MCCM Wiki
System of record vs AI scratchpad
A system of record is where the company stores official state with permissions and history. An AI scratchpad is where people explore drafts. Mixing them creates decisions nobody can audit and data nobody can delete cleanly.
If the only place a price, approval, or customer commitment lives is inside a chat thread, you do not have a process. You have a dependency on a vendor UI.
Scratchpad jobs
Brainstorming, first drafts, summarizing a long paste, comparing options. Useful. Temporary. Outputs must graduate into CRM, ERP, ticket, or document control if they matter.
System of record jobs
Orders, tickets, HR files, signed contracts, financial totals. These need access control, retention, and export. Generative AI may assist at the edge. It should not become the database.
Practical rule for teams
Ask: if this chat disappeared tomorrow, would we lose an official fact? If yes, copy the approved result into the system of record the same day. Reviewers sign off there, not in the model UI.
Why this fails in growth mode
Founders move fast in ChatGPT. Then diligence asks for the decision trail. Build the habit early: scratchpad to record with a named owner. Pair with GDPR-safe AI workflows when personal data is involved.
MCCM stance
Our pilots always name the system of record and the scratchpad boundary in the workflow doc. That boundary is part of done.
Related
Data pipeline · Prompt workflow · What an AI audit should deliver