The situation
Client follow-up work is slow and inconsistent, and the team wants to know whether AI could help.
Lesson 6 of 12 · 5-minute lesson
Explore an AI opportunity
Map current work before deciding whether AI is an appropriate response.
For: Business sponsors, process owners and affected teams
This lesson uses National AI Centre guidance: Identify opportunities, Business process mapping template.
The problem
Starting with a product can hide the real process problem and move effort to the wrong place.
The choice
Daniel maps the current steps, hand-offs, pain points and candidate opportunities.
What you will learn
By the end of this lesson
- Map the current steps in order.
- Separate pain points from opportunities.
- Interpret the five-factor planning guidance.
The pivotal moments
What changes—and why it matters
Moment 1
Map work as it happens
What the person does
Daniel records ordered steps, owners and hand-offs.
What the workspace records
The workspace preserves the current process before redesign.
Notice
The process contains several human decisions.
Why it matters
The team sees the work rather than an assumed solution.
Moment 2
Separate pain from opportunity
What the person does
Daniel records delays and rework separately from proposed changes.
What the workspace records
Pain-point rows and opportunity rows stay distinct.
Notice
A painful step is not automatically suitable for AI.
Why it matters
Benefits can be tested against a real problem.
Moment 3
Interpret the planning guidance
What the person does
The team reviews five factors and the calculated range.
What the workspace records
The result explains the 5–12 and 13–25 planning ranges.
Notice
The range is planning guidance, not approval or a suitability result.
Why it matters
A clearly limited drafting opportunity can move to governance checks.
Official guidance used in this lesson
Check the published guidance
National AI Centre
Identify opportunities
Explains process mapping and opportunity identification.
Last checked 30 September 2026
National AI Centre
Business process mapping template
Provides the published mapping template.
Last checked 30 September 2026
The complication
The difficult part stays visible
The highest-friction step may still be unsuitable if the information, impact or human-control needs cannot be managed.
The outcome
The team identifies a clearly limited drafting opportunity and records why it merits further investigation.
Check your understanding
Does a result in the higher planning range approve an opportunity?
Show the answer
No. It helps the team interpret the opportunity. Screening, preparation, assessment and an accountable decision still follow.
Key points
Remember these three things
- Map the current process first.
- Keep pain points separate from solutions.
- Treat AI-fit guidance as planning input.
What happens next