The wrong question
The most common question business owners ask me is: “Where do I start with AI?”. The answer they don’t want to hear: “Start with your processes, not with tools.”
Why most AI implementations fail
Italian SMEs introduce AI on unstructured processes. They buy a tool, install it on top of the way they have always worked, and wait for things to improve. They don’t — or they improve briefly, then go back to the previous state.
The three questions before any implementation
1. Is this process documented?
If the way something is done exists only in one person’s head, AI can’t help you. First you write the process, then you automate it.
2. Is the input data clean and consistent?
AI works on the data you give it. If the data is inconsistent or duplicated, the output will be unusable.
3. Who is responsible for this process?
If nobody knows who “runs” a process, nobody will know how to manage the AI that supports it.
The right entry point
The best place to start isn’t the most complex process. It’s the most repetitive one, with the cleanest data and a dedicated person. For many SMEs: handling standard requests, periodic reports, document classification.
What to do this week
Identify the most repetitive process in your company. Document it: the steps, the input data, who runs it, where the output ends up. Then come and talk to me about it.
Talk to us
30 minutes. No commitment. Real results.
Tell us where you’re stuck. We’ll tell you if we can help — and how. Right away.