AI Audit Template (Self‑Service Readiness Worksheet)
Self-service AI audit to assess ROI, risk, and feasibility before building an AI product.
AI Audit Template (Self‑Service Readiness Worksheet)
Use this worksheet to assess whether AI can deliver real ROI in your business now. It’s designed to be fast, honest, and practical. If you’re moving into build mode, pair this with How to Ship AI Products Fast and the Solo Founder AI Stack. For a full step-by-step path, see the AI Product Building Course.
Official references
How to use this audit in AI product development
Run this audit before you scope an MVP. If the score is weak, fix inputs and workflow first. If the score is strong, move into a 2-3 week build sprint and validate with users.
1) Quick company snapshot (5 minutes)
Business name:
Team size:
Primary revenue model:
Top 3 business goals this quarter:
1)
2)
3)
Main operational bottleneck right now:
2) The 5 time‑wasting tasks exercise (15 minutes)
List the 5 repetitive tasks your team spends the most time on weekly.
Task 1:
- Who does it?
- Hours/week:
- Why it exists:
Task 2:
- Who does it?
- Hours/week:
- Why it exists:
Task 3:
- Who does it?
- Hours/week:
- Why it exists:
Task 4:
- Who does it?
- Hours/week:
- Why it exists:
Task 5:
- Who does it?
- Hours/week:
- Why it exists:
Total hours/week spent:
3) Automation Fit Score (0–20)
Score each task from 0–4. Add totals.
Scoring key
0 = not automatable
1 = small partial automation
2 = moderate automation possible
3 = high automation possible
4 = near‑full automation possible
Criteria (score each task 0–4):
- Structured inputs: Is the input consistent (forms, emails, docs)?
- Repeatability: Same process every time?
- Outcome clarity: Is success measurable?
- Risk tolerance: Low downside if AI makes a mistake?
- Integration ease: Can it connect to your tools (CRM, Slack, email)?
Task 1 score:
Task 2 score:
Task 3 score:
Task 4 score:
Task 5 score:
Total Automation Fit Score (0–100):
Interpretation:
- 80–100: Strong AI candidate now
- 50–79: Likely workable with scope control
- Below 50: Fix process first or pick a different task
4) ROI Snapshot (10 minutes)
Estimate the immediate financial upside.
Current cost of time waste:
- Average fully‑loaded hourly rate: $
- Hours/week (from above):
- Weekly cost: $
- Monthly cost: $
AI impact estimate (realistic):
- Expected % time reduction:
- Monthly savings: $
Implementation costs:
- One‑time build cost estimate: $
- Ongoing monthly AI/tooling cost: $
Break‑even target:
(When do you expect savings to cover cost?)
5) Red Flags (pre‑qualification)
If any of these are true, your AI project is at risk:
- The process is undefined or changes daily
- You don’t have sample inputs/outputs to train against
- There’s no single owner for the process
- The data is scattered and not accessible
- There’s no tolerance for occasional AI errors
Red Flags present (check all that apply):
- Process unclear
- No sample data
- No owner
- Data access issues
- Zero error tolerance
Notes:
6) Decision: go / no‑go / refine
If your Automation Fit Score is 80+ and ROI is positive:
→ Build a scoped AI pilot.
If score is 50–79:
→ Narrow the task or reduce risk.
If score is below 50:
→ Fix the process first, or pick a different task.
Optional: Pilot scope (if “go”)
Pilot task:
Success metric (one number):
Ideal outcome (one sentence):
Owner:
Deadline:
Final note
This is a quick‑and‑honest filter. If you want help scoring your workflow or scoping a pilot, I can help.
Related Content
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FAQ
How do I know if AI is the right solution?
Use the scoring sections in this audit. If inputs are messy or the risk of errors is high, fix the workflow first.
What comes after the audit?
If the score is strong, move into a 2-3 week MVP sprint and validate with real users.
— Amir
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