Phase 1: Why Listening Matters

Everyone wants to skip Phase 1.

Just build it they say. We know what we need.

No you do not. That is why roughly 60 percent of automation projects fail.

What Phase 1 Actually Does

We do not just interview your domain expert. We do the following

• 1.Watch them work in real time
• 2.Record their actual decisions
• 3.Capture the edge cases they handle
• 4.Map the knowledge they do not know they have

Real Example

One client said

“We review homework against a rubric. Simple.”

After Phase 1 we found

• -8 implicit rules not in the rubric
• -3 common edge cases requiring judgment
• -2 shortcuts experts used for efficiency
• -1 critical context check based on student history

The Difference

Without Phase 1

• -Build based on documented process
• -Miss implicit knowledge
• -~60 percent accuracy
• -Constant retraining required

With Phase 1

• -Build based on actual knowledge
• -Capture implicit rules
• -~92 percent accuracy
• -Minimal retraining required

Why It Takes 1 to 2 Weeks

You cannot rush knowledge capture. You need

• -Multiple observation sessions
• -Exposure to different scenarios
• -Edge case coverage
• -Validation with the expert

The ROI

Phase 1 costs roughly 2K to 5K. It ensures

• -Accurate automation 92 percent vs 60 percent
• -Team trust in the system
• -Real ROI not theory
• -Long term sustainability

Skip it and you will spend ten times more fixing problems later.

That is why Phase 1 is non negotiable.