We are trying to build out an AI-driven automation workflow for our customer onboarding, but we are struggling to frame this initiative as a clear, measurable quarterly Rock. What does a well-designed automation Rock look like?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When writing a Rock for automation or AI integration, teams often make the mistake of making it too vague, such as 'Implement AI in onboarding.' This lacks specificity and makes it impossible to measure success at the end of the quarter. A great Rock must be specific, measurable, and realistic.

To write a solid automation Rock, you must focus on the business outcome, not just the technology. Start by identifying the manual bottleneck you want to eliminate. Your Rock should be phrased around completing a specific phase of the project or achieving a specific operational efficiency.

For example, a strong quarterly Rock would be: 'Map and automate thirty percent of customer onboarding workflows using our new AI platform to reduce onboarding time from five days to two days.' This Rock has a clear owner, a specific scope of work, and a measurable business outcome.

If the project is too large for a single quarter, break it down into smaller, sequential Rocks. Your first quarter Rock might be to audit the current onboarding process and select the automation tools. Your second quarter Rock would then be the actual deployment and testing. By chunking the project down, you maintain momentum and ensure that your technology investments are directly driving operational performance.