Test the plan before you commit.
Build a simulation around your business. Test the assumptions, connect operating data, and keep learning as conditions change.
Business simulation & decision supportRead ideaPlaybook · Guide
Choose the first pilot.
The first pilot should answer a business question. Pick a scope small enough to inspect and important enough that someone will use the result.
01 · Describe the current work
Write down the trigger, inputs, steps, output, and person who uses that output. Observe a few real examples. Note where time is spent and where mistakes are corrected.
02 · Name one useful result
Choose a concrete outcome: a reviewed draft, an exception queue, or a source-backed answer. Identify what a person must verify before the output is used.
03 · Check the inputs
Find out whether the required information is available, current, and permitted for this use. Assign a source owner. A missing input should become an explicit question, not a guessed fact.
04 · Choose a simple approach
Anthropic’s agent design guidance recommends starting with a simple solution and adding complexity when the task warrants it. For a first pilot, map the fixed steps before deciding whether an autonomous agent is useful.
05 · Define the decision
Agree on what would justify continuing, changing, or stopping. Include review effort and operating cost. Make the pilot owner responsible for bringing that evidence to a decision.
The useful question
Make it testable.
Pilot brief: process · owner · inputs · deliverable · review point · baseline · success criteria.
Further reading
Anthropic · Building effective agentsThese resources inform the implementation approach. The business concepts and pilot suggestions are original editorial starting points.