Strategy

Why AI Pilots Fail in Mid-Market Ops Teams (and How to Avoid It)

Most AI pilots fail for operational reasons, not model quality. Here is the fix sequence that works.

Human-approved by Steve on 22/02/2026

Common failure pattern

Teams start with tools, not workflows. They add AI to existing friction instead of redesigning the handoff.

Better sequence

  1. Define one operational bottleneck.
  2. Add AI only where cycle-time is blocked.
  3. Keep a human approval gate until quality stabilises.
  4. Expand scope only after hard KPI improvement.

Bottom line

AI is not the project. Throughput and reliability are the project.