From operational know-how to AI-ready procedures

The operating question

Before I ask whether an AI tool gives a useful answer, I ask what it has been given to work with. Are the procedures current? Do they describe the actual workflow? Would an associate recognize the language? A polished interface cannot make an outdated instruction reliable.

Document the work people actually do

In this project, I documented retail workflows as a series of SOPs written in the language associates use. The work drew on practical retail experience and considered how each procedure affected the wider operation. That documentation was then integrated into the organization’s large language model, making the operating knowledge available through the tool.

Make the knowledge available during service

Selling professionals across the country were using the resulting tool for answers. The benefits I described were practical: less searching, more consistent information for clients, and more attention available for selling. Those are qualitative observations, not a measured accuracy rate or financial return.

Start with the questions the team needs to answer

My starting point would be the same for another organization: list the questions people need to answer during the work, then examine the guidance behind those answers. Someone must own its accuracy and keep it current. Making knowledge easier to retrieve is valuable only when the knowledge is worth relying on.