How to Run an AI Assessment for Your Business

Before you invest in artificial intelligence, you need to know where you stand and where to start. That is the whole point of a company AI assessment: turning a fuzzy topic into a concrete, prioritized roadmap. Here is a concise method that works for any SMB or mid-market company.

In two minutes, Erwan Simon, CEO of GENIAL and an AI expert accredited by Bpifrance (France's public investment bank), walks through the AI assessment approach described in this article.

What is a company AI assessment?

An AI assessment is a structured process that measures your organization's AI maturity across several dimensions (strategy, data, tools, skills and culture) and then identifies the use cases that create the most value. It is not a technical audit. It is business scoping work that brings together leadership's vision, how teams actually feel and the reality of your processes.

Why run an AI assessment?

Without an assessment, most AI projects start from a trendy technology rather than a real need. The result: scattered initiatives, low adoption and a hard time paying off. An assessment lets you:

• measure your maturity objectively and compare it with your industry;
• prioritize use cases by feasibility and ROI;
• get a handle on Shadow AI by surfacing the informal uses already in place;
• align leadership and operations around a shared roadmap.

The 6 steps of a successful AI assessment

1. Scope the project

Define the scope, the goals and the stakeholders. A short kickoff is enough to set out what is at stake and the timeline.

2. Gather leadership's vision

An interview with executive leadership clarifies strategic priorities, constraints and AI ambitions. That is the direction that will guide prioritization.

3. Launch the employee survey

An anonymous questionnaire measures actual AI use, perception, obstacles and skill levels. It brings pain points and internal champions to the surface.

4. Interview managers

On-the-ground interviews identify time-consuming tasks and automation opportunities, one function at a time. This is where most use cases come from.

5. Score and prioritize use cases

Each use case is scored on two dimensions: feasibility (technical, data, compliance, adoption) and ROI (time, costs, quality, revenue). Crossing the two brings out the quick wins and the larger strategic projects. For inspiration, see the 10 AI use cases with the highest ROI for SMBs.

6. Present the findings and build the roadmap

The readout brings together the maturity score, the prioritization matrix and a 3-, 6- and 12-month roadmap, with prerequisites and owners.

How long does it take, and what do you get?

An online self-assessment gives you a first score in 5 minutes. A full guided assessment takes 4 to 8 weeks and produces a maturity report, the employee survey results, a use case prioritization matrix and an AI roadmap.

In-house or guided AI assessment?

For a first read, a self-assessment run in-house is enough to see where you stand. Outside support brings a proven method, a neutral eye and an industry benchmark that make trade-offs safer and get you to action faster.

Take the next step

The best way to start is still to measure your starting point. In a few minutes, the GENIAL self-assessment gives you a maturity score and prioritized use cases for your industry. To go further, see what an AI assessment gives a business leader.