Select for the task
Compare model suitability against representative tasks, latency, privacy requirements and operating cost. Agree the provider and deployment configuration.
Understand the model.
Engineer the system around it.
An LLM is one component in an enterprise implementation. The surrounding context, permissions, tools, evaluation and operation determine what the system can reliably do.
Make model behaviour part of the design.
Ground the context
Define approved knowledge and retrieval boundaries. Keep the source, freshness and permission model connected to the answer.
Constrain tool use
Use explicit tool contracts, allowlisted actions and validated inputs. Keep consequential actions behind an agreed human approval step.
Evaluate the work
Assess task completion, source support, uncertainty, unsafe instructions and failure handling. Use regression cases when the system changes.
Design for failure
Define when to abstain, ask for clarification, retry or escalate. A fluent answer is not enough to establish correctness.
Operate deliberately
Monitor quality, latency, usage and failures. Set budgets, release controls and incident ownership before wider rollout.
A reviewable implementation.
RequirementsModel & contextTools & controlsEvaluationProduction operation
Architecture and provider choices are scoped to your environment. Controls are verified during implementation rather than assumed from the model.