An AI readiness assessment should end with a decision about a specific piece of work. “We should use more AI” is too broad to act on. “We want help drafting replies to new inquiries” gives you something to assess.
Use this template for one task at a time. Copy the prompts into a document and answer them in plain language. If you want a broader starting point, work through the free AI readiness checklist first. It includes an online guide and a printable PDF.
1. Describe the task and the current process
Task: What do you want help doing?
Trigger: What starts the work?
Current steps: How do you complete it today?
Frequency and time: How often does it happen, and how long does a typical example take?
Good result: What would you be happy to use or send?
Exceptions: When does the task need extra judgment?
Be specific about where the task ends. Drafting an email, approving it, and sending it are different steps. You may only need help with one of them.
2. Record what is ready and what needs work
For each area, record a status, one piece of evidence, and a next action. Use ready, needs work, or not sure. These are planning labels, not a validated maturity score.
- Task clarity: Can someone follow your description and recognize a successful result?
- Information: Are the relevant facts current, complete, and easy to find?
- Process: Are routine steps and exceptions written down?
- Access: Have you decided what information the tool can use and which actions require approval?
- Ownership: Is someone responsible for setup, review, and ongoing changes?
- Measurement: Can you compare the trial with the current process?
Use the same three-line format for each area:
Avoid filling in “ready” just to finish the exercise. “Not sure” is useful when it identifies a question you need to resolve before paying for a tool.
3. A worked example: following up on a quote
This is an illustrative example, not a client result.
Task: Prepare a short follow-up draft for a quote that has not received a response.
Current process: The owner opens the quote, checks the conversation, writes a message, and sends it manually.
Ready: The owner knows what a good follow-up looks like and can review every draft.
Needs work: Quote status is inconsistent. A system could suggest a follow-up for someone who already replied.
Next action: Keep quote status in one place. For the initial test, the owner chooses eligible quotes manually and asks for drafts using sample details.
Boundary: The tool does not send messages or change prices. The owner checks the recipient, quote details, tone, and whether a follow-up is appropriate.
Measure: Record drafting, review, and correction time. Compare the total with writing the message manually.
This assessment may lead to an AI drafting tool, a simple reminder system, or a cleaner manual process. Let the work determine the choice.
4. Write the decision before selecting software
Finish these sentences:
- We will test one specific task.
- Before we start, we need to resolve these gaps.
- The tool may use this information.
- A person must approve these actions.
- We will judge the trial using these measures.
- We will review the result on this date.
If you cannot define the task or check the result, narrow the scope. If the information is disorganized, make that the first improvement. If all six areas have a workable answer, use the first AI project guide to run a small trial.
When outside help is useful
You may know exactly where the friction is but need help connecting tools, organizing information, or training the people who use the process. That is the practical work Naveron helps small businesses with.
Bring your completed assessment to a conversation with us. It gives us a concrete starting point: what you do today, what you want to change, and what still needs an answer.