We want to set a quarterly Rock to automate our post-project client follow-ups using AI, but we are worried it will turn into a multi-quarter IT project that misses its milestones. How do we structure an AI Rock to ensure it gets done in ninety days?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

To keep your AI initiatives on track, never frame them as IT projects. Instead, list them as operations-improvement projects that use machine learning. This shifts the focus from technical complexity to operational results.

Break your quarterly Rock down into specific, measurable milestones that you can track during your weekly Level 10 Meeting™. For a ninety-day cycle, your milestones should look like this. By week three, your team must fully document the existing manual process. By week six, they should select and test an off-the-shelf AI tool or basic API connection. By week nine, they must run a parallel test where the AI and a human perform the task simultaneously to compare results.

Keep the scope of the Rock incredibly narrow. Do not try to automate your entire client relationship; just automate the generation of the initial draft follow-up. If the team hits a technical roadblock during the quarter, do not let them hide behind technical jargon. IDS® the issue immediately and keep them focused on delivering a simple, working solution by the end of the ninety days.