01. Workflow Discovery
Map the real work, data flow, owners and exceptions before deciding what should be automated.
Vertical AI is more than connecting a general-purpose model to a business. It starts with the realities of the industry—workflows, data, roles, permissions, and exceptions—and applies AI to clearly defined tasks, with human review where it matters.
General-purpose generative AI focuses on broad capabilities. Vertical AI focuses on whether a specific task can be executed reliably inside a real workflow. In enterprise settings, reliability also depends on data sources, permissions, workflow state, human review, existing systems, and ongoing operations.
We first map the problem into a testable workflow, then decide where LLMs, OCR, information extraction, knowledge retrieval, workflow automation, or other model capabilities add value.
Map the real work, data flow, owners and exceptions before deciding what should be automated.
Combine model capabilities with APIs, databases, permissions and product interfaces.
Validate against error rates, manual effort, processing time, and real usage rather than treating a successful demo as proof of production readiness.