AI Readiness Checklist

What’s inside

Use this checklist to pick the right first AI workflow and avoid the common reasons pilots fail: unclear goals, messy inputs, no baseline and no one responsible for the result. Tick each item you can answer with a confident yes. Anything left unticked is your to-do list before you buy a tool.

1. 01Pick the right task5 checks

   • We can name one specific, recurring task to improve, not "use AI" in general.
   • The task happens often enough to matter (daily or weekly, not once a quarter).
   • + 3 more in the PDF

2. 02Know how it works today5 checks

   • We have written down the current steps, tools and people involved.
   • We know where the inputs come from (email, forms, documents, calls, chat).
   • + 3 more in the PDF

3. 03Measure before you start5 checks

   • We know how many times the task happens per week or month.
   • We know roughly how long each one takes today.
   • + 3 more in the PDF

4. 04Keep people in charge5 checks

   • One named person owns the workflow and its results.
   • We have decided which outputs a person must check before they are sent or saved.
   • + 3 more in the PDF

5. 05Protect data and control cost5 checks

   • We know what data the tool will see and have removed what it does not need.
   • We have checked the vendor's data handling: storage location, retention and whether data is used for training.
   • + 3 more in the PDF

Includes a simple score: ready to pilot, almost ready, or start with the process. For the full method, read where your business should start with AI.