As AI adoption grows in your organisation, the number of AI use-case ideas will multiply rapidly. Without a structured intake process, your company faces two problems:
An AI use-case intake process creates a fair, transparent system for capturing AI ideas from anywhere in the organisation and routing them through evaluation, prioritisation, and (if approved) implementation.
Any employee can submit an AI use-case idea through a standard intake form.
The AI governance committee or designated reviewer conducts a quick assessment to filter out duplicates, out-of-scope requests, and clearly infeasible ideas.
Promising use cases are scored against standardised criteria covering business value, feasibility, risk, and alignment.
Scored use cases are ranked and placed on the AI project backlog.
The top-priority use cases are approved for implementation and assigned to an AI champion or project team.
The use case is implemented, measured, and reviewed. Learnings feed back into the process.
| Field | Entry |
|---|---|
| Name | |
| Department | |
| Role | |
| Date | |
What is the current process or task? [Describe the current way this work is done, without AI]
What problem does this solve or what opportunity does it create? [Describe the pain point, inefficiency, or missed opportunity]
How would AI improve this process? [Describe specifically how AI would be used — which tool, what inputs, what outputs]
Who would benefit? [List the team, department, or stakeholders who would benefit]
How often is this task performed?
Estimated time currently spent on this task: [Hours per week or per occurrence]
What data would be used as input to the AI tool? [Describe the data types involved]
Does this data include personal data?
Does this data include confidential or client data?
What is the impact if the AI output is incorrect?
Estimated time saved per week/month: [Hours]
Other expected benefits: [e.g. improved quality, faster turnaround, better customer experience, reduced errors]
Is this a quick win (can be implemented in 1-2 weeks) or a strategic initiative (requires 1-3 months)?
Use these criteria to score each submitted use case on a 1-5 scale:
| Score | Criteria |
|---|---|
| 5 | Major time/cost savings, directly impacts revenue or customer satisfaction |
| 4 | Significant productivity improvement for a large team |
| 3 | Moderate improvement for a department |
| 2 | Minor convenience improvement |
| 1 | Nice to have, minimal measurable impact |
| Score | Criteria |
|---|---|
| 5 | Can be done immediately with existing approved tools, no custom development |
| 4 | Requires minor configuration or workflow adjustment |
| 3 | Requires new tool approval or moderate setup effort |
| 2 | Requires custom development or significant integration work |
| 1 | Technically very challenging, uncertain feasibility |
| Score | Criteria |
|---|---|
| 5 | No personal data, low impact if output is incorrect, no regulatory concern |
| 4 | Minimal personal data, low to medium impact, standard compliance |
| 3 | Some personal data or medium impact, requires human review |
| 2 | Significant personal data or high impact, requires careful governance |
| 1 | Critical data or impact, major regulatory considerations |
| Score | Criteria |
|---|---|
| 5 | Directly supports company strategic priorities and AI roadmap |
| 4 | Supports departmental goals and demonstrates AI value |
| 3 | Moderately aligned with company direction |
| 2 | Tangentially related |
| 1 | Does not align with current priorities |
Composite Score = (Business Value × 0.30) + (Feasibility × 0.25) + (Risk Level × 0.25) + (Alignment × 0.20)
Score ranges:
The AI governance committee or designated reviewer:
For use cases that pass triage:
The AI governance committee:
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Use case ID | [AUTO-GENERATED] |
| Status | Submitted / In Triage / In Evaluation / Approved / In Progress / Completed / Deferred / Rejected |
| Assigned to | [CHAMPION OR TEAM] |
| Start date | [DATE] |
| Target completion | [DATE] |
| Actual completion | [DATE] |
| Results | [MEASURED OUTCOMES] |
The intake process only works if employees actually use it. To encourage submissions:
Any employee should be able to submit an AI use-case idea. The best AI applications often come from frontline staff who understand daily pain points intimately. The intake form is designed to be simple enough that anyone can complete it in 10-15 minutes.
Initial triage should happen within 5 business days of submission. Detailed evaluation takes another 5-10 business days. Final decisions are made at the monthly governance meeting. From submission to decision, expect 2-4 weeks. Quick wins can be fast-tracked.
Typically 30-50% of submitted use cases are approved for implementation. Another 20-30% are deferred (good ideas but not the right time). The remaining are rejected due to feasibility, risk, or priority issues. Providing clear feedback on rejections encourages continued submissions.
