Lesson 7.3 · D7 Troubleshooting & Optimization · 5 min
Optimise AI workflows for efficiency
Fix the workflow, not just the latest output.
What the exam tests
Choosing the change that removes recurring effort across a team.
Key ideas
- Recurring fixes are a signal
- If people make the same edits every week, put the fix into the template, Project instructions or a reusable skill.
- Standardise inputs and outputs
- Consistent data exports and fixed output templates cut reformatting and checking time.
- Find where time goes
- Measure which steps (cleaning data, reformatting, re-checking) take longest before changing anything.
- Look downstream
- If drafts are fast but approvals or legal review stall, involve those teams in designing the template.
- Share what works
- One maintained template or Project for a team beats five private prompts.
Worked example
Five people rewrite a similar weekly report prompt from scratch.
Weaker
Ask each person to keep refining their own prompt.
Stronger
Capture the best prompt as a shared template or Project instructions with an example report.
Why: It removes duplicated effort and makes output consistent.
Common traps
- Removing review to save time.
- Producing more drafts when the bottleneck is approvals.
Remember
Same fix twice → build it into the workflow.