A copilot that impresses in a demo and a copilot that survives finance review are two very different products. The second one has a number attached to it — and a defensible path to that number.
Start by scoping to a single, measurable job: a task with a known hourly cost, a clear volume, and an owner who feels the pain. Vague 'productivity' claims die in procurement; 'we cut 120 support hours a month' does not.
Bake in guardrails from day one — evals, human-in-the-loop review, and observability — so risk questions have answers before they're asked. This is what turns a promising prototype into something a CFO will sign off on.
Ship the smallest version that proves the number, then expand. Momentum beats ambition when budget is on the line.