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Check the operating foundation for AI

AI needs a dependable record beneath it. This 15-minute check asks whether your firm can carry what was sold into delivery and billing, trust the data, and review an AI output before acting on it. It gives you a direction for discussion, not a certification.

Start the check

Twelve questions. Your result appears on screen. Contact details are optional if you want the report by email.

Score your firm on twelve statements

Choose a score from 1 to 5 for each statement. Answer from current practice, not a planned process. For a better discussion, compare answers from leaders in sales, delivery and finance.

  1. 1 Not true
  2. 2 True in pockets
  3. 3 Usually true, but inconsistent
  4. 4 Consistently true
  5. 5 True, measured and evidenced

Commercial continuity

Does what was sold carry cleanly into delivery and billing?

Q1 We have one shared definition of when work is sold, ready for delivery, billable, and ready to invoice.
Q2 Scope, rates, budgets, and billing rules transfer cleanly from sales into delivery and finance without manual rebuilding.

Workflow discipline

Do our teams work from a common, exception-aware process?

Q3 Our teams use standard workflow stages, templates, and approval rules rather than each team doing it their own way.
Q4 Exceptions are visible, approved, and traceable, rather than handled through side conversations, spreadsheets, or memory.

Data trust

Can leaders rely on the operational record without rebuilding it?

Q5 Leaders trust the underlying operational data because key fields are complete, timely, and consistent.
Q6 Time, costs, change requests, and delivery progress are recorded against the right client, engagement, and work item quickly enough to support decisions.

Commercial control

Is WIP-to-invoice a governed, predictable chain?

Q7 WIP is a live, trusted register rather than something finance reconstructs at month-end.
Q8 Invoices usually go out with minimal manual editing because the work performed, approvals, and commercial rules already line up.

Management discipline

Are we steering on leading indicators, not just lagging revenue?

Q9 We track a small set of leading indicators such as forecast accuracy, handover quality, margin leakage, billing timeliness, and capacity pressure, not just lagging revenue.
Q10 Every cross-functional handover has a named owner, explicit acceptance criteria, and a clear escalation path when something is off.

Automation and AI readiness

Are we automating stable work, with AI outputs that are grounded and reviewable?

Q11 We automate stable, rules-based work first, rather than trying to automate messy exceptions and unclear processes.
Q12 Any AI-generated output is grounded in approved records, reviewed by a human, and traceable back to source data.

0 of 12 answered

Without JavaScript the result cannot be worked out here. Add your twelve scores for a total from 12 to 60 and read your band in the table below.

How your score is read

Add the twelve scores for a total of 12 to 60. The result also shows a subtotal for each of the six dimensions. A strong total does not override a weak control: if question 2, 5, 7, 8 or 12 scores below 3, a critical gate note names it, whatever the total, and the band stays as scored.

Total score, band and recommended focus
TotalBandWhat it looks like and where to focus
12 to 24Fragile foundations

Teams are still stitching the truth together. Handovers are inconsistent and records are disputed. Finance spends the first week after close chasing information that should have been captured during the month, and automation is likely to create more exceptions than value.

Recommended focus: Define one shared scope-to-invoice chain. Stabilise handovers before any further automation. Read Commercial handover debt

25 to 36Emerging control

Some core disciplines exist, but they are uneven across teams and offices. Leaders can see the outline of a governed operation but cannot yet rely on it under pressure. Narrow automation may help; scaling it now will expose weak handovers and unreliable data.

Recommended focus: Close the gaps in WIP discipline and exception handling. Pilot narrow automation on stable workflows only. Read Audit-ready WIP

37 to 48Managed operations

Core controls are in place and leaders can act on the record with confidence. The commercial chain from sale to delivery to billing is mostly intact, with exceptions visible rather than buried. Targeted automation now creates value when applied to stable workflows first.

Recommended focus: Automate stable, rules-based work. Introduce AI into reporting, summarisation, and next-best-action support. See how DAY ONE works

49 to 60AI-ready foundation

The operating record is governed and commercial controls are strong. The firm can scale AI into reporting, client communications, operational summaries, and next-best-action support with confidence that outputs are grounded, reviewable, and tied to the data underneath.

Recommended focus: Extend AI into client communications and operational insights with human review gates. See how DAY ONE works

Questions about the check

Can't see your question? Ask us directly.

Is the result a rating of our AI technology?

No. It examines the operating records and controls that AI would rely on. A strong tool cannot repair an unclear commercial process by itself.

Can one high total hide a weak control?

Yes. The five critical questions add a visible warning if any scores below 3, even when the total falls in a higher band.

Do we need DAY ONE to use the result?

No. Discuss the result with the people who own your sales, delivery and finance handovers, then decide what to improve first.

Send me the detail

Get your scores, triggered control notes and suggested next step by email. Your on-screen result remains visible.

Complete the check first and your scores are attached to the report. You can also request it without scores.

Tomorrow Software Pty Ltd, trading as DAY ONE Software, collects these details to send you what you asked for. You can leave optional fields blank, but we cannot respond without your name, email and company. We store your details in Salesforce, our customer records system, and keep a copy on our website for 24 months. We use Google Workspace for email. Some providers handle information outside Australia, including in the United States. Our privacy policy explains how to access or correct your details and how to make a complaint.