Begin with friction, not a tool
Look for a recurring process that consumes time, loses information, delays decisions, or depends on repetitive copying between systems. That is a better starting point than selecting an AI product first.
Define the human-controlled workflow
- What triggers the work
- What information the system may use
- What the system drafts, classifies, or recommends
- Where a person must review or approve
- How errors are caught and corrected
- What outcome will show the workflow is useful
Pilot one meaningful process
A useful pilot is narrow enough to build and observe, but important enough to teach the team something real. Document the baseline, test with representative work, and keep an audit trail for decisions that matter.
Adoption is part of implementation
The work is not finished when the software runs. People need clear instructions, ownership, guardrails, and a way to report failure. The operating playbook is part of the product.