Build · Operating decision guide
Build, buy or skip AI? A decision memo for the owner
Otomat editorial · Revised
Test the cheapest credible alternative on the same work before funding a build. Include process change, an existing software feature and doing nothing in the comparison.
Start where work waits
Consider a distributor whose quotes sit overnight. An assistant might draft them faster. But if quotes wait for someone with margin authority, better drafting only moves the pile. Follow a recent order from request to acceptance. Record where it waited and who could release it.
Give each option the same awkward case
Use an ordinary order, a missing price and a product substitution. Ask a staff member to complete each case under the current process, a changed approval rule, an existing tool and a proposed assistant. Record time to accepted quote, error cost, escalation and rework. If a routing change removes the queue, stop there.
| Decision | Evidence to bring | What would change the decision |
|---|---|---|
| Change the process | Wait time before and after an approval rule change | Retain human approval for exceptions that can harm margin. |
| Buy what exists | A frontline user runs the hard case with existing permissions | Reject if export, access or maintenance costs are unknown. |
| Build the missing piece | Defined gap, owner, fallback and acceptance test | Defer if the simpler option meets the same business need. |
Write the rejection reason
For each option, record the smallest reversible test, the recurring owner and the cost to leave. A subscription with no export path may be expensive to leave; a custom system without a maintainer can be equally costly. Sign the recommendation only after pricing support, exception review and training.
Use the working tools
Blank templates are ungated. Adapt them to the workflow; inputs are not submitted.
Sources and limits
These are Otomat’s proposed operating methods and original decision artifacts. External references inform risk management; they do not certify this method or establish client results. Linked sources were selected for this review; their live revision dates may change.
For anonymous documentation and proposal patterns, see delivery evidence and its boundaries.
Related decisions
Bring a workflow to the discussion
Share the business goal and constraints through the mandate process. Do not send sensitive production data in the initial brief.
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