How I Decide If a Business Is Ready

My practical readiness test for leaders considering AI: a defined workflow, usable data, clear ownership, sensible controls and a measurable outcome.

I begin with the workflow

I do not start by asking which AI tool a company should buy. I start with the work: who does it, what information they use, where delays occur and what outcome would be better.

Readiness requires an owner

A useful AI project needs a business owner who can define success and a technical owner who can maintain the system. Without ownership, pilots remain experiments and quality problems accumulate between teams.

Data access must be deliberate

The system needs enough reliable information to perform its job, but access should be limited to what the workflow requires. Identity, permissions, retention and sensitive-data boundaries belong in the design.

The first use case should be bounded

I prefer an initial workflow with measurable value, manageable integration and reversible consequences. A narrow, controlled use case teaches the organization more than an ambitious transformation plan.

Readiness is demonstrated through evidence

A business is ready to scale when people adopt the workflow, integrations remain reliable, controls work and a meaningful operating measure improves. Enthusiasm helps a project begin. Evidence should decide what happens next.