The prompt has not changed, so the team assumes the workflow is the same. Meanwhile, the tool has changed, reference documents have been updated and the intake form supplies different fields.
Photo by Fotis Fotopoulos on Unsplash.
Retest when a change could affect inputs, decisions, outputs or permitted actions. Keep the scope proportionate, but record what changed and which checks establish that the revised workflow remains usable.
Maintain a trigger list
Use this checklist during updates:
Tool or model changes the supplier exposes.
Prompt, examples or output-format changes.
New or revised source documents.
Different input types, categories or languages.
Connected-system or field-definition changes.
New permissions, approvals or downstream actions.
Suppliers do not necessarily expose every underlying change. Record that limitation and use periodic output checks to complement event-driven testing. Do not promise complete reproducibility when the available information cannot support it.
Match testing to affected behaviour
If a service description changes, check answers about that service and conflicting older sources. If a classification category changes, check boundary cases between old and new categories.
Keep a core set of previous failure cases too. A narrow improvement should not silently reintroduce an error already resolved. Include the human handoff if the changed output affects what reviewers see.
Agree the release decision first
Write down what must pass, which failures stop release and who can accept a remaining limitation. Otherwise a team excited about a feature may move the acceptance line after seeing results.
For an illustrative enquiry workflow, a new version might improve tone while misrouting existing-client requests. The routing failure matters even if the average writing score improves.
Save source versions, instructions, available tool details and case results. Distinguish an observed change from a recollection.
Prepare a fallback
Decide what happens if the revised workflow fails. Options include returning to a supported configuration, narrowing scope or preparing drafts manually. Do not assume an older model remains available.
Related guidance: guide to mapping the work before changing it.
