The Qualities of an Ideal vectorization

AI Roadmap Workbook for Non-Technical Business Leaders

A simple, practical workbook showing how AI can truly benefit your business — and where it may not be useful.
The Dev Guys – Mumbai — Smart thinking. Simple execution. Fast delivery.

The Need for This Workbook

In today’s business world, leaders are often told they must have an AI strategy. AI discussions are happening everywhere—from vendors to competitors. But business heads often struggle between two bad decisions:
• Accepting every proposal and hoping it works out.
• Declining AI entirely because of confusion or doubt.

It guides you to make rational decisions about AI adoption without hype or hesitation.

Forget models and parameters — focus on how your business works. AI should serve your systems, not the other way around.

Using This Workbook Effectively

Work through this individually or with your leadership team. The purpose is reflection, not speed. By the end, you’ll have:
• A prioritised list of AI use cases linked to your business goals.
• A visible list of areas where AI won’t help — and that’s acceptable.
• A realistic, step-by-step project plan.

Treat it as a lens, not a checklist. If your CFO can understand it in a minute, you’re doing it right.

AI strategy is just business strategy — minus the buzzwords.

Step One — Focus on Business Goals

Focus on Goals Before Tools

Too often, leaders ask about tools instead of outcomes — that’s the wrong start. Start with measurable goals that truly impact your business.

Ask:
• What 3–5 business results truly matter this year?
• Which parts of the business feel overwhelmed or inefficient?
• Which processes are slowed by scattered information?

AI is valuable only when it moves key metrics — revenue, margins, time, or risk. Ideas without measurable outcomes belong in the experiment bucket.

Start here, and you’ll invest in leverage — not novelty.

Understand How Work Actually Happens

Understand the Flow Before Applying AI

AI fits only once you understand the real workflow. Simply document every step from beginning to end.

Examples include:
• New lead arrives ? assigned ? nurtured ? quoted ? revised ? finalised.
• Customer issue logged ? categorised ? responded ? closed.
• Invoice generated ? sent ? reminded ? paid.

Every process involves what comes in, what’s done, and what moves forward. AI belongs where the data is chaotic, the task is repetitive, and the result is measurable.

Step 3 — Prioritise

Assess Opportunities with a Clear Framework

Evaluate AI ideas using a simple impact vs effort grid.

Think of a 2x2: impact on the vertical, effort on the horizontal.
• Quick Wins — high impact, low effort.
• Reserve resources for strategic investments.
• Minor experiments — do only if supporting larger goals.
• Delay ideas that drain resources without impact.

Consider risk: some actions are reversible, others are not.

Begin with low-risk, high-impact projects that build confidence.

Laying Strong Foundations

Data Quality Before AI Quality

Messy data ruins good AI; fix the base first. Clarity first, automation later.

Design Human-in-the-Loop by Default

AI should draft, suggest, or monitor — not act blindly. Build confidence before full automation.

Common Traps

Steer Clear of Predictable Failures

01. The Demo Illusion — excitement without strategy.
02. The Pilot Graveyard — endless pilots that never scale.
03. The Full Automation Fantasy — imagining instant department replacement.

Choose disciplined execution over hype.

Partnering with Vendors and Developers

Your role is to define the problem clearly, not design the model. State outcomes clearly — e.g., “reduce response time 40%”. Share messy data and edge cases so tech partners understand reality. Agree on success definitions and rollout phases.

Request real-world results, not sales pitches.

Evaluating AI Health

How to Know Your AI Strategy Works

It’s simple, measurable, and owned.
Buzzword-free alignment is visible.
Ownership and clarity drive results.

Quick AI Validation Guide

Before any project, confirm:
• What measurable result does it support?
• Which workflow is involved, and can it be described simply?
• Do we have data and process clarity?
• Where will humans remain in control?
• What is the 3-month metric?
• What’s the fallback insight?

Conclusion

Good AI brings order, not confusion. A real roadmap is a disciplined sequence of high-value projects that strengthen your best people. When AI becomes part of MVP Building your workflow quietly, it stops being hype — it becomes infrastructure.