The Multi-App Workflow Automation System
Chain productivity apps together through automation to eliminate repetitive digital tasks
Rosemary Orchard demonstrates how to build automated workflows that chain multiple productivity applications together, reducing manual task switching and repetitive actions. The system uses tools like Apple Shortcuts, Obsidian, and various automation platforms to create sequences that trigger automatically based on conditions. For example, saving an article can automatically create a note, tag it, and add it to a reading queue. The key insight is that most digital busywork consists of the same sequences performed hundreds of times, and each sequence can be automated once and reused indefinitely. Orchard emphasizes starting with the workflows you perform most frequently and automating those first for maximum return on setup time.
- Most digital busywork consists of repeated sequences that can be automated once
- Start automating your most frequent workflows first for maximum return
- Automation chains across apps eliminate context switching
- The goal is to build systems that work without manual intervention
- Audit Your Repetitive Digital TasksTrack your digital workflows for one week, noting every time you perform a repetitive sequence across apps. Common candidates include filing emails, creating notes from saved articles, scheduling social posts, managing calendar events, and processing inbox items. Rank them by frequency and time consumed. The top three to five most frequent sequences are your automation priorities.Pro tipLook for any task you do more than three times per week that involves the same sequence of steps across multiple apps
- Build Your First Automation ChainSelect your highest-frequency repetitive task and build an automation using Apple Shortcuts, Zapier, or similar tools. Start simple: if you always create a note after saving an article, automate that single chain. Test it thoroughly before adding complexity. Each automation should replace a complete manual workflow, not just one step of it.Pro tipOrchard recommends starting with Apple Shortcuts for iOS and Mac users as it has the broadest native integration with the Apple ecosystemWarningOverengineering automations before testing simple versions leads to brittle systems that break frequently
- Iterate and ExpandOnce your first automation is reliable, build the next one. Over time, your automations begin to chain together: one automation's output becomes another's input. This creates a personal productivity system that handles routine digital work automatically while you focus on creative and strategic tasks that require human judgment.
Managing multiple podcasts including Automators and Nested Folders requires consistent content planning, show note creation, and publishing workflows. Orchard built automation chains that create show note templates, populate metadata, and trigger publishing steps, reducing hours of repetitive administrative work to minutes of review and approval.
Orchard developed this approach through years of podcasting about automation, including the Automators podcast with David Sparks and her Nested Folders podcast. As someone managing multiple podcasts, a forum community, and personal projects across Apple devices, she was forced to find ways to reduce repetitive digital tasks. Her background in technology and systematic thinking led her to build increasingly sophisticated automation chains that she now teaches to others through her podcasts and writing.