When should you script?

How often does the job run?

Frequency	Examples	Script it?
Daily	Bursar transfer; patron load	Yes
Weekly	Importing Marcive and LCSH records	Yes
Monthly	Exporting OCLC records	Probably
Yearly	Fiscal period close	No

How does the job affect the system?

Is the task complicated or susceptible to operator error?

Task	Example	Script it?
Truncating the /var/adm/wtmp file	log-trimmer	Yes

How difficult is the algorithm?

algorithm : A step-by-step procedure for solving a problem or accomplishing some end.