Map The Real-World Workflow
Walk the floor—virtual or physical. Observe the exact steps reps take, how many tabs they open, where they copy data, and which exceptions they escalate. This creates the blueprint for a copilot that fits, not fights.
Document each step as trigger → inputs → decision → output. That checklist becomes the prompt scaffold and the guardrail for future automation.
- Record five real journeys per persona before writing a single prompt.
- Capture the data sources referenced so you know what to ingest first.
- Note compliance checkpoints where a human must approve the action.
Build Retrieval Around Trusted Content
Avoid fine-tuning chaos early. Chunk the knowledge you already maintain—SOPs, release notes, troubleshooting playbooks, call transcripts—into a vector index with clear categories.
Insert the index right where teams work. In Salesforce that means the record sidebar; in Zendesk it is the macro composer; in NetSuite it is the case view.
- Keep chunk sizes small (<350 tokens) and tag them by team or product.
- Write prompts that require citations so frontline teams keep trusting the output.
- Feed rejection feedback back into the prompt and the ingestion backlog weekly.
Ship Fast, Keep Humans In Control
Launch the first version with manual approval: the copilot drafts, the human approves or edits. Instrument time saved, acceptance rate, and reasons for rejection.
Use that telemetry to refine prompts, add missing content, and highlight the quick wins in leadership meetings.
- Expose an approval log so compliance can audit outputs anytime.
- Rotate beta testers to build champions across departments.
- Celebrate the first week of metrics publicly—it accelerates adoption.