The Discovery Process: What Happens Before You Buy AI Agents

Why Discovery Is Not Sales Theater 

Many buyers assume discovery is a sales formality. 

In ERP AI projects, discovery determines outcomes. 

Skipping it does not accelerate implementation. It guarantees rework. 

What Discovery Actually Covers 

Effective discovery answers four questions. 

• What exceptions exist? 

• How are they handled today? 

• Where does coordination break? 

• What rules already exist implicitly? 

These answers rarely live in documentation. They live in staff behavior. 

Mapping Reality, Not Theory 

Discovery focuses on what actually happens, not what should happen. 

Emails. Notes. Side conversations. Delays. Workarounds. 

This mapping reveals where automation helps and where it should not be applied. 

Rule Extraction Is the Core Output 

The most valuable discovery artifact is not a requirements document. 

It is a rule map: 

• Prioritization logic 

• Escalation thresholds 

• Timing expectations 

• Stop conditions 

AI agents simply execute these rules. 

Why Skipping Discovery Backfires 

Without discovery: 

• Rules are incomplete 

• Escalations are unclear 

• Staff feel imposed upon 

• Governance gaps appear later 

Projects stall not because AI failed, but because reality was never captured. 

The Reality 

Discovery is not overhead. 

It is the translation layer between human judgment and machine execution. 

Good discovery shortens implementation. Poor discovery guarantees delays. 

About the Author 

This content is published by ERP AI Agent, a consulting practice specializing in AI agents for mid-market ERP exception processes. 

Published: January 2025 Last Updated: January 2025 Reading Time: 7 minutes