Is your business ready for AI?

What does it take to be actually ready for the benefits of AI?

Hake Digital has identified four dimensions: 

What Are The Four Dimensions of AI Readiness?

This essay walks you through four core dimensions that must be ready for every serious AI engagement.

1. Business & Workflow Readiness

A common mistake we see is starting with AI tools instead of starting with analysis of where existing processes are most inefficient. If a workflow is already unclear, automating it simply scales confusion.

Key questions to reflect on:

• Which processes are repetitive, manual, or slow?
• Where is human effort being spent on low‑value tasks?
• Which workflows, if improved, would most reduce cost or friction?
• Are success metrics (time saved, cost reduced, quality improved) clearly defined?

2. Data & Technology Readiness

We often find assumptions that existing data and technology are ready for AI, but AI is constrained by the quality and accessibility of your data.

Consider:

• Where does your critical data live today?
• Who has access to it, and under what permissions?
• Are there compliance, privacy, or regulatory constraints?
• How well does your current tech stack support integration and automation?

3. People & Change Readiness

It’s clear to us AI adoption is a human problem before it is a technical one. A recent research paper showed most of the value created by AI does not come from the algorithms or the underlying technology, instead it comes from the transformation of the business. Summarized as a 10–20–70 pattern, the research suggests that a small portion (~10%) of AI value comes from algorithms, a larger portion (~20%) from technology, and the majority (~70%) from the redesign of talent, culture, decision-making, and organizational learning. 

For SMBs, this usually means the constraint isn’t the AI tool — it’s clarity around roles, decision rights, and confidence to use it in real work.

Hake Digital’s approach, based on this, as well as designing the algorithms and AI tools that fit your situation, designs the organizational learning that will make AI successful.

Ask yourself:

• Who is currently using AI, and how confidently?
• Where is AI helping — and where is it disappointing?
• Who would need training first if AI tools were expanded?
• Is there internal ownership for AI decisions and governance?

4. Leadership & Investment Readiness

We find that often, SMBs have initiated AI experiments locally without senior leadership active sponsorship.

Reflect on:

• Is leadership aligned that AI is a strategic priority?
• What would make leadership confidently approve wider rollout?
• Is budget available for experimentation, training, and iteration?
• How will success be evaluated over time?

Where Hake Digital Fits In

Our work is designed to help SMB leaders move forward with confidence — avoiding wasted spend, stalled pilots, and internal resistance, to move beyond experimentation with AI into practical, measurable change.

When clients engage us, our work typically includes:

• Assessing organisational AI readiness across workflows, data, and people
• Identifying high‑impact, low‑regret starting points
• Designing responsible AI usage policies and governance
• Supporting adoption through training and change management