AI Planning for SMEs: A 4-Stage Framework
How to find, score, cost, and test automation opportunities in your business. A practical framework that takes you from "we should do something with AI" to measurable results.
The Gap Between AI Interest and AI Results
The problem isn't AI adoption. It's that most businesses skip the planning stage entirely - jumping from "we should do something with AI" straight to buying tools.
A 4-Stage Framework You Can Use Today
Each stage narrows the focus. You start broad and finish with one process to test.
Discover
Use four lenses to find every candidate process in your business
Score
Rate each one on impact and feasibility to find your best opportunities
Cost
Map your top processes step by step and calculate what they really cost
Test
Pick one. Run an 8-week pilot. Measure the results. Decide what's next.
Discover: Four Lenses
Ask your department heads these questions. Capture everything - don't filter yet.
Repetition
What follows the same steps every time?
Examples: Monthly reports, Invoice processing, Email queries
Handoffs
Where does info move between people/systems?
Examples: Quotations, Meeting notes → CRM, Call notes → CRM
Frustration
What do people avoid or struggle with?
Examples: Scheduling meetings, Staff PRs & one-to-ones
Missing Work
What should you be doing but aren't?
Examples: Client feedback requests, Supplier reviews
Real Example: The Handoffs Lens
Environmental Consultancy - 30 employees
We asked: "What happens to a survey from collection to client report?"
What we found: 4 manual handoffs, ~8 hours per survey.
After automation: Turnaround dropped from 2 days to 20 minutes.
Score: Rate and Rank
Score each process 1-5 on four criteria. Total out of 20. The numbers decide your shortlist.
Time Saved
Hours per month this would save
1 = <1hr | 5 = 20+ hrs
Error Impact
What happens when it goes wrong
1 = Minor | 5 = Costs money
People Affected
How many people or customers this touches
1 = One person | 5 = Many
Data Readiness
Is the data already in digital systems?
1 = Paper only | 5 = All digital
Priority Levels
Your shortlist: Take your top 5-10 scorers forward to the Cost stage.
Cost: Map the Real Cost
Map your shortlisted processes step by step. The maths is simple but the result is often shocking.
The Formula
Time per step × Hourly rate = Cost per occurrence
Cost per occurrence × Monthly frequency × 12 = Annual cost
Worked Example: Creating Quotations
Scored 17/20 (Quick Win)
| # | Step | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Client request received via email | 2 mins |
| 2 | Look up previous quotes in shared drive | 10 mins |
| 3 | Check stock/availability in system | 5 mins |
| 4 | Build quote in Excel template | 15 mins |
| 5 | Get manager approval via email | Wait + 5 mins |
| 6 | Format and send to client | 5 mins |
| Total per quotation | 42 minutes | |
The Annual Cost Calculation
42 mins × 30 quotes/month = 1,260 mins/month = 21 hours/month
21 hours × 12 months = 252 hours/year
252 hours × £25/hr = £6,300 per year
Test: Run an 8-Week Pilot
Our worked example: quotation creation scored 17/20 and costs £6,300/year. That's our pilot candidate.
Define
- Pick ONE process
- Measure the baseline: time, errors, cost
- Document requirements
Build & Test
- Build the solution
- Test with a small group
- Iterate on feedback
- Don't aim for perfect
Measure & Decide
- Compare against baseline
- Calculate actual ROI
- Decide: scale it, adjust it, or move to the next one
The 5 Most Common AI Planning Mistakes
Starting with the technology
Buying tools before understanding the problem
Trying to automate everything at once
Scope creep kills momentum - pick one process
No baseline metrics
If you don't measure before, you can't prove value after
Ignoring the people side
Change management matters as much as the technology
Never calculating the real cost
Most businesses have never costed a manual process
Discover Tab
Four lenses with prompt questions and space for your team's input
Score Tab
Auto-scoring matrix that calculates priority levels and highlights Quick Wins
Map & Cost Tab
Step-by-step process mapping with automatic cost calculation
Pilot Tab
8-week plan template with baseline metrics and decision framework
Want Help Running This Framework?
We offer free 30-minute assessment calls to help you work through the four lenses with your team and identify which processes are realistically automatable.