Choosing AI software is less about finding the “smartest” model and more about whether a tool fits how your team already works. Use these seven questions before you pay for a subscription or upload company data.
1. What problem are we solving?
If you cannot describe the task in one sentence, pause. “We need AI” is not a problem statement. “We spend six hours weekly copying lead notes into our CRM” is.
2. Where does our data go?
Read the vendor’s privacy policy and data-processing terms. Confirm whether inputs are used to train public models, where files are stored, and if you can delete data on request.
3. Who approves output?
Name a human reviewer for customer-facing content, financial figures, and HR topics. Tools should support review workflows, not bypass them.
4. What is the total cost?
Include per-seat fees, overage charges, implementation time, and training. A cheap tool that nobody uses still costs money.
5. Does it integrate with what we use?
Check connectors for email, calendar, CRM, or accounting. Copy-paste between five apps erases most AI time savings.
6. Can we run a 14-day pilot?
Test with one team and one use case. Document hours saved and error rates before rolling out company-wide.
7. How do we turn it off?
Know how to export data and cancel without losing access to historical work. Exit plans prevent vendor lock-in surprises.