AI Roadmap Workbook for Non-Technical Business Leaders
A clear, hype-free workbook showing how AI can truly benefit your business — and where it may not be useful.
The Dev Guys – Mumbai — Think deeply. Build simply. Ship fast.
Why This Workbook Exists
In today’s business world, leaders are often told they must have an AI strategy. AI discussions are happening everywhere—from vendors to competitors. But business heads often struggle between two bad decisions:
• Accepting every proposal and hoping it works out.
• Declining AI entirely because of confusion or doubt.
This workbook offers a balanced third option: a calm, realistic way to identify where AI truly fits in your business — and where it doesn’t.
You don’t need to understand AI models or algorithms — just your workflows, data, and decisions. AI is simply a tool built on top of those foundations.
Best Way to Apply This Workbook
Either fill it solo or discuss it collaboratively. It’s not about completion — it’s about clarity. By the end, you’ll have:
• A short list of meaningful AI opportunities tied to profit or efficiency.
• Understanding of where AI should not be used.
• A structured sequence of projects instead of random pilots.
Think of it as a guide, not a form. Your AI plan should be simple enough to explain in one meeting.
AI strategy equals good business logic, simply expressed.
Step 1 — Business First
Begin with Results, Not Technology
Most AI discussions begin with tools and tech questions like “Can we use ChatGPT here?” — that’s backward. Instead, begin with clear results that matter to your company.
Ask:
• What 3–5 business results truly matter this year?
• Which parts of the business feel overwhelmed or inefficient?
• Which processes are slowed by scattered information?
AI is valuable only when it moves key metrics — revenue, margins, time, or risk. Ideas without measurable outcomes belong in the experiment bucket.
Skipping this step leads to wasted tools; doing it right builds power.
Step Two — Map the Workflows
Understand the Flow Before Applying AI
AI fits only once you understand the real workflow. Simply document every step from beginning to end.
Examples include:
• New lead arrives ? assigned ? nurtured ? quoted ? revised ? finalised.
• Customer issue logged ? categorised ? responded ? closed.
• Invoice issued ? tracked ? escalated ? payment confirmed.
Every process involves what comes in, what’s done, and what moves forward. AI belongs where the data is chaotic, the task is repetitive, and the result is measurable.
Step 3 — Prioritise
Score AI Use Cases by Impact, Effort, and Risk
Choose high-value, low-effort cases first.
Think of a 2x2: impact on the vertical, effort on the horizontal.
• Quick Wins — high impact, low effort.
• Strategic Bets — high impact, high effort.
• Optional improvements with minimal value.
• Avoid for Now — low impact, high effort.
Always judge the safety of automation before scaling.
Your roadmap starts with safe, effective wins.
Foundations & Humans
Get the Basics Right First
Without clean systems, AI will mirror your chaos. Check data completeness, process clarity, and alignment.
Human Oversight Builds Trust
Let AI assist, not replace, your team. Over time, increase automation responsibly.
The 3 Classic Mistakes
Avoid the Three AI Traps for Non-Tech Leaders
01. The Shiny Demo Trap — getting impressed by flashy demos with no purpose.
02. The Pilot Problem — learning without impact.
03. The Automation Mirage — expecting overnight change.
Fewer, focused projects with clear owners and goals beat scattered enthusiasm.
Collaborating with Tech Teams
Frame problems, don’t build algorithms. Focus on measurable results, not buzzwords. Expose real examples, not just ideal scenarios. Agree on success definitions and rollout phases.
Ask vendors for proof from similar businesses — and what failed first.
Signals & Checklist
Signs Your AI Roadmap Is Actually Healthy
Your AI plan fits on one business slide.
Your focus remains on business, not tools.
Finance understands why these projects exist.
Quick AI Validation Guide
Before any project, confirm:
• Which business metric does this improve?
• Which workflow is involved, and can it be described simply?
• Is the data complete enough for repetition?
• Who owns the human oversight?
• What is the 3-month metric?
• If it fails, what valuable lesson remains?
Final Thought
AI should make your business calmer, clearer, and more controlled — not noisier or chaotic. A real roadmap is a disciplined sequence of high-value projects that strengthen your best people. cloud infrastructure When AI becomes part of your workflow quietly, it stops being hype — it becomes infrastructure.