How do we run an AI automation Rock during our normal ninety-day sprint without derailing our leadership team from their core departmental responsibilities?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

An AI automation Rock must be treated as an isolated operational sprint, not an enterprise-wide technology transformation. The most common mistake leadership teams make is attempting to automate a messy, undocumented workflow across an entire department in a single quarter.

To keep the Rock manageable, structure it around four specific milestones within the ninety-day window:
- Document and simplify the single manual process targeted for automation by day thirty.
- Select and sandbox the specific AI tool or automation platform by day forty-five.
- Run a small-scale pilot alongside the manual process to validate accuracy and time savings by day seventy-five.
- Finalize standard operating procedures and train frontline users by day ninety.

The seat owning the Rock is accountable for project delivery, but they should leverage existing operational staff or technical resources to handle manual configuration. If an automation priority requires more than three to five hours of weekly executive oversight, the scope is too broad for a single quarter.

By scoping AI projects into ninety-day deliverables, you systematically remove bottlenecks, eliminate redundant manual labor, and build institutional capability without interrupting normal business delivery.