Tools

Run these in a sprint review, a vendor conversation, or a budget meeting. Every tool here works completely on its own — interactive on this page, or downloadable as a fillable PDF for the room that doesn’t have a laptop open.

The 10-Minute AI Problem Scoping Checklist

Before diagnosing anything, build a complete picture of the situation. Skipping this step means you risk running a root-cause analysis on the wrong symptom entirely. Run through all six questions below before moving to root-cause analysis. WHO — Who is affected? Which users or teams are experiencing the problem? Is it everyone, or specific groups only? Who reported it first and when? Who owns the system — technically and operationally? Who are the downstream recipients of the wrong outputs? WHAT — What exactly is happening? ...

The 5 Whys Root Cause Drill

' The first answer is almost never the real cause. Most organizations stop at Why 2 or Why 3 and fix the symptom instead of the source. Run this drill separately for each distinct symptom you identified during problem scoping. Your Root Cause Drill Symptom: _________________________________ Why Question Answer Why 1 Why is this happening? Why 2 Why is that happening? Why 3 Why is that happening? Why 4 Why is that happening? Why 5 Why is that happening? True root cause: _________________________________ ...

The Build, Buy, or Borrow Decision Matrix

The choice between build, buy, and borrow rarely comes down to technical capability. It comes down to which risk you’re willing to own: loss of control, delay in value, or dependency on an external provider. Score your initiative against the four factors below, then check which path your scores point toward. Rate Your Initiative (1–5 each) 1. Security & Data Sensitivity How sensitive is the data or capability involved? 1 = Low sensitivity, comfortable with external providers · 5 = Extremely sensitive, must stay fully in-house ...

The Executive AI Deployment Matrix

The Executive AI Deployment Matrix When deploying an AI solution, technology leaders face a critical choice: Do we embed the AI directly into our existing workflows (Path A: Core Integration), or do we launch an entirely new, standalone product stream (Path B: New Product Stream)? Use this strategic scorecard to determine your optimal path. How to Score Score each of the 12 statements below based on your current organizational reality: ...

The 15-Minute AI Fix Viability Scorecard

Before approving budget or developer time to fix a failing AI model, score the proposed solution across these four operational dimensions. Rate each category from 1 (Severe Friction / High Risk) to 5 (Seamless / High Return). 1. Desirability — Trust Quotient Adoption risk: Users will embrace this fix — previous model instability has not burned trust beyond repair. If trust is damaged, map a change-management step before scoring higher than 2. ...

AI Risk Assessment Tool

Takes 3 minutes. No theory. Just your tier and what to do next. Answer these 8 questions about a specific AI system you are deploying or planning to deploy. Score each answer — Low = 1, Medium = 2, High = 3. Add up your total at the end. How to score For each question circle or note your answer. Each answer carries a score: Low risk answer = 1 point Medium risk answer = 2 points High risk answer = 3 points Total your score at the end and find your tier. ...