A useful pilot begins with an agreed process, a named owner and evidence that the workflow can be operated. This checklist helps business sponsors and technology teams turn an automation idea into a reviewable proposal. It is a starting point for discovery, not a claim that every organisation needs the same controls.
1. Define the business decision
Write down the problem in operational terms: which handoff causes delay, which record is copied repeatedly, or which exception is hard to resolve? Identify the process owner and the people affected. Agree a baseline and a measure of success before selecting a platform.
- Name the start and end of the process.
- Record volume, effort, delays and common exceptions.
- State what a pilot may change and what remains outside its scope.
- Identify who can accept the result and approve expansion.
2. Map systems and data movement
List the systems touched by the workflow and the source of truth for each important field. Map where data is read, transformed, stored and sent. Include manual handoffs and downstream actions, because a technically successful integration can still create incorrect business records.
Agree access with the system owners. Record how credentials are managed, which environments are available and how test data will be prepared. Data handling and supplier requirements should be reviewed with the relevant internal owners before a pilot uses operational information.
3. Make approval and exception paths explicit
Separate preparing an action from authorising it. For example, a workflow can prepare an invoice record while finance retains approval of payment-sensitive changes. If AI interprets a document or request, specify the checks applied to its output and the conditions that require a person to intervene.
Test repeated submissions, missing fields, revoked permissions and unavailable services. Agree when a retry is safe, when a workflow must stop and where unresolved cases appear. An exception queue needs a named owner and enough context for that person to act.
4. Agree the evidence for release
5. Plan operation before the pilot ends
Decide who monitors the workflow, who can change it and who responds when a connected application changes. Agree the support coverage, escalation route and recovery approach. Document how to pause the workflow and reconcile work after an interruption.
Keep the commercial scope equally clear. Separate implementation, platform licensing, connected-service costs and ongoing support. A pilot should end with a decision based on observed results, including any additional operating effort it creates.
Example: a bounded onboarding pilot
Consider an illustrative employee-onboarding workflow. HR supplies an approved starter record; the workflow validates required fields and prepares tasks for the relevant system owners. Access requiring approval stays with an authorised person. The pilot measures incomplete records, duplicate tasks and the time needed to resolve exceptions. This is an example design, not a Pulseee client case study.
Use the checklist to make a decision
If ownership, data access or exception handling is unresolved, record the gap before widening the pilot. If the evidence supports a limited release, document the boundaries and review date. Expand when the process and operating responsibilities are understood.
For an external reference when AI is involved, see the NIST AI Risk Management Framework. This checklist is Pulseee guidance, not a certification or an assessment against that framework.
