Choose a question the pilot can answer.
Start with a specific administrative task: summarizing an approved document set, preparing meeting action notes or retrieving permitted internal information. Define who will use the output and how they will check it.
A pilot should be small enough to observe. Record the current effort, quality requirements and review steps before introducing a tool. Without a baseline, it is difficult to distinguish a useful result from a compelling demonstration.
Agree the information and access boundaries.
Review the proposed platform, licensing, permissions and information-handling requirements. Decide what data is allowed and what must stay out of the workflow. Existing access problems should not be carried into a new retrieval experience without review.
- Who owns the use case and approves the information set?
- Who checks the output and handles an incorrect result?
- Which staff guidance and usage rules are needed?
- What support and change responsibilities apply?
Measure the whole workflow.
Observe the time and effort involved in preparing inputs, checking outputs and correcting mistakes. Include whether the result is fit for its intended purpose. A faster first draft may still require careful review.
For healthcare or legal contexts, keep the pilot within permitted information and agreed controls. Administrative assistance does not imply clinical decision-making or legal advice.
Make stopping a valid outcome.
The review can lead to a wider rollout, a revised approach or a decision not to continue. Document the findings and limits before extending the tool to more people or information. Do not assume a productivity gain before the evidence is available.
Discuss a Secure AI Adoption Pilot with identity and access planning.