An AI project starts with a task, not with a tool. So the first question is: which task takes up the most of your team's time? Which tool fits becomes clear afterwards. The people who do the work every day usually know best.
At lindenbrook, the path has five steps. Each one ends with a result that stands on its own. You then decide whether and how to continue.
The five steps
The first three steps clarify where AI pays off for you and what to start with. Implementation begins with the first draft, which can grow into a project with development, roll-out and support.
AI check and first call
The AI check takes about two minutes, is free and requires no registration. It asks six short questions, for example about your sector, up to three areas where your team spends a lot of time, and how many hours per week these areas take up. A rough estimate is enough. You then see where AI can help, along with an estimate of how many hours per week could be freed up.
In the first call, we talk for 30 minutes by phone or video, with no obligation. You do not need to prepare anything. We listen and assess what is suitable for AI and what is not, and you decide whether a next step is worthwhile. If you have done the AI check, you can send the result along when you book.
If you like, write down one task in two or three sentences beforehand. For example: “Every week we answer many similar enquiries by email. Most of the answers are in our documents. Looking them up takes time.”
The potential analysis
The AI potential analysis takes one day on site, with five to twelve people from the specialist departments, management and IT. In the morning, your team maps out processes as they really run and marks where information is copied across, searched for and waited on. In the afternoon, each task is assessed against four criteria and put in order: what comes first, what comes later and what not at all.
You can also use the four criteria yourself as a grid:
- Frequency: How often does the task come up?
- Effort today: How long does it take?
- Ease of checking: Can the result be checked in seconds?
- Data availability: Are the documents available?
An example: a planning firm assesses two tasks. Replies to recurring questions from building clients come up every day, cost search time on each occasion, can be checked quickly and draw on existing documents. Analysing old project files for new cost estimates comes up less often, and some of the files exist only on paper. The client questions therefore come first. The project files follow later, once the documents are available digitally.
You take away an assessed list of your tasks, a reasoned order, an initial assessment of each task and a next step. The list belongs to you. You can also continue with it on your own.
A first draft in two days
In the workshop From idea to first application, one of your tasks becomes a draft that you can operate yourself, in two days. On the first day, the task is sharpened: one result, one responsible person. You also collect real examples. On the second day, the draft is created and tested. Your team is involved at every step.
You should bring:
- a specific task
- real examples approved for this purpose, anonymised if you prefer
- an internet connection
At that point, the draft is not yet ready for everyday use. You will know whether the approach works, and you will have a list of what is still missing for the finished application. This list is the basis for deciding on a project.
Project and support
If the draft holds up, a project with development and support at a fixed price can follow, if you wish. Depending on the plan, this includes an application concept and a prototype you can try out, the connection to existing software and the required data sources, and a pilot phase that tests how everything works together under real conditions. Together we decide which steps are automated and where people check results.
After roll-out, we support everyday use and further develop what proves its worth. We tailor the scope of support to your solution. It can include:
- maintenance and adjustments when connected systems or requirements change
- checking results against agreed criteria and evaluating feedback from use
- a look at running costs and at whether the models in use are still the right fit
- further development in regular meetings and accompanying training for your team
If you have your own application developed and use it under your own name, you count as a provider under the EU AI Act. For most applications, that means few additional obligations. It still belongs in the planning.
Decide after each step
Each step ends with a result, such as an assessment, an order of priorities or a first draft. You do not have to take every step. A guide to deciding:
- If you do not yet know where AI could help you, start with the AI check.
- If you have an idea and would like an initial assessment, book a first call.
- If the direction is clear and the order of priorities is missing, every department wants something different or a first attempt has not worked, the potential analysis is the right fit.
- If a specific task has been identified and you need evidence to make a decision, the workshop for the first draft is the right fit.
- If the assessed list from the potential analysis is enough for you, continue on your own.
Next steps
Whether you work with lindenbrook or carry on alone, describe the task in a short task profile. It fits on one page:
- the task in one sentence, for example “Draft replies to recurring customer questions”
- the result: what exists at the end?
- the responsible person who checks and approves the result
- how often the task comes up and roughly how long it takes today
- which documents are needed and whether they are available digitally
- whether personal or confidential data is involved
- five to ten real examples that you can approve for this purpose
The task profile follows the same questions as the assessment in the potential analysis and contains what you bring to the workshop. Start with the AI check or book a first call directly. Which task would you put on the profile first?
Frequently asked questions
Do we need our own IT for this?
Not necessarily. To start with, someone who knows the task well is enough. If you have your own IT team or an IT service provider, bring them in early.
What does an AI project cost?
The AI check is free, and the first call carries no obligation. For the further steps, you receive a fixed-price proposal tailored to your task and your team. On request, we will tell you the order of magnitude in advance.
Do we have to start with the potential analysis?
No. If the task is already clear, you can go straight to the workshop for the first draft. The potential analysis is worthwhile when there are several ideas on the table and the order of priorities is missing.
How long does it take to get a finished application?
That depends on the task, the data and the systems the application will be connected to. After the workshop for the first draft, you have a list of what is still missing for the finished application. On that basis, the further effort can be estimated.
Where do you work, and in which language?
The potential analysis and the workshop take place on site at your company, anywhere in Germany. The first call is by phone or video. We work in German or English, depending on what suits your team.
What data do you need from us?
The first draft needs real examples approved for this purpose, anonymised if you prefer. Which data a later application processes is decided together during the project.
Sources
Updated: . This article is not legal advice.
