AI advisory
What is AI advisory, and what do we actually get?
An assessment of where AI fits your business, which platforms are safe for your data, a written policy, training, and software when you need it. It runs as a program with a named advisor, not a one-off meeting, and a login to our advisory library comes with it.
Answered by Ryan Sanders, Partnership Director
It is a program, not a meeting
A single AI conversation is worth about as much as a single security conversation: interesting, then forgotten. The advisory runs as a program with a named advisor, the same way account management does. It starts with an assessment of what your business does and what your data is, and it carries on as the platforms change, which right now is constantly.
The five parts
- Assessment. What you do, where the time goes, what your data is, and what your regulators, insurers and clients expect of you.
- Platform selection. Which tools are safe to put your information into, on which accounts, with what turned off.
- Governance. One written policy, fitted to your business, reviewed yearly.
- Training. Your people, on the tools you approved, using examples from your own work.
- Build. Custom automation or software, only where nothing off the shelf will do it.
Most clients start at the policy
And a good number stop there for a year, which is a fine outcome. A written rule about what may be pasted into which tool solves the largest real risk most offices have, costs almost nothing, and makes every later decision easier. We would rather you did that well than bought something.
What it is not
It is not a sales channel for AI products. We do not take a margin on somebody else's subscription to tell you to buy it, and a meaningful share of our advice is that a given tool is not worth it yet for a business your size.
Where we did this
If a vendor tells you your setup is fine, ask them to put it in writing. The answer changes once it has to be written.
The ERP under a desk Small businessSunk cost is real. A backup server you bought last year deserves a plan before it goes in a dumpster because a move made it convenient.
Server or cloud, honestlyPeople also ask
Which AI tools are our employees using right now?
Almost certainly more than leadership thinks. Between a staff survey, what is switched on by default in your tenant, and what your industry software has quietly added, we can establish a real starting point instead of an assumed clean one.
The full answerWhy are our technology costs going up if we are not using AI?
Because the security floor rose permanently, AI data centre demand is pushing up hardware, cloud and software pricing across the industry, and compliance now carries real documentation overhead. None of those require you to use AI.
The full answerWhich AI tool should our company use?
It depends on where your data is allowed to go, what you already pay for, and what you want it to do. For most offices already in Microsoft 365, the honest first answer is the one you are already licensed for, configured properly.
The full answer
"Matt Wilson is the best! He is so knowledgeable, kind, and the best assistance when running into any issues. He's always willing to go above and beyond to ensure that our office needs are met. Today I had an issue he hadn't run into before, and without hesitation he figured out how to address the problem, and in less than five minutes had a solution. So grateful to have him on our team!"
Lillian, insurance brokerageMeet Matt- A technician who knows your setup takes every request. Not a dispatcher, not a queue.
- Every closed ticket is surveyed and a partner reads every response.
- 99.5% of surveys come back positive.
- Family-owned since 2005. 21 years in the same corner of Wisconsin, not going anywhere.
"Another great job by Midwest IT. Our company just loves your fast response to our issues."
Client, 2024 surveyWondering where to start?
A partner will tell you honestly whether it is worth it yet.
Talk to a partnerTalk to a partner, not a sales script.
Tell us what is going on. A partner will call you back the same business day, look at what you have, and tell you honestly whether we are the right fit. No pricing pressure, no pitch deck.