AI Readiness
Scorecard
For Mid-Market Industrial Teams
Most AI projects fail before they start. Not because the technology is bad — because the operation wasn't ready for it. This scorecard tells you exactly where you stand before you spend a dollar.
What It Is
Seven categories. Ten questions per category. A total of 70 questions, scored 0–1 each. The output is a 0–70 readiness score, a category breakdown, and a personalized next-step recommendation.
It's the same mental model as the Binary Decision Scorecard — applied one step earlier. Instead of scoring a decision, it scores your organization's readiness to make AI decisions at all.
The 7 Categories
Each category reveals a different layer of AI readiness.
Data
Is operational data captured, accessible, and clean enough for AI to use?
Systems
Do your current tools talk to each other, or are decisions stuck in disconnected silos?
Processes
Are repeatable tasks documented, or do they live in people's heads?
People
Does your team have the capacity and willingness to adopt new tools, or is change resistance high?
Leadership
Does leadership align on AI priorities, or is every department pulling in different directions?
Budget
Is there allocated budget for AI investment, or is it 'we'll see if it works'?
Risk Tolerance
Can your business absorb a failed pilot, or is every initiative a bet-the-company move?
What Your Score Means
Every tier has a clear, constructive next step. No shame. Just signal.
You have the foundation. AI investments will produce measurable results within 90 days. Prioritize sequencing.
You have enough foundation for a focused pilot. Fix 2–3 specific gaps first, then deploy narrowly.
AI tools will fail or waste money until core systems and processes are in place. Do not skip to AI yet.
You're earlier than you realize. Focus on the fundamentals for 6–12 months before considering AI investment.
How to Use It
Before any AI vendor conversation
Run it yourself first. Share your score with whoever is selling you AI. If they don't ask about your readiness, that's your answer.
As pre-work for an AI Opportunity Workshop
Workshop clients take the scorecard before the session. The agenda then addresses your specific weak categories. Higher value, better outcomes.
Every 90 days
Readiness changes. Re-run this quarterly to measure the gap between where you are and where the tools require you to be.
Take the Scorecard
7 categories. 70 yes/no questions. About 6 minutes. Get your score, your category breakdown, and a personalized next step.
Free · ~6 minutes · No login required
You're ready for the Binary Audit.
A Tier 35+ score means you have enough foundation to run a focused pilot. The Binary Audit takes that one step further — 60 minutes, one specific decision, a 1-page brief you can take anywhere. $250, all of it to the Houston Food Bank.