33 · Production Checklist

This is a production checklist for enterprise AI agents: build it right, test it hard, run it safely and optimize continuously. Use it to go from POC to production to scale.

How it works

1. 1Pick the right model and configure prompts/instructions clearly.
2. 2Design tools well and manage memory/context (short-term, long-term, RAG).
3. 3Add workflow orchestration, security & governance, and observability/monitoring.
4. 4Run evaluation & testing (golden datasets, regression tests) before deploying.
5. 5Deploy with CI/CD and pass quality gates (functionality, accuracy, safety, latency, cost).

Key points

• Quality gates: functionality, accuracy, safety/compliance, performance, cost, reliability.
• Don't forget: cost controls, guardrails, observability and testing.
• Golden rule: start simple, measure everything, improve continuously, scale responsibly.
• A great agent isn't just smart — it's reliable, secure, observable and cost-efficient.

Why it matters

Most agents die between POC and production. A checklist ensures you cover security, evaluation, cost and reliability before shipping — the gap that separates demos from products.

Frequently asked questions

What are quality gates?

Pass/fail checks — functionality, accuracy, safety, performance, cost, reliability — before an agent goes live.

What's the golden rule?

Start simple, measure everything, improve continuously and scale responsibly.