AI Agent Readiness Checklist
Evaluate the workflow before selecting the AI architecture
A strong agent opportunity starts with a defined operating problem, usable inputs, clear actions, known exception paths, and ownership. Use this checklist to identify what is ready and what still needs discovery.
Readiness Questions
1. Is the workflow clearly defined?
Write down the trigger, inputs, major steps, systems involved, outputs, owners, and what counts as successful completion. If different teams describe the process differently, discovery should resolve that before automation design begins.
2. Are the inputs accessible and understandable?
Identify the documents, messages, records, events, and reference data the workflow uses. Note where information is unstructured, incomplete, duplicated, sensitive, or inconsistent.
3. Can the allowed actions be bounded?
List what the workflow may read, create, update, send, approve, or escalate. Separate recommendations from actions that change systems or create commitments.
4. Are exceptions known?
Document common failure conditions, ambiguity, missing information, policy exceptions, and cases that must stop for human review.
5. Are integration paths available?
Record the applications involved and whether they expose APIs, webhooks, queues, databases, files, or other approved integration methods. Avoid assuming that every legacy interface is safely automatable.
6. Can quality be measured?
Define observable acceptance criteria such as correct classification, valid extraction, successful routing, complete audit records, or appropriate escalation. A production system needs measurable behavior, not just compelling demos.
7. Is there an accountable owner?
Assign ownership for process rules, source knowledge, exception policy, access decisions, monitoring, and change management. An agent without operational ownership will degrade as the business changes.
Good Signs
High Manual Coordination
People spend significant time reading, copying, checking, routing, or assembling information.
Repeatable Decision Boundaries
The workflow has recognizable rules, reference sources, and escalation criteria even when inputs vary.
Accessible Systems
The required data and actions can be reached through approved integration patterns.
Known Exceptions
Teams can describe what should happen when confidence is low or policy conditions are not met.
Measurable Outputs
Quality, completion, exceptions, and downstream results can be observed and tested.
Clear Ownership
A business owner can maintain the rules, sources, and operating expectations after launch.
Want a Second Pair of Eyes on a Workflow?
Bring the checklist and a real process to a KeenSight working session. We can help separate architecture questions from process questions.