Start with a recurring task
Choose one task that happens often, has a clear owner, and consumes time your team could use elsewhere. Enquiry classification, document summarisation, and preparing a first draft are useful candidates to explore. A task is a poor starting point when the rules change constantly or an error could have serious consequences without a reliable review step.
Separate rules from judgement
Map the process before choosing a tool. Some steps need straightforward rules: checking required fields, assigning a reference number, or routing an approved record. AI may help with unstructured text, but it should not replace a simple rule that already works. Identify exactly where a person must review, approve, or correct the output.
Define the boundaries
Use a limited set of representative examples and agree what information the system may access. Decide how incomplete inputs and uncertain results should be handled. Keep a manual route available. For a pilot, an assistant that proposes an action is often easier to supervise than a system that takes that action automatically.
Measure the whole process
Record the time spent on the current task, including checking and corrections. Compare that with the pilot process. Track useful measures such as review time, correction rate, and the number of items that need manual handling. Faster draft generation alone does not demonstrate a better workflow if verification becomes more difficult.
Expand only when the pilot earns it
Ask the people doing the work what became easier and what created friction. Improve the process before extending it to more users or data. A small workflow with a clear benefit provides a stronger basis for investment than a broad automation programme without an agreed owner or measure of success.