We want to build an internal AI assistant that our customer service team can use to query our company standard operating procedures, but our SOPs are written in long-form paragraphs that the AI struggles to parse accurately. How do we format our documented Core Processes so that an AI engine can easily read and retrieve the correct answers?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Most standard operating procedures are written for humans who can read between the lines, which makes them terrible training data for AI. If your documents are full of vague instructions or inconsistent formatting, your AI assistant will hallucinate and give your team incorrect answers. To fix this, you need to restructure your Core Processes using a clear, machine-readable format. Start by breaking every process down into sequential, numbered steps. Use simple, direct language and avoid industry jargon unless it is defined in a glossary. Every step should follow an action-object pattern, such as checking the email address rather than saying the email address should be checked. Next, use clear headers, bullet points, and consistent metadata tags for different categories of information. This structured approach allows the AI to easily locate specific steps and understand the hierarchy of the information. By taking the time to simplify and clean up your written processes, you create a dual-use asset. Your human employees will find the steps easier to follow, and your AI tool will be able to retrieve precise, accurate answers in seconds without guessing.