Remember when we all thought smartphones would give us more free time? Yeah, about that…

We’re seeing the same pattern play out with AI in business today. Every vendor promises their AI solution will “save you hours,” “boost productivity by 300%,” and basically turn your team into efficiency superheroes. But here’s what they’re not telling you: firms will spend the next year experimenting with AI to find more complementarity with humans (Wharton School), and that experimentation phase? It’s expensive—in both time and money.

The Hidden Cost Nobody Talks About

Picture this: You’re a growing business owner who just invested in AI tools to streamline operations. Six months later, you’re drowning in more meetings, more training sessions, and somehow less actual work is getting done. Sound familiar?

While AI tools are now commonplace, most organizations have not yet embedded them deeply enough into their workflows and processes to realize material enterprise-wide financial impact. The reality? Organizations may struggle with shifting their mindset to rethink current work, and that mental shift takes serious time.

The “We’re Not Ready” Reality Check

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: Most organizations aren’t agent-ready (IBM). It’s like buying a Ferrari when your garage is full of bicycles—impressive, but not immediately useful.

The real challenge isn’t the AI itself; it’s everything around it:

  • Your systems aren’t talking: That shiny new AI can’t work miracles if your inventory system from 2015 won’t share data with your CRM from 2018
  • Your team isn’t trained: Even when companies hire top talent, they often discover that deploying AI in a complex enterprise environment is a multidisciplinary effort
  • Your processes aren’t documented: AI can’t automate chaos—it needs structure to work with

The Human Element: Your Secret Weapon

But here’s where it gets interesting—and where smart businesses are finding their edge. The winners aren’t the ones throwing AI at every problem. They’re the ones being strategic about the human-AI partnership.

Consider what we’re seeing in our own industry. Tax prep firms using tools like Filed AI are citing a decline in return turnaround from seven days to overnight (CPA Practice Advisor). But notice what they’re NOT saying? “We fired half our staff.” Instead, they’re redirecting human expertise to higher-value work—the complex problem-solving and relationship-building that AI can’t touch.

Your AI Reality Checklist

Before you sign that next AI contract, ask yourself:

1. What’s the actual problem we’re solving?
Not “everyone else is using AI” but a real, measurable pain point.

2. Can our current systems support this?
Legacy systems may not be equipped to handle the processing demands of AI models. Sometimes the prep work costs more than the solution.

3. Who owns this internally?
Without a champion, your AI investment becomes expensive shelfware.

4. What’s our tolerance for the learning curve?
Budget 3x the vendor’s timeline estimate. Seriously.

The Plot Twist: When AI Actually Works

Here’s the paradox: AI absolutely CAN save massive amounts of time—just not immediately, and not without investment. It’s like going to the gym. The first month hurts, you see no results, and you question everything. But stick with it strategically, and transformation happens.

For our clients, there are likely many “AI-ready” processes—the repetitive, rule-based tasks where implementation is straightforward and ROI is quick. Start there. Build confidence. Then expand.

The Bottom Line for Your Bottom Line

As your advisors, here’s our take: AI is neither savior nor scam. It’s a tool—a powerful one—that requires thoughtful implementation. Only 1 percent of leaders call their companies “mature” on the deployment spectrum, which means you’re not behind; you’re right where everyone else is.

The businesses that will thrive aren’t racing to implement everything. They’re taking the time to understand what combination of human expertise and AI efficiency makes sense for THEIR specific situation.

Our advice? Start small. Pick one process. Measure everything. And remember—the goal isn’t to eliminate human work; it’s to eliminate work that’s beneath human potential.

Want to discuss your specific AI readiness? We’re here to help you navigate the hype, identify real opportunities, and avoid the expensive mistakes we’re seeing others make. Because sometimes the smartest tech decision is knowing when to wait.

At Linkenheimer, we’re not just talking about AI—we’re implementing it thoughtfully in our own practice while helping advise clients to do the same. Let’s separate the signal from the noise together.