Articles
I write for directors of UK firms who want the business answer first: whether your systems are the problem, when to fix, connect or replace them, where AI pays back, and the practical steps to get it right.
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Most AI spend in small firms goes on tools nobody measures. The payback sits in a handful of dull, repeated jobs. Here is how I find them, and where I tell clients not to bother.
By Gary Kellett6 min read
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Most systems that feel broken are under-configured, under-trained or cut off from the systems around them. Here is how I tell that apart from software that genuinely needs replacing, before anyone spends money on a new one.
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I build with AI every day, and a fair share of my advice is still 'do not use AI for this'. Here is how I tell when a better process, a spreadsheet, a standard feature, a simple rule or a conversation will beat it.
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Businesses rarely outgrow their systems overnight; it creeps up through spreadsheets, re-keying and workarounds. Here are the seven signs I look for, and how to tell a system you have outgrown from one you have never used properly.
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A long AI policy nobody reads protects nobody. Here is how to write one page your team will actually follow, section by section, with wording you can adapt today.
5 min read
Most growing businesses pay for software nobody uses, licences nobody needs and two tools doing the same job. Here is a four-hour method to find all of it, with a simple table to fill in and a verdict for every application.
6 min read
When a process breaks, the instinct is to buy new software, but there is usually a cheaper fix closer to home. Here is the ladder I use, from fixing the process to building something new, and where AI fits on it.
7 min read
Not every annoying job is worth automating. A few minutes with a calculator and five honest questions will tell you whether a process deserves the money, or a quick fix instead.
5 min read
Most software buying goes wrong before the first demo, because nobody wrote down what the system actually had to do. Here is how to write a short, testable requirements list and use it to score suppliers fairly.
7 min read
You do not need special software or a consultant to see where a process leaks time. You need the right people, a wall, sticky notes and four hours. Here is the method I use.
5 min read
Your team is already using AI, whether or not you have a policy. Here are the risks that stay with the board, what UK GDPR expects of you, and the small set of controls that cover most of it.
6 min read
Three quotes that cannot be compared are worse than one. Here is how to write a short brief that makes suppliers price the same thing, and shows you who actually understood the problem.
5 min read
The most expensive technology mistakes in small firms are made before anyone writes a line of code. Here is how I decide between configuring what you have, buying a product or building something new.
6 min read
'It feels quicker' is not a business case. Here is a simple way to set a baseline before you automate, measure honestly afterwards, and report the result your board will believe.
5 min read
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