Here’s my recommended AI Project Intake Form. Use it as a starting point and adjust as needed for your business!
1) Main Point of Contact
Input type: Short text (Name) + Email field
Description: Primary owner of this request. We’ll contact this person for updates, questions, and scheduling.
2) Key Stakeholders (for meetings & communications)
Input type: Free text (multi-line)
Description: List the names and emails of anyone who should be involved in decisions, reviews, and ongoing communication.
3) Project Impact Areas
Input type: Checkboxes (multi-select)
Options: Team Productivity; Foundational AI Capabilities; Content Generation; Cost Reduction; Revenue Growth; Customer Engagement; Risk & Compliance; Capability Expansion; Experiment / Pilot; Other
Description: Select all impact areas this project supports.
4) Business Problem Statement
Input type: Free text (multi-line)
Description: Describe the opportunity in business terms. Examples: “We spend too long doing X” / “We lose deals because Y.”
5) Brief Description & Main Objectives
Input type: Free text (multi-line)
Description: Summarize what you want to achieve and the top 2–4 objectives (what “better” looks like).
6) Current Process (Today’s Workflow)
Input type: Free text (multi-line)
Description: Describe the current steps and tools used (spreadsheets, email, CRM, ticketing, etc.).
7) Pain Points / Friction
Input type: Free text (multi-line)
Description: Describe the main pain points with specifics (where the process breaks down most). Include who experiences the pain and how often it occurs.
8) Value Created
Input type: Free text (multi-line)
Description: Explain how this helps the company. Include benefits such as revenue impact, cost reduction, audience/fan growth, improved service, or risk reduction.
9) Rough Value Estimate (Required)
Input type: Free text (single-line)
Description: Provide a rough estimate of impact (e.g., $$, hours saved/month, error reduction, conversion lift). Include assumptions if possible.
10) Data Involved (What and where it lives)
Input type: Free text (multi-line)
Description: What data is needed and where it’s stored (systems, owners, reports, files). Include links if possible. Also include a data sensitivity level: Public; Internal; Confidential; Highly Confidential / Restricted.
11) Success Metrics (How we’ll know it worked)
Input type: Free text (multi-line)
Description: Define measurable outcomes (e.g., “reduce turnaround time from X to Y,” “increase engagement by Z,” “cut errors by X%,” “increase revenue by $Y”).
12) Timeline / Urgency
Input type: Multiple choice + optional date
Options: Nice-to-have; This quarter; Next 1–2 months; Urgent (business-critical)
Description: Helps us prioritize and plan capacity.
13) Tools or Vendors Requested (if applicable)
Input type: Free text (multi-line)
Description: If you’re requesting a specific AI tool/vendor/model, list it and why (plus any procurement/security constraints you’re aware of)
Solid intake form structure. Section 9 on rough value estimate being required is brilliant, forces stakeholders to articulate ROI before anyone invests time. In my experiance, most AI project failures come from fuzzy problem definitions rather than technical limits. The distinction between 'nice-to-have' and 'business-critical' in section 12 should prevent scope creep battles later.