The SME owner’s AI readiness checklist
A practical guide for operators who want a clear return—not another technology experiment.
Start with the cost, not the technology
The strongest AI projects begin with a repeated, measurable constraint. Look for scrap, downtime, manual hours or missed revenue that already has an owner and a number.
Test the smallest useful hypothesis
A proof of concept should answer one question using your actual data. It is not a miniature version of every feature you might want.
Good AI strategy is disciplined operations strategy—with better instruments.
Define success before building
Agree the baseline, target and who will act on the output. If the team cannot change a decision when the model speaks, it cannot create value.