The AI Readiness Check: Is Your SME Ready for Artificial Intelligence?
By Marina Nerandzic
March 8, 2026
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.