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
Measure the work, not the demo.
A persuasive output can still be wrong. Evaluate the workflow on examples that reflect the work people actually need to do.
01 · Establish a baseline
Observe the current process. Record time spent preparing, reviewing, correcting, and acting on the result. Decide which quality requirements are essential.
02 · Build a representative test set
OpenAI’s evaluation guidance recommends task-specific tests, defined success criteria, and continued evaluation. Include normal cases and difficult cases from the actual workflow. Keep some examples separate for later comparison.
03 · Review what matters
Check supported facts, required details, invented claims, and whether the result serves the intended task. Ask the person who will use the output to assess it. A fluent answer is not a quality measure.
04 · Include the full cost
Count the time spent checking and correcting the output alongside the time saved in preparation. Record ongoing maintenance and usage costs. Time made available is not automatically a cash saving.
05 · Keep checking after a change
Revisit your test examples when instructions, source material, or the model change. Add failure cases from real use. A successful pilot is evidence for that scope and those conditions.
The useful question
Make it testable.
Quality · preparation time · review time · correction time · adoption · ongoing cost.
Further reading
OpenAI · Evaluation best practicesThese resources inform the implementation approach. The business concepts and pilot suggestions are original editorial starting points.