What is an AI audit, and does your small business need one?

Short version: an AI audit, sometimes called an AI assessment, is a structured look at your business to find where AI can save time and money, with the savings costed so you can decide what is worth doing.

What it is

Not a sales pitch for software, and not a 40-page strategy document. A good AI audit does three things: finds the one bottleneck holding the business back, lists the handful of quick wins that would free the most time, and puts a pound figure on each so you can see the return before you spend anything.

What a good one contains

Expect: the main thing slowing you down; six or so quick wins, each as a problem and a fix; the specific tools to use, with monthly cost and setup time; a short plan you can start this week; and the bigger projects to phase in later. Every saving should be worked out on your own numbers, not a generic promise.

Do you need one?

If you already know exactly where AI fits and have time to set it up, probably not. If you keep hearing you should be using AI but have no idea where to start, an audit saves you weeks of trial and error and stops you buying tools you do not need.

DIY or paid?

You can do it yourself: our guide on DIY AI audit vs buying one walks through the method. The paid version mainly buys you speed and a second opinion from someone a step ahead.

Grafto's AI Tools Report is exactly this, automated: a short questionnaire in, a costed nine-slide plan out, within minutes, for £59.99, credited against any build if you want us to set the quick wins up for you.

Questions, or want a tool we don't have yet? Email hello@grafto.co.uk — a real person replies.