SDA Atlanta – AI, Automation & Workflow

AI, Automation & Workflow: What Firms Get Wrong — and How Administrators Can Lead It Right

Program Description:

AI is moving fast, but most firms are approaching it backwards. They chase tools before fixing workflow, confuse thinking help with execution help, and overlook the systems they already own. This session breaks down the difference between AI, automation, and workflow — and introduces a practical framework for identifying friction, defining triggers, and implementing automation intentionally. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of where to start, how to prioritize efforts, and how to position themselves as strategic leaders in their firms’ AI and automation implementation. This is not a tech demo. It’s a governance conversation about leverage, structure, and professional value.

Presented by:

Elizabeth Harris, JD, FSDA, is the Firm Administrator and Marketing Director at Kevin Harris Architect, a residential architecture firm in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where she has spent over thirty years refining business operations, client systems, and marketing strategy. A licensed attorney, Elizabeth brings analytical rigor to her work in firm administration—though these days she’s more likely to be found building Zapier automations!

Elizabeth is a Fellow of the Society for Design Administration and holds her CDFO certification. She founded the Baton Rouge SDA chapter in 2005. In February 2025, she launched The 2040 Studio on Substack, where she writes about AI, automation, life after 60 and the evolving role of administrators in architecture and design firms.

SDA Focus Area CEU:

CEU – Project Management

Agenda: 

11:50am – 12:00pm – time to log in and mingle virtually with other members and guests
12:00pm – 1:00pm – Presentation

Cost:

Atlanta Chapter members – Free
All other SDA Chapter members – $5
Non-members – $15

Location:

Virtual Presentation, a link will be sent to those that register.