The AI readiness checklist for Canadian businesses
By Automation Canada ·
Short answer: You don’t need perfect data or a big budget to start with AI. You need a clear business problem, a handful of repeatable processes, basic security, and someone accountable. Use this checklist to see where you stand.
Score one point for every “yes.”
1. Strategy
- Can you name three tasks your team repeats every week that feel like a waste of skilled time?
- Do you know roughly how many hours those tasks take?
- Has leadership agreed on what success with AI would look like, in hours or dollars?
- Is one person accountable for AI and automation decisions?
2. Processes
- Are your most common processes written down, even roughly?
- Do those processes follow the same steps most of the time?
- Do you know where information gets re-typed between systems?
- Do approvals happen somewhere other than email inboxes?
3. Systems and data
- Do your main systems (accounting, CRM, line-of-business tools) have integrations or APIs?
- Are your important documents in a shared, organized location rather than on personal drives?
- Do you trust the numbers in your main reports?
- Could you produce a list of your customers from one system?
4. Security and privacy
- Does everyone use multi-factor authentication?
- Do you know which privacy law applies to you: PIPEDA, Quebec’s Law 25, or Alberta or BC PIPA?
- Do you have a policy on what staff may put into AI tools?
- Do you know which AI tools staff are already using?
5. People
- Have staff had any training on using AI tools well?
- Is there at least one person who is curious and keen to try new tools?
- Will staff see automation as help rather than a threat?
- Is there time set aside for improvement work, not just day-to-day operations?
What your score means
- 16–20: Ready to build. Go straight to automating your highest-value process or deploying an AI assistant.
- 9–15: Ready to start. You have the basics. A short assessment will find the quick wins and the gaps to close first.
- 0–8: Start with foundations. Focus on security, a basic AI policy, and documenting two or three key processes. These pay off whatever you do next.
Most businesses we meet score between 8 and 14, so a low score is normal.
Where to start
Our AI Kickstart works through every item on this checklist with your team in two weeks. You come away with a ranked list of opportunities and a 90-day roadmap, at a fixed price.