I was recently taken on for a startup that specialized in finding SEO related issues in WordPress blogs, and they had a very interesting setup. Google Spreadsheets allows for fairly complicated scripting, with a language based around JavaScript. You can create buttons, make HTTP requests, and generate data with it, among other things. The startup I joined used it for tracking client data, as well as a partially automated system for tracking progress and generating an email for the client.
The first step for clients was to have their website scanned manually to give a quote and point out issues. In the client spreadsheet, there was a button to automatically generate a checklist with data for the website to filled in. As you followed the checklist and filled in data from scanning the website, it would automatically generate email text as HTML as well as give quotes and data for a coupon code. At the moment some parts of the process are manual, but there is potential to increase the automation further to automatically send emails, modify users in Mailchimp, and create discount codes as needed.