Skip to content
English - United States
Schedule Consultation
  • There are no suggestions because the search field is empty.

Where Should a Business Start With AI and Automation?

Where Should a Business Start With AI and Automation?

A business should start with AI and automation by identifying real business problems rather than selecting technology first.

Look for repetitive work, inefficient processes, information bottlenecks and opportunities where a manageable improvement could create measurable value.

You don't need a massive AI transformation initiative to get started.

A much better first objective is often:

One problem. One workflow. One team. One measurable improvement.

Should a Business Choose an AI Platform First?

Usually not.

It's easy to begin an AI initiative by asking:

“Should we use ChatGPT?”

“Should we buy Microsoft Copilot?”

“Do we need AI agents?”

Those questions begin with the technology rather than the business need.

Instead, ask:

What are we trying to make better?

Once the objective is clear, the appropriate technology becomes much easier to evaluate.

Find Out How Employees Are Already Using AI

AI adoption may already be underway.

Some employees may be experimenting with ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot or other tools. Others may have found ways to automate parts of their work.

Understanding that activity can reveal both risks and opportunities.

Useful questions include:

  • Where are employees already using AI?
  • What problems are they trying to solve?
  • What repetitive work consumes unnecessary time?
  • Where is information difficult to find?
  • Where are people manually moving information between systems?
  • What experiments are already producing useful results?

Employees closest to a process often recognize opportunities before leadership does.

Look for Business Friction

Rather than asking employees to invent “AI use cases,” look for friction in their everyday work.

Where do people say:

“There has to be a better way to do this.”

Good opportunities may involve repetitive administrative work, document analysis, information retrieval, manual data movement, reporting, knowledge access or other processes consuming disproportionate time.

Not every problem uncovered will require AI.

That's a good thing.

The appropriate solution might be an existing feature employees aren't using, process improvement, integration, traditional automation or AI.

Should Businesses Start Small With AI?

In many cases, yes.

A focused project can help the organization learn while limiting complexity and creating an opportunity to demonstrate value.

Starting small does not mean thinking small.

It means creating an opportunity to learn what works before expanding the approach more broadly.

What Makes a Good First AI or Automation Project?

Good early opportunities generally share several characteristics.

The business problem is understood. Employees can explain the current process. Improvement would create meaningful value. The scope is manageable. Results can be evaluated. The risk is appropriate for the organization's current AI maturity.

The objective isn't to find the most impressive AI project.

It's to find a useful one.

What About AI Governance?

Governance should develop alongside adoption.

Businesses don't need to make experimentation impossibly complicated, but employees should understand which tools are approved, what information can be used and when a use case needs additional review.

As AI begins accessing sensitive information, connecting to business systems or becoming operationally important, governance should increase accordingly.

How Does Mentis Help Businesses Get Started With AI?

Mentis approaches AI as part of the broader technology strategy of the business.

We help organizations understand where they are today, where technology may create value, and where security or governance needs attention.

From there, AI and automation opportunities can be evaluated against actual business priorities rather than the latest technology trend.

AI is a business opportunity with technology consequences.

The business owns the problem.

The technology strategy helps create the path forward.

Related Articles

Not sure where AI can create meaningful value in your business? Mentis Group can help identify practical opportunities, understand the risks and develop a path forward that fits your organization.

Have a question about your own environment? Schedule a consultation with Mentis Group or call (866) 901-7808.