AI Readiness: Preparing Your Business for AI Integration

"Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you…."

Just because you discuss AI adoption, doesn't mean you're not being left behind. AI isn't a buzzword when applied; it's a tool for eliminating repetition, streamlining intelligence, and creating interconnected, efficient workflows.

However, it's talked to death. While executives nod through another AI panel and employees scroll past the fifteenth set of "Mind-Blowing AI Hacks" on X, for most nothing is actually being done to incorporate it.

Adoption then tends to follow 3 distinct arcs:

• Bottom-up innovation: Enterprising employees identify and automate fringe use cases to speed up workflows using existing models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini) - we'd probably refer to this as 'leveraging AI'.
• Specialized solutions: Teams will research AI enabled tools eg. Automated BDR tools like Artisan or other workflow agents which offer considerable upside.
• Platform integration: They encounter or are upsold AI enablement within existing software stacks or platforms eg. Clickup AI or Gemini embeds into Google Docs.

Still wondering if your business needs AI? Try this thought experiment:

In a parallel universe, there's an identical twin of you running an identical clone of your business—with one crucial difference. They've embraced AI while you've stuck to traditional methods.

Fast forward three years. Who would you bet $100 on to be more successful?

However, transitioning from reactive to integrated AI adoption requires a comprehensive understanding of your existing business operations and workflow infrastructure. This understanding enables you to create a cohesive, unified design rather than disconnected solutions. Beyond mapping current processes, you need to stay current with rapidly evolving AI capabilities and tools. The goal isn't simply to replace existing workflows, but to redesign them to fully leverage AI's unique strengths—creating systems that would be impossible without these new technologies.

The real AI revolution isn't happening on conference stages. It's happening when a detail-oriented accountant trains a model to process invoices in seconds instead of hours. It's happening when a sales rep builds a simple lead-scoring tool that doubles their close rate. It's happening in small, practical applications that deliver immediate value while everyone else is still debating theoretical impacts.

That's why we started Wingspan.