AI to Production · tool 2 of 9
Defining AI Success
Defining AI Success: agrees what good looks like before the model gets built.
Best for: Project start · Time: 2 hours
Domain: Across all domains · Focus area: Initiating
How it works
AI projects need three levels of measure: business outcome, model quality and operations such as cost and latency. Leaders and engineers often optimize for different things unless this is set early.
- Measure the baseline today.
- Set a minimum bar to launch.
- Include failure rates that matter.
How to apply it
- State the business measure.
- Translate it into model measures.
- Set launch thresholds.
- Have the sponsor sign them.
In practice
Business: 20% less handling time. Model: 90% of drafts accepted with light edits. Ops: under three seconds, under €0.05 a ticket.
Pro tip
Accuracy on its own means little. Always ask “accurate at what, and for whom?”
Use it
- Playbook: Our AI pilot is stuck
Quick check
Which is a business outcome?
Sources
Last reviewed 2026-11-02 against the PMBOK® Guide, 8th edition · Practitioner review pending · How this guide is made