7 Questions to Answer Before You Implement AI

Use these questions to review one proposed workflow, such as invoice processing or support triage. Record the answers and identify what still needs to be checked before the project can proceed.

1. What problem are we solving?

Describe the task, who performs it, and what needs to improve. For example, a team may spend several hours preparing a weekly report from disconnected systems. That description gives the project a useful starting point for checking whether AI is needed.

2. How will we measure success?

Choose a measure related to the problem, such as handling time, correction rate, or turnaround time. Establish a baseline using representative cases. Agree on how and when the result will be reviewed after rollout.

3. Is the process sufficiently clear?

Compare how people handle the task today. Document the normal sequence and legitimate exceptions. If important rules are disputed or unknown, resolve them before relying on software to make the decision.

4. Can we use the required data?

Locate the information, confirm access, and inspect its quality. Check permissions and restrictions on how it may be processed. Include the effort required to obtain or prepare it in the implementation plan.

5. Who owns the workflow after launch?

Name the person responsible for operational performance and the provider or team responsible for technical support. Agree who reviews issues, approves changes, and can stop the workflow. Give those responsibilities enough time and authority.

6. How will errors be handled?

Identify likely failures and their consequences. Decide which outputs require human approval and how missing information or system failures are escalated. Test those paths alongside the normal process.

7. Does the expected benefit justify the cost?

Include implementation, integrations, software, training, review time, and maintenance. Distinguish cash savings from recovered capacity. Use a range of assumptions when the evidence is uncertain.

Decide what to investigate next

An unanswered question is useful when it leads to a specific action. Assign someone to inspect a data sample, confirm access, or estimate review effort. The findings may support a pilot, a simpler automation, or a process change.

Avoid treating the checklist as an automatic approval. Its purpose is to identify what the decision rests on. The pilot planning guide explains how to test the remaining assumptions.