AI Readiness
Is your operational data
ready for AI agents?
A structured diagnostic for leaders evaluating AI deployment. We audit your data layer, integrations, and operational workflows, then tell you honestly what is ready and what is not. No pitch. No vendor reselling.
The problem
Most AI deployments fail at the data layer.
The model works. The agent is smart. The integration breaks on day 14 because the data it needs to reason about lives in seven spreadsheets, three SaaS tools, and a Notion doc nobody maintains.
Vendors will not tell you this.
They are selling the model, not the foundation the model needs to stand on.
The AI Readiness Assessment is the work that has to happen before you pick an AI vendor. Not after.
What we evaluate
Six domains. One honest read.
Every assessment covers the same six areas. Together they tell you exactly where your AI readiness breaks down.
01
Operational data architecture
Is your data structured, or does it live in spreadsheets and documents that agents cannot reason about?
02
System of record clarity
For each critical business object, is there one authoritative source, or does the same record live in three places?
03
Integration readiness
Can other systems read and write to your operational data through APIs, or is everything CSV exports and manual handoffs?
04
Governance and permissions
Who can see what, who can change what, and is any of it auditable?
05
Workflow maturity
Are your operational workflows documented clearly enough that an agent could understand them?
06
Team readiness
Does your team have the operational literacy to supervise, correct, and improve AI systems once they are running?
Two ways to start
Free scorecard or full report.
The free version produces a real answer. The paid version produces the written diagnostic you can take to a CFO or board.
AI Readiness Scorecard
3 business days • 20 minutes of your time
A self-guided intake form reviewed by a Simple Stack consultant. Not a bot. A person reads it before it goes back to you.
Scope
- ✓ Self-guided intake form covering all six readiness domains
- ✓ 25 structured questions. Takes about 20 minutes.
- ✓ Reviewed by a Simple Stack consultant before delivery
- ✓ Scoped to one operational function you choose
You receive
- → One-page Readiness Scorecard (PDF)
- → Red / Yellow / Green score across all six domains
- → Top 3 flagged risks
- → Written note from the reviewing consultant
- → Link to book a 30-minute call if you want to discuss
AI Readiness Report
3 weeks • Interviews, audit, and written report
A written diagnostic scoped to one operational domain. Stakeholder interviews, integration audit, and a 15 to 20 page report you can put in front of a CFO or AI steering committee to justify the remediation budget.
Scope
- ✓ Scoped to one operational domain (marketing, revenue, HR, etc.)
- ✓ Up to 5 core business objects audited in depth
- ✓ Up to 3 stakeholder interviews at 60 minutes each
- ✓ Review of your existing data architecture documentation
- ✓ Light integration audit of your top 5 connected systems
- ✓ Workflow review for 2 to 3 priority workflows
You receive
- → 15 to 20 page written AI Readiness Report (PDF)
- → Six-domain scorecard with full narrative per domain
- → Top-10 prioritized remediation roadmap with effort estimates
- → Integration readiness matrix for your top 5 systems
- → 90-minute readout presentation to leadership
- → 30-day follow-up call after the team has reviewed the report
Side by side
How they compare
| Free Scorecard | Paid Report | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | $10,000 |
| Timeline | 3 business days | 3 weeks |
| Format | Intake form + 1-page scorecard | Interviews + 15 to 20 page report |
| Interviews | None | Up to 3 |
| System access | None | Light review of top 5 systems |
| Deliverable | Red / Yellow / Green scorecard | Full written diagnostic + roadmap |
| Readout | 90-minute presentation | |
| Follow-up | Optional 30-min call | 30-day follow-up call |
| Best for | "Are we ready?" curiosity | "We need to justify the remediation budget." |
Ownership
You own the output.
Regardless of which version you start with, everything we produce belongs to you. The scorecard, the report, the roadmap. Take it to your board. Hand it to your engineering team. Give it to a different vendor.
We are not reselling anyone's AI platform.
No platform affiliation. No referral arrangement. No stake in which tool you choose. The assessment tells you what your data layer can actually support. What you build on top of it is your decision.
Who this is for
- ✓Leadership teams evaluating AI deployment in the next 6 to 12 months
- ✓Ops leaders who have been asked "are we ready for AI?" and do not have a real answer
- ✓Teams that have tried an AI pilot and watched it fail at the data layer
- ✓Organizations making an investment decision on platforms like Glean, Writer, or a custom agent build
Who this is not for
- ✕Teams still on spreadsheets who know they need to move off them. Start with a Discovery engagement instead.
- ✕Companies that have already done this diagnostic internally and have a roadmap in hand
- ✕Anyone looking for a vendor recommendation and nothing else
FAQ
Common questions
How long does each version take?
The free scorecard takes about 20 minutes to complete the intake form. We return the scored report within 3 business days. The paid report runs 3 weeks from kickoff, including stakeholder interviews and a 90-minute readout.
Do we have to engage Simple Stack for the remediation work?
No. The assessment and the report are yours to take anywhere. Some clients use them to justify budget internally, then engage us for the build. Others hand the roadmap to an internal team or a different vendor. No follow-on commitment required.
Who conducts the assessment?
A Simple Stack consultant reviews every free scorecard before it goes back to you. The paid report is led by a senior consultant with enterprise data architecture experience across Amazon, Audible, and J&J.
What data access do you need?
For the free scorecard: none. You fill out the intake form and we work from your answers. For the paid report, we review documentation you share and conduct a light integration audit. We do not require direct system access or credentials.
What if we have already bought an AI platform?
This assessment is still useful. The question is not whether the platform works. It is whether your data is in a state where the platform can actually do anything useful. Many teams discover this problem after buying.
Is this work confidential?
Yes. Everything shared in the intake form or during interviews is held in confidence. We do not share client data, tooling details, or organizational information with third parties.
Can the free version be upgraded to the paid one?
Yes. If your scorecard comes back yellow or red and you want the full written diagnostic, the paid engagement can start from what we already know about your environment. The intake answers are not wasted.
What our clients say
Five Stars
Unmatched expertise. Unique results.
Get started
Find out where you stand.
The free scorecard takes 20 minutes and comes back in 3 business days. The paid report gives you the written diagnostic you need to move a budget decision forward.