Your First Agentic AI Pilot: A Human-in-the-Loop Checklist

A good first agent pilot is boring on purpose.

Checklist

• One workflow with a named owner and KPI
• Systems of record identified (CRM, ERP, docs)
• Happy path and exception path documented
• Evidence shown before human approval
• Money / legal / safety steps require a person
• Logging and rollback if the agent misfires
• Success criteria written before build week

Automate vs approve

Automate: extraction, routing, reminders, first-pass qualification, status updates.

Approve: quotes, discounts, payments above threshold, irreversible ops changes.

What not to do

Do not start with “an AI that runs the company.” Do not skip CRM/ERP connectivity and expect chat alone to create value.

Read Human-in-the-loop automation, then book an Automation Audit or explore AI & Automation.