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AI Readiness Checklist for UK SMEs
Twenty honest questions across data, people, strategy and risk. Score yourself, see which of four tiers you fall into, and get a 30-day action plan written for that tier — not a generic "implement AI" pitch.
What is in the PDF
Twenty questions across four sections. Be honest with yourself: a low score now is far cheaper than a failed AI investment later.
Data & infrastructure
- Find a customer record in under 60 seconds
- Map every place your data actually lives
- Restore from a tested backup
- Document your top three business processes
- Reach your systems via cloud or API
People & culture
- Board-level AI conversation in the last 90 days
- Visibility on staff use of ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini
- A named AI champion in the team
- Honest read on workforce fear of replacement
- An annual training budget that is actually spent
Strategy & governance
- A one-sentence statement of business strategy
- A current top-five list of business problems
- A vendor contract reviewed in the last 12 months
- Working knowledge of GDPR Article 22
- Budget capacity to absorb a £10k experiment
Financial & risk
- A baseline cost per transaction, lead or customer
- Cost quantified for the top three time-wasting activities
- Cyber insurance in place and reviewed
- A 90-day operational fallback if a key system fails
- A written definition of project success
Scoring tiers
- 17–20 Yes — Highly prepared. Start a pilot.
- 12–16 Yes — Solid foundation. Address gaps first.
- 7–11 Yes — Work needed. Fix data and governance.
- 0–6 Yes — Not ready. Do not buy AI yet.
Free AI Readiness Checklist
Identify your operational readiness, risk exposure, and governance gaps before investing in AI.
Want Simon to walk through your score?
Book a free 30-minute call. Bring your answers and we will map the most cost-effective next three steps for your organisation.