Consider the data and the consequences of an error
Brainstorming public campaign ideas may need little internal context. Preparing a customer account summary can involve restricted records and operational decisions. Assess the information required and how the result will be used.
- What information does the task require?
- Who is permitted to see that information?
- What could happen if the output is wrong or disclosed?
- Can a person check the result before it changes anything?
Ask where processing and storage happen
Specify where inference runs, which sources are retrieved, how access is enforced, where records are stored, and whether external tools or support paths exist. A locally hosted model addresses one of those decisions. A hosted service also needs its settings, terms, and data routes assessed for the intended work.
Budget for operation as well as setup
Local infrastructure can provide control over execution and storage. Someone must also manage capacity, access, updates, backups, evaluation, and recovery. Compare those costs with implementation, content maintenance, human review, support, and platform or model charges.
Low-sensitivity individual tasks
An approved general-purpose tool may be sufficient where the content and output do not require a specialized workflow.
Repeated knowledge questions
A scoped assistant may help when a maintained source library and consistent answers justify setup and evaluation.
Restricted operational work
A defined workflow and deployment review become important when records, tool actions, or consequential decisions require specific controls.
Use a pilot to test the cost of finishing the work
Choose a recurring task with examples and an available reviewer. Agree the output-quality and effort criteria before building. The pilot should show whether the improvement justifies ongoing operation, including checks, corrections, and failures.