Evaluate before/after; keep the cheaper workflow only if quality holds
Run the same tasks on the baseline and optimized workflows, report every measured category plus quality, and accept the cheaper path only when the pass criteria still pass.
Step 1 of 4
Hold the tasks still
Use the same three tasks and acceptance checks for both workflows. For code tasks, start each attempt from a separate disposable copy of the same starting files; do not let the second workflow inherit the first solution. Keep your working project untouched. Use comparable fresh sessions unless session reuse is the specific change being tested.
Change one factor at a time where possible: brief, context selection, cache setup, bounds, or model. Record model/version, settings, and whether caches were cold or warm. If several factors changed together, report a workflow comparison rather than attributing the outcome to one technique.
Repeat when affordable, retain failures and retries, and disclose when you have only one pair. Offline learners use the supplied simulated pairs and state that real-world savings remain untested.