Your Pre-Investment Checklist

Before committing budget to any AI initiative, work through these ten questions. Honest answers can save significant time and money.

Question 1: What Specific Problem Are We Solving?

If you can't articulate the problem in one sentence, you're not ready. "Implement AI" is not a problem statement. "Reduce customer service response time by 50%" is.

Question 2: How Do We Solve This Problem Today?

Understanding the current state reveals true complexity. Sometimes the current solution is fine. Sometimes the problem is organizational, not technological.

Question 3: What Data Do We Have?

AI requires data. Do you have it? Is it accessible? Is it clean enough? Is it sufficient in volume? Many projects die at this question.

Question 4: Who Will Use This?

End users determine success. Have you consulted them? Are they eager or resistant? Do they trust technology? Will they need training?

Question 5: What Does Success Look Like?

Define measurable outcomes before starting. How will you know if the project succeeded? What metrics matter?

Question 6: What Could Go Wrong?

List failure modes honestly. Technical failures, adoption failures, integration failures, vendor failures. What's your contingency for each?

Question 7: What Are the True Costs?

Include everything:

License and subscription fees
Implementation and integration
Training and change management
Ongoing maintenance and updates
Internal time and attention costs

Question 8: What Are We Not Doing Instead?

Every investment has opportunity cost. What other initiatives compete for these resources? Is AI the best use of available budget and attention?

Question 9: Can We Start Small?

Pilot projects reduce risk. Can this initiative begin with a limited scope before full commitment? What would a minimal viable test look like?

Question 10: Do We Need External Guidance?

Honest self-assessment: Do you have enough expertise internally to evaluate options objectively? Or would independent perspective help?

Using These Questions

Work through these with your team. Where answers are weak or missing, you've found gaps to address before proceeding. The goal isn't to stop AI initiatives—it's to ensure they succeed.

AI First Step can help you work through these questions with independent perspective, ensuring you're prepared before significant investment.

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