AI readiness audit: find out where AI will actually pay back in your business
Before you buy AI licences or commission software, find out which workflows will genuinely save your team hours, whether your data and permissions are ready, and what the return on investment looks like—in plain English.
Avoid expensive shelfware and shadow AI risks
Half of UK small and mid-sized businesses are experimenting with AI, yet most either have staff pasting sensitive client data into free personal chatbots ("Shadow AI") or paying for licences nobody uses properly.
Our AI readiness audit gives business owners, managing partners and operations directors a clear, practical roadmap before spending a penny. Over two hours with our founder Ross Owen, we look at both sides of the coin: where the biggest time-saving opportunities sit in your daily operations, and what needs locking down so your data stays compliant.
You receive a written, plain-English report that ranks each opportunity by hours saved, build complexity and payback period. See a sample audit report here.
Four pillars of our AI readiness assessment
Every AI readiness audit covers four practical areas tailored to your business:
- 1. Workflow & bottleneck mapping — tracing where your staff spend the most time reading emails, re-keying documents, chasing information and compiling reports.
- 2. Systems & integration check — reviewing how your Microsoft 365, accounting software, CRM and line-of-business systems can connect automatically.
- 3. Data security & SharePoint permissions — checking for over-shared folders and Shadow AI risks before any AI tool is given access to company files.
- 4. Ranked ROI business case — a prioritised shortlist of 3 to 5 automations with estimated weekly hours saved and fixed implementation costs.
Ross Owen, our founder, runs every free audit himself.
Deliverables from your free AI readiness audit
Prioritised automation roadmap
A ranked list of the top workflows in your business worth automating first, and which ones to ignore.
Time & cost savings calculation
Realistic estimates of hours saved per week based on your team’s actual volumes and wage costs. Savings calculator
Data protection & UK GDPR notes
Clear guidance on Data Processing Agreements (DPAs), client confidentiality and safe AI tool selection.
Microsoft 365 & Copilot assessment
Whether Microsoft Copilot licences are worth buying for your team, and what SharePoint cleanup is needed first. Copilot consultant
Staff AI policy starter
Practical rules to stop staff pasting confidential client or company data into unapproved personal AI accounts. AI policy template
Fixed-price build options
Clear, no-obligation quotes if you want AlphaOps to build your first automation or support you monthly.
Explore our core specialist pages & regional hubs:
Start with a free 2-hour audit
Every engagement starts with a free AI & workflow automation audit (worth £290): up to two hours with Ross Owen reviewing your systems and processes, followed by a written report of where the time savings are.
After that, we can build a single workflow for an agreed fixed price, or look after your automations continuously on Monthly AI Support from £459 + VAT per month.
Speak directly with Ross Owen
Call our Cardiff office on 029 2240 4615, email hello@alphaops.biz, or book your free discovery call online.
Frequently asked questions
Why do you offer the AI readiness audit for free?
Because business owners are rightly sceptical of AI hype. Showing you on your own systems exactly which workflows will pay back—and handing you a clear written report—is the most straightforward way to prove how we work. There is no obligation to proceed.
How is an AI readiness audit different from a generic IT audit?
An IT audit looks at hardware, backups and networks. Our AI readiness audit looks at how work and documents move through your people and software, where hours are being wasted on manual admin, and how to deploy AI safely under UK GDPR.
Who needs to attend the audit?
Usually the business owner, managing partner or operations director, joined for part of the session by one or two people who handle the day-to-day admin and know where the friction really is.
How quickly do we get the written report?
Within five working days of the audit session, followed by a short walkthrough call to answer any questions.
Need your IT looked after too?
Alphabyte IT, our sister company, has looked after IT, security and support for businesses across South Wales since 2009.
Guides on this topic
Jargon explained: AI governance SharePoint permissions & oversharing