Migrating Business Processes to AI Agents
Process migration to AI — not flipping a switch. Structured transition with risk management, parallel testing, and gradual agent autonomy expansion.
Migration Methodology
Process Documentation (weeks 1–2): Before automating — document in detail. Every step, every decision, every exception. Process mapping at level executors see, not just handbook instructions.
Shadow Mode (weeks 3–6): AI-agent observes human work but doesn't act. Logs what it would do. Compare with real decisions — accuracy must be >85% before next step.
Assisted Mode (weeks 7–10): AI-agent executes task, human checks every result before applying. Human acceptance rate tracked. Goal: >90% accepted without changes.
Supervised Mode (weeks 11–16): AI acts independently, human does random sampling review (10–20%). Escalation only for non-standard cases.
Autonomous Mode: Monitoring and sampling only. Activates after 4+ weeks Supervised Mode with acceptance rate >95%.
Parallel Launch
First 4–8 weeks: both human and AI execute one process. Compare results. Expensive but critical for high-risk processes.
Document Each Transition
Transition criteria between modes. Metrics showing readiness. Who decides mode change. Rollback plan if metrics degrade.
Full Migration Timeline
4–6 months for complex operational processes. 6–8 weeks for structured information processes.