Resource · Playbook
The industrial AI copilot playbook
Piloting an AI copilot doesn't have to be a leap of faith. Here's a practical 30-day plan, the KPIs worth measuring, and the questions to ask any AI vendor before you commit.
A 30-day pilot plan
Knowledge inventory
Gather a representative set of manuals, SOPs and service videos for one line or asset family. Identify the top questions technicians ask, and agree on the success metrics you'll measure.
Answer evaluation
Load the content and have technicians ask real questions. Score answers for accuracy and, critically, for whether each is cited back to the right source.
Pilot deployment
Roll the copilot out to a pilot team or shift. Connect it to your CMMS/EAM so generated procedures fit your workflow, and capture how people actually use it.
Impact measurement
Compare results against the Week 1 baseline, collect technician feedback, and build the business case for a wider rollout.
KPIs worth measuring
Capture a baseline in Week 1 so the Week 4 comparison is meaningful. The values below are illustrative — your results depend on documentation coverage, team size and rollout.
Questions to ask any AI vendor
Data usage
Is our documentation ever used to train public or shared models?
Source citation
Does every answer link back to a specific source we can verify?
Hallucination handling
What does the system do when it doesn't know the answer?
Access control
Does it support role-based access and single sign-on?
Audit trails
Can we see what was asked, answered and cited?
Integration
Does it connect to our CMMS/EAM and document repositories?
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a pilot take?
A focused pilot on a single line or asset family can run in about 30 days — a week each for knowledge inventory, answer evaluation, deployment and impact measurement.
What do we need to start?
A representative set of your manuals, SOPs and (optionally) service videos for one area, plus a short list of the questions your technicians ask most.
How do we prove ROI?
Capture a baseline for a few key metrics before the pilot, then measure the same metrics during it. Pair the numbers with technician feedback to build the business case.
Ready to run a pilot?
Book a demo and we'll help you scope a 30-day pilot on your own documentation.