AI Starting-Point Checklist for Business Leaders

Business Priority

Start with the result the business needs—not the AI tool being promoted.

We can name one measurable business result we want to improve in the next 90 days.The priority matters to leadership and to the team responsible for the work.We know the current baseline and how improvement will be measured.

Workflow Value

Choose work with enough repetition, friction and business importance to justify attention.

We can identify a repeated, time-consuming workflow that creates a real bottleneck.The workflow has reasonably stable steps and enough volume to make improvement meaningful.Recovering capacity would benefit customers, margin, growth or team wellbeing.

Data Readiness

AI can only help responsibly when the required information is usable and appropriately controlled.

The required information is accurate enough, accessible and relevant to the workflow.We know which systems hold the information and who owns access to it.We understand which confidential, personal or regulated data must not enter public AI tools.

Risk and Ownership

Clear accountability and human oversight should exist before experimentation expands.

One accountable leader owns the outcome, adoption, security and human review.Staff understand which AI tools are approved and what information they may use.High-impact outputs and decisions will be reviewed by qualified people.

Measurable Success

A useful pilot has a finish line, evidence and a clear decision at the end.

We have defined a small pilot with a clear owner, scope and end date.We can measure impact using time, quality, cost, capacity, revenue or another business metric.We know what evidence would justify expanding, pausing or stopping the investment.

AI Starting-Point Checklist

Business Priority

Workflow Value

Data Readiness

Risk and Ownership

Measurable Success

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