AI value appears only when users route real work through the new system. A workflow can have strong automation potential and still miss targets if adoption stalls, reviewer load rises, or frontline teams keep using the old path.

Model adoption as an operating curve with cohorts, training events, workflow eligibility, satisfaction, abandonment, and escalation patterns. Connect each adoption stage to expected value and support cost.

The economics review should ask whether the workflow is earning more trusted usage over time. If adoption is flat, the next investment is usually enablement, UX, policy simplification, or source quality—not another model upgrade.