EvaNeT / field notes
How do you choose the first AI workflow for a service business?
A practical way to select one AI pilot: map repeat work, name its owner, check the data and approval points, and define a useful result.
Start with a recurring job that people already understand and own. A broad mandate to “use AI” cannot tell a team whether a pilot helped.
List the work, not the tools
Pick a process with a clear beginning and end: for example, a new inquiry arriving, being assigned, receiving a drafted response, and getting a follow-up. Record its inputs, systems, handoffs, exceptions, and current time cost. Include the people who actually perform the work.
Screen for a safe first pilot
A useful candidate has enough repetition to compare before and after, accessible source material, an accountable owner, and a human review point before any consequential action. Avoid a first pilot that requires broad account access or treats an AI suggestion as a final decision.
Define the decision before building
Choose a baseline such as time to prepare a draft, number of missed handoffs, or review quality. Decide who will inspect samples, which errors stop the pilot, and what evidence would justify expanding it. An AI Workflow Audit turns this inventory into a workflow map and a recommended pilot scope.
Take the next step
Discuss one workflow with EvaNeT
We can map its current handoffs, risks, and review points before proposing a pilot.