We are documenting our core processes using the 20/80 rule, but our department managers get bogged down staring at blank screens. How can we use AI to accelerate documenting our Core Processes without creating bloated SOPs that nobody reads?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

The 20/80 rule in EOS dictates that you document the 20 percent of steps that produce 80 percent of the results. Most process documentation projects fail because managers try to write comprehensive, multi-page instruction manuals that overwhelm staff and end up abandoned.

AI is an exceptional tool for breaking blank-page paralysis, provided you feed it real operational inputs rather than asking it to invent procedures from scratch.

To do this effectively, have your process owners record themselves talking through the workflow or conducting an actual task while narrating their decisions. Transcribe that audio using automated transcription software.

Next, feed the raw transcript into an AI model with a strict prompt: Extract the core workflow into a clean, bulleted checklist following the 20/80 principle. Include only major stages, critical quality gates, and accountable seats. Strip out conversational filler and keep the total document under two pages.

The resulting draft will capture the authentic sequence of the work without academic bloat. The department manager then reviews the output, refines the terminology, and ensures the critical checkpoints are accurate.

Use AI to produce high-level checklists and visual decision trees, not sixty-page technical handbooks. When processes are lean, visual, and concise, your team can easily package them, train staff, and measure whether they are Followed by All.