Begin with the business problem
Ask where the team spends the most time each week, which steps are missed, where customers wait and which data is copied between systems.
A concrete workflow such as how a website enquiry is classified, assigned and followed up is easier to design and measure than a broad goal such as using AI to improve sales.
Four criteria for the first AI project
A good pilot has clear boundaries, enough repetition, accessible data and a practical human review step.
- Value: saves time, lowers errors or improves customer experience
- Feasibility: current data and tools can support a test
- Risk: the team can pause, correct and take over
- Measurement: there is a baseline such as time, omissions or response speed
Common pilot directions for SMEs
A service company might start with enquiry classification and reply drafts. An administrative team can test document extraction. Management can compile weekly reports, while marketing can build a topic-to-approval content workflow.
This does not hand an entire job to AI. AI usually organises and drafts, while employees handle judgement, exceptions and customer relationships.
How should a pilot be measured?
Record current time, cost, errors and volume before launch. Compare the same measures after the pilot and collect staff feedback and exceptions. A workflow has not succeeded if it merely moves work to another person or creates excessive review.
A successful project can expand gradually. A weak result should be fixed or stopped, without forcing adoption simply because a tool has already been purchased.