I am a non-technical owner and my Integrator wants to spend fifty thousand dollars on custom AI integrations for our inventory management. How do I evaluate if this proposal is a critical operational upgrade or just expensive tech theater before I sign the check?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

You do not need to understand how to write code to evaluate a fifty thousand dollar technology proposal. As the owner, your job is to focus on the operational outcomes, not the technical plumbing. When your Integrator or an outside vendor brings you an expensive AI project, you must force them to translate the technical jargon into basic business metrics.

Start by asking three simple questions. First, which core process on our Accountability Chart will this automation change? Second, what specific metric on our weekly Scorecard will this improve? Third, how many months will it take to recoup this investment based on labor savings or increased throughput?

If they cannot answer these questions with clear numbers, reject the proposal. It is tech theater. Do not approve any AI project that is described with vague words like transformation, synergy, or next-generation.

Treat this technology spend exactly like buying a new piece of physical machinery for a factory. You would not buy a machine without knowing its output capacity and maintenance costs. Demand the same discipline for software. Have your Integrator set a measurable, one-quarter Rock to build a simple, cheap prototype before you commit to the full fifty thousand dollar build. If the prototype cannot prove the concept, kill the project.