your business. It doesn’t just save hours; it makes it easier to scale without adding more tools, people, or complexity.
Ready to Reclaim 160+ Hours a Year?
Book a free discovery call to explore how we can build a custom automation system for your team.
Start your automation journey today
Business process automation has become essential for founders trying to scale lean, high-efficiency operations. That was exactly the situation faced by the CEO of a Dutch telemarketing scale-up who found himself buried in repetitive manual tasks, like managing emails, extracting lead data, assigning sales tasks, and scheduling meetings. Processes that could have been streamlined with sales automation tools. These steps took up nearly 13 hours per month, time that should have been spent growing the business.
With Lumina Studio’s help, the company implemented a modular business process automation system and email workflow automation that turned into a scalable, error-resistant workflow. The solution removed 90% of manual effort, improved lead handling accuracy, and saved over €10,000 annually.
1. ROI Snapshot
160 hours/year saved in administrative processing
€12,000+ saved annually in manual task cost
96% data accuracy rate on extracted lead and appointment info
<2% error rate in routing, parsing, or scheduling
99.1% of emails accurately processed using workflow automation
2. About the Client
The client who called us for this project is the founder of a growing telemarketing scale-up in the Netherlands, leading a team of five sales reps. With seven active B2B clients, the company handled inbound leads and appointment requests via a shared email inbox.
Despite the team’s strong sales performance, the operational backend lacked sales automation and other workflow efficiencies. The CEO was personally reviewing each email, categorizing it, extracting details into spreadsheets, assigning tasks, and setting appointments on behalf of his team; a classic bottleneck.
Scaling his client base required more than task delegation; it called for scalable workflow automation for small business that wouldn’t add complexity or headcount.
3. The Challenge: Lacking Sales Automation Tools to Scale
Each day, 5-10 client emails landed in a shared inbox and manually sorted into different Google Spreadsheets. The emails varied widely. Some were for new leads, others meeting confirmations or questions. There was no standard format, no templates, and no routing logic; the kind of structure business automation software could provide.
Also, sales automation tools were missing completely, as it was all handled manually.
This process required:
Identifying which client sent the message
Understanding the email type
Extracting structured data into spreadsheets
Assigning the task to a telemarketer
Manually creating calendar events
On average, it took 40-45 minutes per day (15h/month and 160h/year). Worse, the email load varied unpredictably. On some days there were no emails; on others, five or more.
These conditions made it clear: email workflow automation wasn’t optional. It was urgent.
4. Discovery and Strategy: Turning Email Automation into Scalable Systems
Lumina Studio began the project with a strategic discovery call to map every step of the workflow. The findings:
Lack of structure in email formatting and inconsistent data
High dependency on the founder for decisions and context
No routing logic, no tags, no automation software in place
Updating the Google Sheet that was tracking leads & calls was entirely manual
Appointment scheduling was inconsistent and repetitive
From there, we crafted a plan for a scalable email automation example tailored to his team structure, inbox patterns, and spreadsheet logic, which served as a first step toward a broader business process automation framework that could adapt as the company grew.
5. The Solution: Email Workflow Automation Designed to Scale
The final solution was an end-to-end business automation software system built in Make.com, implemented directly on the client’s own account. This approach gave him full ownership and control over the automation, and it meant he would own it forever, without needing to pay a monthly subscription. This not only increased his confidence in the solution but also ensured long-term independence.
The automation connected email, OpenAI, and Google Sheets, combining advanced data extraction logic with intelligent routing to deliver accurate information to the right place every time. Designed with scalability, flexibility, and precision in mind, it also served as a replicable email automation example that could be adapted to other departments or processes as the company grows.
1. Client-Based Routing Logic
We built individual flows for each client rather than a single global automation. This kept systems modular and easy to manage as clients changed. (Client information is hidden for confidentiality)
2. Email Type Detection
Each email was classified as either a:
New lead
Appointment confirmation
General inquiry
This categorization determined the next flow step, either calendar integration, lead parsing, or assignment.
3. Automated Data Extraction
Using email parsing logic, structured data was extracted and logged into client-specific spreadsheets. Fields included name, lead type, contact info, and requested action.
4. Sales Assignment
Each client was already assigned to a dedicated telemarketer. The system matched parsed emails to the correct team member, who received an automatic update. This step eliminated delays and errors in lead handling, which is one of the core benefits of sales automation.
5. Appointment Setting
Appointment-related emails triggered automated meeting scheduling, exactly 14 days after email is received.
6. Scalability and Maintenance
All flows were stored in isolated folders per client, making it easy to add or update automation logic without breaking the system, which is a key advantage of well-designed business automation software for a growing company.
In Make.com, an operation is simply one action the system performs, such as reading an email, extracting data, or updating a spreadsheet. Each processed email in this setup used only 4 operations, out of the 10,000 monthly operations included in the most basic plan.
This means the system can handle up to 2,500 emails per month without upgrading to a more expensive plan, giving the company a scalable foundation for expanding into other business process automation projects, adding new sales automation tools, and creating additional email automation examples as needed.
7. Volume Buffering
We added a processing cap of 10 emails per day (with the possibility of extending it infinitely), ensuring future client expansion or high-volume days wouldn't overwhelm the system.
This is a prime email automation example of how modular logic and dedicated flows create both performance and flexibility.
Results: Sales Automation That Delivers ROI
After launch, the company transitioned from founder-dependent daily email management to a fully automated email workflow automation system. Everything became more stable, scalable, and required zero daily intervention.
Metric | Pre-Automation | Post-Automation |
Daily Admin Time | 40–45 mins | <2 minutes |
Annual Hours Spent | 160+ hrs | ~3 hrs |
Processing errors | Manual, untracked | <1% error rate |
Data Accuracy | Variable | 96%+ accuracy |
Lead Assignment | Manual | Automated |
Meeting Scheduling | Manual | Automated |
Cost of Time (per year) | €12,000+ | >250€ |
More than just sales automation, it reshaped daily operations by cutting our manual work significantly, reducing human errors and giving the founder back the hours he needed to grow the business.
The Founder’s Feedback
“Anna and Martin took the time to truly understand my challenges and delivered a complete solution, helping me automate key parts of my business. Their strategic insight and hands-on support made a real difference. Highly recommended for anyone looking to scale through smart automation!”
Why Business Process Automation Matters for Lean Teams
This case study proves workflow automation for small business, the right sales automation tools, and effective business automation software can deliver enterprise-level results without the enterprise budget.
If you're a founder or operations / marketing lead spending time on repetitive tasks like sorting emails, updating spreadsheets, or assigning leads, it’s time to consider workflow automation for your business. It doesn’t just save hours; it makes it easier to scale without adding more tools, people, or complexity.
Ready to Reclaim 160+ Hours a Year?
Book a free discovery call to explore how we can build a custom automation system for your team.
Start your automation journey today
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