John Wheeler

I’ve lived through the PC revolution, Windows, the Internet and the cloud. I believe AI is the next seismic shift. I’m exploring what it means for business—and building along the way. Translating emerging technology into business advantage.

What do returned products tell you that sales numbers do not? Could AI help sort the reasons without treating a damaged shipment, a wrong fit, and a changed mind as the same problem?

When AI helps prepare an estimate, keep uncertain inputs visible. A range with clearly stated assumptions can be more useful than a precise total built on guesses.

Which customer question requires the most searching through old documents? If the right passage appeared immediately, what context would you still need to give a useful answer?

Ask AI to compare this month's results with a meaningful baseline. A holiday week, a different number of working days, or a seasonal rush can make a simple month-to-month comparison misleading.

Where would a voice note be easier for your team than typing into a form? What would an AI assistant need to confirm before turning that note into a work record?

What would persuade you that an AI tool is worth keeping after the first month? Which result would matter most to the people who actually use it?

Test whether an AI workflow can be handed to another employee. Include where its instructions live, how to review its output, and how to stop it. Useful automation should not depend on one person's browser being open.

A customer who has not replied has not necessarily lost interest. Before AI recommends another follow-up, check whether the customer is waiting for something your business promised to send.

When does your team need an answer immediately, and when would a daily batch be enough? Which AI-assisted task could wait without making the customer's experience worse?

Let an AI assistant prepare a concise comparison of an invoice and the agreed terms. Keep the disputed amount separate from the undisputed amount so the person reviewing it can see exactly what needs attention.

Where does your business rely on a spreadsheet adjustment that only one person can explain? What would you need to understand before letting AI repeat it?

Before using AI to plan purchasing, separate demand from order size. A minimum order quantity may create surplus even when the demand forecast is reasonable. Show that surplus explicitly instead of hiding it in the recommendation.

Keep instructions found inside incoming documents separate from the rules for an AI assistant. A supplier attachment may contain useful facts, but it should not be able to change who receives your business records.

Which task makes your team switch between the most applications? If AI could gather the needed information in one place, what would still require a person's decision?

For an automated handoff, define what counts as received. A sent message, an accepted job, and completed work are separate events. Keep those states visible so a quiet failure does not look like progress.

How much checking does an AI-generated answer need before your team can use it? Which part of that review takes the most effort, and could a clearer output format make it easier?

Have an AI scheduling assistant show the time zone when a deadline crosses locations. Also distinguish a calendar date from a precise cutoff. 'Due Friday' leaves room for assumptions that people may not share.

Add a review trigger to important business decisions. A change in demand, cost, or capacity may justify another look. An AI assistant can help watch for those conditions if the original decision records them.

When someone spots an incorrect business record, how easy is it to correct the source? An AI assistant may keep repeating the same mistake if the fix lives only in a private message.

When testing a new AI instruction, keep the sample work unchanged. Changing the instructions and the test cases together makes it harder to tell what actually improved.