Source: [Original HTML page](https://stolenorbit.com/en/resources/how-to-introduce-ai-in-your-business/)

Language: English

A PRACTICAL BUSINESS GUIDE

# How to introduce AI in your business, one process at a time.

The first step is not choosing a model. Find work that is useful enough to improve, bounded enough to evaluate and owned by someone who can assess the result. This guide proposes a practical approach for a business starting from zero.

[By Stolen Orbit](https://stolenorbit.com/en/about/) Updated 24 September 2026

## 1\. Start with work that creates friction today.

[Source for this section](https://stolenorbit.com/en/resources/how-to-introduce-ai-in-your-business/#starting-point)

Ask the person doing the work to describe a case from beginning to end. Record what arrives, which tools they use, where they copy information and which exceptions need help. Observe real cases, including those that go wrong.

Establish a baseline: volume, working minutes, waiting time, corrections and final outcome. Do not confuse elapsed time with active work. An order waiting a day for confirmation does not represent a day of recoverable labour.

## 2\. Compare candidates before choosing.

[Source for this section](https://stolenorbit.com/en/resources/how-to-introduce-ai-in-your-business/#selection)

Scroll the table to compare all columns.

A first-project decision worksheet

| Criterion | A promising starting point | Reason to stop or narrow the scope |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Frequency and effort | The task recurs and current effort is measurable. | Volume is occasional or recoverable time is negligible. |
| Available data | Accessible examples can be used for the trial. | Essential data is missing or not authorised for the intended use. |
| Verifiability | A person can distinguish correct and incorrect outputs. | The result looks plausible but no one can validate it. |
| Error consequences | Drafts can be corrected before an action occurs. | Errors have effects that are hard to detect or reverse. |
| Ownership | An owner has time for tests, feedback and exceptions. | There is no operational owner. |

This is a decision aid proposed by Stolen Orbit, not a scientific score. High volume should not offset a serious gap in data access, control or ownership.

## 3\. Check whether you actually need AI.

[Source for this section](https://stolenorbit.com/en/resources/how-to-introduce-ai-in-your-business/#solution)

For copying structured fields or applying known rules, compare native product features and conventional automation first. AI may be useful for interpreting free text, retrieving relevant content or preparing a variable draft.

Define the outcome independently of a tool: “prepare order draft fields and flag uncertainty” is more useful than “install an agent”. It helps compare approaches and identify where the solution is helping.

## 4\. Write a brief the team can approve.

[Source for this section](https://stolenorbit.com/en/resources/how-to-introduce-ai-in-your-business/#brief)

Record decisions for the relevant specialists to review: personal or confidential data, provider contracts, information retention and intended use. A technical pilot does not automatically resolve these questions.

-   Objective and boundaries: what is included and what stays outside.
-   Inputs, tools, permissions and rules for using data.
-   Expected output, with examples of correct, incomplete and unacceptable results.
-   The process owner, reviewer and technical contact.
-   Initial and recurring cost, internal time and a maximum trial budget.
-   Evaluation date, metrics and stop conditions.

## 5\. Use a sample that can prove the idea wrong.

[Source for this section](https://stolenorbit.com/en/resources/how-to-introduce-ai-in-your-business/#testing)

Include ordinary, incomplete, ambiguous and out-of-scope cases. Cover the languages, formats and sources the project will use. Keep configuration examples separate from the cases used to evaluate the final version.

Before testing, define how outputs will be assessed: correct fields, critical errors, review time, rework and cost per case. A small sample can reveal problems; it cannot establish reliability across every future case.

An example criterion to adapt: no sending without approval during the pilot; unknown product codes go to review; total effort includes correction and exceptions. Quality thresholds depend on the consequences of an error.

## 6\. Decide whether to introduce, revise or stop.

[Source for this section](https://stolenorbit.com/en/resources/how-to-introduce-ai-in-your-business/#decision)

Compare the result with the existing method on the same types of case. If review cancels out the recovered time or cost is unsustainable, narrow the scope or stop the trial. That is a useful decision, not a reason to expand blindly.

If criteria are met, introduce the system gradually with an owner, a manual fallback and a review schedule. Teach the team when not to use it. Record versions, exceptions and changes that require new tests.

FROM IDEAS TO A BRIEF

## A template to work from.

[Source for this section](https://stolenorbit.com/en/resources/how-to-introduce-ai-in-your-business/#downloads)

### First AI pilot brief

An editable Markdown template for your process, data, owners and go/no-go criteria.

[Download the Markdown template](https://stolenorbit.com/downloads/ai-pilot-brief-en.md)

## Practical questions

[Source for this section](https://stolenorbit.com/en/resources/how-to-introduce-ai-in-your-business/#faq)

**How do we get the team to use AI?**

Involve the people doing the work in choosing the problem and testing the solution. Show the input, output, limits and correction process. Assess usefulness within their daily workflow and give them learning time instead of measuring only how many people open a tool.

**Should we buy software or build a custom solution?**

Compare an existing feature against the actual requirement first. A dedicated solution may make sense when essential integrations, controls or steps are missing. Include maintenance, provider dependence and the cost of leaving or changing the solution.

**What should we bring to an initial conversation?**

A process description, the tools used, approximate volume and examples stripped of unnecessary confidential information. If you do not know timing or cost yet, start by identifying what to measure before defining the project.

## References and method

[Source for this section](https://stolenorbit.com/en/resources/how-to-introduce-ai-in-your-business/#sources)

[NIST — AI Risk Management Framework 1.0: Core](https://airc.nist.gov/airmf-resources/airmf/5-sec-core/)

The NIST framework addresses responsibilities, context, measurement and ongoing risk management. It is a methodological reference; this guide is a practical proposal from Stolen Orbit, not a certification.

EXPLORE FURTHER

[AI implementation](https://stolenorbit.com/en/services/ai-implementation/)

[Business process automation](https://stolenorbit.com/en/services/business-process-automation/)

[AI implementation costs](https://stolenorbit.com/en/resources/ai-implementation-costs/)

[Prepare data for AI by checking one process, not the entire archive.](https://stolenorbit.com/en/resources/data-readiness-for-ai/)

[A useful AI brief describes the work to improve and the tests to pass.](https://stolenorbit.com/en/resources/ai-project-vendor-brief/)

[Build or buy AI: compare the complete business process.](https://stolenorbit.com/en/resources/build-or-buy-ai/)

[From AI pilot to production: increase exposure with concrete evidence.](https://stolenorbit.com/en/resources/rolling-out-ai-safely/)

[Choose a first project you can evaluate.](https://stolenorbit.com/en/tools/ai-project-prioritizer/)

[All practical guides](https://stolenorbit.com/en/resources/)

## Which process should improve first?

[Source for this section](https://stolenorbit.com/en/resources/how-to-introduce-ai-in-your-business/#growth-closing-heading)

Bring one specific task, the tools you use and the point where work gets stuck. We can define what is needed to assess a first project.

[Let’s discuss your process](https://stolenorbit.com/en/contact/)

## Turn the question into a next step.

-   [Automation assessment](https://stolenorbit.com/en/automation-assessment/)
-   [AI project vendor brief](https://stolenorbit.com/en/resources/ai-project-vendor-brief/)
-   [AI implementation](https://stolenorbit.com/en/services/ai-implementation/)