AI failures rarely come from the model — they come from missing foundations. Before automating anything, ask: Is the process documented? Is the data accessible? Is there a human who owns the outcome? Can you measure quality? Can you roll back?
Documented process first. Automating an undocumented process automates confusion. If a human can’t explain the steps, an agent can’t execute them reliably.
Start with high-frequency, low-risk tasks: intake, summarization, drafting, classification. Keep human review at every decision that touches a customer or a contract, and monitor quality from day one.
Takeaway: readiness is a checklist, not a vibe. Pass the five questions and your first automation pays for itself; skip them and your first demo becomes your last.