AI Prioritization Matrix: How to Choose What to Automate First

The Need for Prioritization

Implementing AI indiscriminately across all firm processes is neither practical nor beneficial. Effective prioritization ensures resources are allocated efficiently, delivering rapid, impactful results while establishing a foundation for broader AI integration.

Prioritization also reduces risk, preventing costly investments in low-impact or overly complex initiatives. Firm leaders need clarity around where quick wins can be secured and which strategic moves will pay dividends in the long run.

Defining Impact and Feasibility

Impact reflects the benefits your firm gains from automating specific workstreams, for example: reduction of manual effort, accuracy and error reduction, compliance and control, scalability of operations, and client value and service enhancement.

Feasibility indicates the practicality and ease of implementing AI automation in each workstream. Basically, how easy or hard would it be to do. Consider technical complexity and IT infrastructure, data availability and quality, employee readiness and skillsets, and regulatory compliance and security.

The Workstream Prioritization Matrix

Visualizing prioritized results through an Impact vs. Feasibility matrix simplifies decision-making. The matrix categorizes opportunities by splitting them into four clear quadrants.

Quick Wins (High Impact, High Feasibility): These workstreams should be prioritized immediately, as they provide rapid benefits with minimal obstacles.

Major Projects / Strategic Investments (High Impact, Lower Feasibility): Though challenging, these workstreams deliver significant long-term advantages. They require careful planning and resource allocation.

Fill-In Projects / Easy But Low Reward (Lower Impact, High Feasibility): These opportunities are tempting due to their ease of execution but may offer limited strategic value. Consider these selectively.

Thankless Tasks / Avoid or Defer (Low Impact, Low Feasibility): These workstreams offer neither immediate nor strategic benefits. Resources are better allocated elsewhere unless conditions change substantially.

Every workstream lands somewhere on this grid. The higher the impact and feasibility score, the more ready it is for AI.

Why Use This Matrix?

Using the Workstream Prioritization Matrix makes decision-making straightforward. By clearly visualizing workstreams in terms of impact and feasibility, you quickly identify which workstreams offer the highest potential benefits, which can be rapidly and efficiently transitioned to AI, and which require breaking into smaller components to simplify implementation.

Getting Started

Begin by listing your primary work streams. Clearly document each one's details, then proceed with the Impact and Feasibility scoring.

Once scored, the Matrix clearly highlights your top-priority AI work stream candidates, streamlining your firm's path toward efficiency and innovation.