THE SHORT ANSWER
What does it take to move an AI pilot into production?
Agree on the business case, acceptance criteria, ownership, and operating cost. Design data access, evaluation, permissions, monitoring, and recovery before release. Start with a limited audience and a manual fallback, then expand only when the workflow meets its agreed quality and operational criteria.
Confirm the business case
Describe the task, who performs it, and what should improve. Estimate the cost of building, operating, and reviewing the workflow. Compare it with the current process and a simpler rule-based solution before committing to a larger build.
Design the operating model
Agree on data access, retention, permissions, and the actions the workflow may take. Plan evaluation, monitoring, incident handling, and human escalation. If using Amazon Bedrock, select the model and surrounding services around those requirements.
Release in controlled stages
Begin with a limited group and a manual fallback. Review outputs, support requests, and cost per successful task. Increase access only after the agreed criteria are met, and keep a way to disable the feature without interrupting the rest of the application.
A starting checklist
Name a business owner and an engineering owner.
Document acceptance criteria and limits.
Test failure and escalation paths.
Budget for evaluation and ongoing operation.
A production workflow is something a team can operate and improve. Treat documentation, handover, and cost visibility as delivery requirements from the start.
