How to choose your first business AI project
Start small, define success and test with real examples. A practical guide to selecting an AI pilot for your business.
Start with a task, not a model
Look for work your team repeats: finding the right policy, summarising a document or sorting an incoming request. Write down the current steps, who completes them and where delays happen. A clearly defined task is easier to test than a broad ambition to “use AI”.
Check the information
Identify the documents or systems the task depends on. Consider whether the information is current, who owns it and who is permitted to see it. If the source material is inconsistent, a pilot may first need work on the information itself.
Decide what success means
Choose an observable outcome, such as less time spent finding a document or fewer manual routing steps. Include quality: a quicker answer is not useful if people need to correct it every time.
Keep a person responsible
Agree who reviews outputs and what happens when the tool is uncertain. Start with assistance rather than automatically taking important actions. Test unusual inputs as well as the examples you expect to work.
Use the pilot to make a decision
A pilot should tell you whether to proceed, revise the scope or stop. Consider operating costs, maintenance and user feedback alongside the demonstration. Red Nova can help discuss bespoke tools, workflow automation and knowledge assistants.