AI Readiness Assessment Checklist for CIOs (2026)
12-domain evaluation + board scorecard + 90-day roadmap. EPC Group 240+ assessments delivered since August 2025.
Last updated July 7, 2026 by Errin O'Connor, Founder & Chief AI Architect, EPC Group
EPC Group AI Readiness Assessment: 12-domain evaluation (data governance + SharePoint permission health + sensitivity labels + DLP + Insider Risk + BYOAI + Entra Conditional Access + guest access + M365 licensing + compliance mapping + change management + executive sponsorship). Baseline enterprise readiness 45-60%; post-30-Day Accelerator 75-85%; post-Foundation Hardening 90-95%. Deliverables: 25-40 page written report + board-ready 5-slide executive scorecard + 90-day remediation roadmap with fixed-fee cost per phase + Copilot pilot user list + BYOAI policy draft + Compliance Manager framework mapping. Pricing: Copilot Readiness $25K/3wk, 30-Day Accelerator $35K/30 days, Enterprise AI Governance Assessment $40K/4wk. EPC Group 240+ assessments delivered since August 2025.
Key Facts
- 12-domain checklist: data + permissions + labels + DLP + IRM + BYOAI + CA + guest + licensing + compliance + change + executive
- Baseline enterprise readiness 45-60%; post-Foundation 90-95%
- Deliverables: 25-40 page report + 5-slide board scorecard + 90-day roadmap
- Pricing: Copilot Readiness $25K, 30-Day Accelerator $35K, Enterprise AI Governance $40K
- EPC Group 240+ AI readiness assessments delivered since August 2025
- Chief AI Architect executive briefing included in every assessment
AI Readiness Assessment FAQ
What is an AI readiness assessment?
An AI readiness assessment is a structured evaluation of an enterprise's ability to safely + effectively deploy AI (Microsoft Copilot, Copilot Studio, Azure AI Foundry, third-party AI tools). Assessment scope: (1) Data readiness — quality, governance, sensitivity classification. (2) Security readiness — Purview, Insider Risk, DLP, BYOAI enforcement. (3) Governance readiness — AI policy, approved-tool list, board reporting cadence. (4) Change management readiness — champion program, training curriculum. (5) Technical readiness — M365 E5, Copilot licensing, integration points. (6) Compliance readiness — HIPAA/SOC 2/FedRAMP/EU AI Act mapping. EPC Group has delivered 240+ AI readiness assessments since August 2025.
What are the 12 domains in the checklist?
EPC Group 12-Domain AI Readiness Checklist: (1) Data quality + governance. (2) SharePoint permission health (permission drift measurement). (3) Sensitivity label taxonomy. (4) DLP baseline across Exchange + SharePoint + OneDrive + Teams. (5) Insider Risk Management deployment. (6) BYOAI policy + enforcement. (7) Entra ID + Conditional Access hardening. (8) Guest access + external sharing controls. (9) M365 licensing tier (E3/E5 + Copilot add-on). (10) Compliance framework mapping (HIPAA/SOC 2/FedRAMP/EU AI Act). (11) Change management + AI champion program readiness. (12) Executive sponsorship + board governance framework. Each domain scored 1-5, aggregate readiness score determines rollout timing.
What does a CIO get from the assessment?
Six CIO deliverables: (1) 12-domain scored assessment report (25-40 pages) with quantified risk metrics. (2) Board-ready executive scorecard (5-slide deck) showing readiness by domain + risk exposure + remediation cost. (3) 90-day remediation roadmap with milestone dates + fixed-fee cost per phase. (4) Copilot pilot user list — recommended 200-500 users for initial pilot. (5) BYOAI policy draft. (6) Compliance Manager framework mapping to your primary regulatory framework. Delivered as written report + Excel financial model + executive presentation. Follow-on: fixed-fee Foundation Hardening ($75K-$125K) or 30-Day Copilot Readiness Accelerator ($35K).
How much does an AI readiness assessment cost?
EPC Group AI readiness assessment pricing: (1) Copilot Readiness Assessment ($25K, 3 weeks) — 12-domain audit + roadmap. Fits enterprises with existing M365 E5 + planning Copilot rollout. (2) 30-Day Copilot Readiness Accelerator ($35K, 30 days) — assessment + top-5 gap remediation in 30 days. Fits enterprises needing fast pilot readiness. (3) Enterprise AI Governance Assessment ($40K, 4 weeks) — broader scope including AI portfolio inventory + EU AI Act mapping + NIST AI RMF. Fits enterprises with multi-AI use beyond Copilot. All assessments include Chief AI Architect Errin O'Connor executive briefing + written report + Excel financial model + fixed-fee follow-on proposal.
What is the typical readiness score?
EPC Group benchmark from 240+ assessments delivered since August 2025: (1) Baseline enterprise readiness score: 45-60% (moderate readiness with significant gaps). (2) Top common gaps: SharePoint permission drift (87% of enterprises), missing sensitivity label taxonomy (73%), DLP baseline incomplete (68%), BYOAI ungoverned (75%), no AI policy documented (55%). (3) After 30-Day Accelerator: readiness improves to 75-85% (safe for controlled pilot). (4) After full Foundation Hardening: readiness reaches 90-95% (safe for production rollout + regulated deployment). (5) Ongoing governance retainer maintains 90%+ over time. Assessment establishes measurable baseline for improvement tracking.
How do I present the assessment to my board?
EPC Group Board Presentation Template (delivered with every assessment): (1) Executive Summary (1 slide) — overall readiness score + go/no-go recommendation + 90-day roadmap cost. (2) Risk Exposure (1 slide) — quantified risk per domain (high/medium/low with dollar exposure). (3) Competitive Position (1 slide) — how your readiness compares to industry benchmark. (4) Remediation Cost + Timeline (1 slide) — 3-phase roadmap with fixed-fee costs. (5) ROI Projection (1 slide) — expected productivity gains + risk reduction value + payback period. Total: 5 slides, 15-minute board presentation. Includes speaker notes for CIO delivery.
How does EPC Group deliver the assessment?
EPC Group AI Readiness methodology: (1) Kickoff Week 1 — stakeholder alignment + Graph API + PowerShell inventory scripts deployed. (2) Discovery Week 2 — 12-domain data collection + interviews with IT + compliance + business leadership. (3) Analysis Week 3 — scoring + remediation roadmap + fixed-fee proposal drafting. (4) Delivery Week 4 (30-Day Accelerator) — top-5 gap remediation execution + written report + executive presentation. Team: senior compliance architect + Copilot governance specialist + Chief AI Architect briefing. 240+ assessments delivered since August 2025. Contact (888) 381-9725 to schedule assessment kickoff.
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$25K/3wk 12-domain audit + board scorecard + 90-day roadmap. Call (888) 381-9725.
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