AI discovery questions
What to ask about a client's workflow.
Good questions follow SDP: start broad, dig deeper, then play back what you heard. Notes that answer them give AgentStepper what it needs. Ask in any order, and follow the conversation.
Open questions that let the client describe the work in their own words.
Follow-ups that grow out of each answer: who, which system, how often, and what happens when it goes wrong.
Before the meeting ends, say back what you heard and ask the client to correct it.
1. How the work starts
Start broad What starts the work? What arrives, from where, and how often?
Dig deeper
- How much arrives in a normal week, and on a busy day?
- Does it always arrive the same way, or through several channels?
2. The steps
Start broad What happens next, step by step, until the work is done?
Dig deeper
- Where does the work pass from one person or team to another?
- Can you walk me through a recent, real example from start to finish?
3. People
Start broad Who does each step? Ask for the role, not only the name.
Dig deeper
- Who owns the whole process from start to finish, if anyone?
- Who steps in when that person is away?
4. Systems and data
Start broad Which systems, tools, files, or forms does each step use?
Dig deeper
- What is typed in by hand, or copied from one system to another?
- Where does the information live that people need to make a decision?
5. Where work gets stuck
Start broad Where does the work wait, get lost, or go back and forth?
Dig deeper
- How do people find out where something is stuck?
- What do people chase most often, and how?
6. Rules and approvals
Start broad Who approves what? Are there limits, amounts, or rules?
Dig deeper
- What must never happen without a person checking it?
- Are the rules written down, or do people decide case by case?
7. What goes wrong
Start broad What goes wrong today, and how often? Which targets are missed?
Dig deeper
- What does a mistake cost: time, money, or a customer?
- What do customers or colleagues complain about?
8. Unusual cases
Start broad What happens with the unusual cases?
Dig deeper
- Which cases need a person's judgment, and why?
- How often do they come up?
9. Success
Start broad How would you know the work is going well?
Dig deeper
- What do you measure today, if anything?
- What would you want to see improve first?
P: Play it back
Before the meeting ends, say back what you heard, and let the client correct you. Corrections here save a second meeting.
- The steps, in order: "So it starts when a ticket arrives, then a tier-1 agent tags it, then billing goes to tier 2. What did I miss?"
- Who does what: "So the support lead approves anything above the limit. Is that right?"
- The numbers, exactly as you heard them: "You said about 300 a month, and the target is 4 hours. Did I get that right?"
- The biggest problem: "It sounds like tagging causes most of the trouble. Is that how you see it?"
- What is still open: "I do not yet know who handles the unusual cases. Who should I ask?"
Tips for the meeting
- Ask for roles, not only names. AgentStepper writes roles, never names.
- Ask for a recent, real example. It brings out the steps people forget to mention.
- Write numbers down exactly as the client says them: amounts, volumes, deadlines, and targets.
- Ask to see the screens or forms people use. Note the names of the systems.
- Record the meeting with any tool you like. Messy notes and transcripts are fine.
After the meeting
Paste your notes into AgentStepper. Anything the notes do not say appears under "Not in the notes" and, after the analysis, under "To confirm with the client". That list is your agenda for the next meeting, ready to copy.