The AI Readiness Check: Is Your SME Ready for Artificial Intelligence?
By Marina Nerandzic
March 8, 2026
2 min read
Before an SME invests in AI, it should know how ready it is. An AI readiness check evaluates five key areas and provides a clear recommendation: Where do you stand today, and what do you need next?
The 5 pillars of AI maturity
- Data availability: Is your data digital, structured, and accessible? Or is it stuck in paper files and scattered Excel sheets?
- Process documentation: Are your business processes documented? AI can only automate what's defined.
- Technical infrastructure: Do you have cloud access, APIs to your core systems, and basic IT security?
- Team competence: Does the team have basic understanding of digitization? You don't need AI experts - but openness to new tools.
- Strategic alignment: Has management defined AI as a priority? Without management commitment, AI projects fail.
Typical maturity levels
Level 1 - Exploration: You've heard about AI and wonder if it's relevant for your company. Next step: potential analysis.
Level 2 - Ready for pilots: Your data is digital, processes are documented, the team is open. Next step: proof of concept for a specific use case.
Level 3 - Scaling: You have a successful AI pilot and want to automate more processes. Next step: AI roadmap and change management.
Our free AI Readiness Check
We've developed an interactive online check that evaluates all five areas in 3 minutes. At the end, you receive a maturity rating and concrete action recommendations - free and without registration. If you like, you can have a personalized roadmap sent to your email.
What comes after the check
Depending on maturity level, we recommend different next steps:
- Level 1: A no-obligation initial consultation where we jointly assess if and where AI makes sense for you.
- Level 2: A 2-day workshop identifying and prioritizing concrete use cases.
- Level 3: Direct pilot implementation of the most promising use case.