AI Tool Onboarding Checklist Template

# AI Tool Onboarding Checklist **Tool Name:** [AI Tool Name] **Evaluation Date:** [Date] **Owner:** [Team Member Name] **Target Implementation Date:** [Date] --- ## Phase 1: Strategic Fit & Problem Definition ### Business Problem & Objectives - [ ] **Define the core problem this tool will solve** - Problem statement: [Describe the specific marketing challenge] - Current impact on business: [Quantify the problem—time lost, revenue impact, etc.] - [ ] **Verify existing tools cannot solve this problem** - Tools already evaluated: [List current solutions] - Why they fall short: [Explain gaps] - Cost of adding features vs. new tool: [Compare] - [ ] **Establish measurable success metrics upfront** - Metric 1: [e.g., reduce content creation time by 40%] - Metric 2: [e.g., improve email open rates by 15%] - Metric 3: [e.g., achieve ROI within 6 months] - Baseline (current state): [Quantify starting point] - [ ] **Confirm tool features match your exact use case** - Required features: [List must-haves] - Nice-to-have features: [List secondary features] - Feature gaps identified: [Note any misalignments] - [ ] **Identify overlaps with current marketing stack** - Current tools in use: [List existing platforms] - Potential redundancies: [Note overlapping functionality] - Integration points needed: [Identify required connections] - [ ] **Create implementation roadmap with clear milestones** - Phase 1 (Weeks 1–2): [Setup and training] - Phase 2 (Weeks 3–6): [Pilot with limited team] - Phase 3 (Weeks 7–12): [Full rollout] - Success checkpoint: [Define go/no-go decision point] --- ## Phase 2: Reliability, Trust & Vendor Assessment ### Vendor Track Record - [ ] **Review detailed case studies relevant to your industry** - Case studies reviewed: [List 3–5 relevant examples] - Similar company size: [ ] Yes [ ] No - Similar use case: [ ] Yes [ ] No - Results achieved: [Summarize outcomes] - [ ] **Request and contact vendor references** - References provided: [ ] Yes [ ] No - Number of references contacted: [e.g., 3 of 5] - Reference feedback summary: [Key takeaways from calls] - Red flags or concerns: [Note any issues raised] - [ ] **Verify uptime and service reliability** - Uptime guarantee: [e.g., 99.9%] - Meets your requirement (99.9%+): [ ] Yes [ ] No - SLA terms: [Summarize] - Penalty/credit policy: [Note compensation for outages] - [ ] **Assess vendor transparency on past outages** - Known outages in past 12 months: [List any] - Duration and impact: [Describe] - Root cause and resolution: [Summarize] - Confidence in vendor response: [ ] High [ ] Medium [ ] Low - [ ] **Review third-party reviews** - G2 rating: [e.g., 4.5/5 stars] - Capterra rating: [e.g., 4.3/5 stars] - Key strengths cited: [List top 3] - Common complaints: [List top 3] - [ ] **Assess vendor responsiveness and partnership quality** - Response time to inquiries: [e.g., <24 hours] - Openness to questions: [ ] Excellent [ ] Good [ ] Needs improvement - Willingness to customize/integrate: [ ] Yes [ ] No [ ] Partial - Account manager assigned: [ ] Yes [ ] No --- ## Phase 3: Legal, Compliance & Data Security ### Regulatory & Data Protection - [ ] **Confirm regulatory compliance** - GDPR compliant: [ ] Yes [ ] No [ ] N/A - CCPA compliant: [ ] Yes [ ] No [ ] N/A - SOC 2 Type II certified: [ ] Yes [ ] No - HIPAA compliant (if applicable): [ ] Yes [ ] No [ ] N/A - Other regulations required: [List any industry-specific requirements] - [ ] **Obtain and review Data Processing Agreement (DPA)** - DPA signed: [ ] Yes [ ] No [ ] In progress - Date signed: [Date] - Legal review completed: [ ] Yes [ ] No - Concerns or modifications needed: [Note any] - [ ] **Understand data storage and encryption practices** - Data storage location(s): [e.g., AWS US-East, EU data centers] - Encryption in transit: [ ] Yes [ ] No - Encryption at rest: [ ] Yes [ ] No - Encryption standard: [e.g., AES-256] - Data backup and recovery process: [Summarize] - [ ] **Verify data usage policies** - Your data is NOT shared with third parties: [ ] Confirmed [ ] Not confirmed - Your data is NOT resold: [ ] Confirmed [ ] Not confirmed - Clear data usage policy in writing: [ ] Yes [ ] No - Policy reviewed by legal/compliance: [ ] Yes [ ] No - [ ] **Confirm data is NOT used for model training** - Vendor uses your data to train AI models: [ ] Yes [ ] No [ ] Unclear - Opt-out available: [ ] Yes [ ] No - Opt-out requested: [ ] Yes [ ] No [ ] N/A - Confirmation in writing: [ ] Yes [ ] No --- ## Phase 4: Integration & Technical Setup ### System Integration & Deployment - [ ] **Map integration requirements** - Systems to integrate with: [e.g., HubSpot, Salesforce, Slack] - Native integrations available: [ ] Yes [ ] No [ ] Partial - API documentation reviewed: [ ] Yes [ ] No - Custom development needed: [ ] Yes [ ] No - Estimated integration time: [e.g., 2 weeks] - [ ] **Plan user access and permissions** - User roles defined: [e.g., Admin, Editor, Viewer] - Number of seats needed: [e.g., 8 users] - SSO/authentication method: [e.g., Okta, Azure AD] - Access provisioning process: [Summarize] - [ ] **Schedule training and onboarding** - Training format: [ ] Live webinar [ ] Self-paced [ ] 1-on-1 [ ] Hybrid - Training date(s): [Schedule] - Attendees: [List team members] - Training materials provided: [ ] Yes [ ] No - Internal documentation created: [ ] Yes [ ] No --- ## Phase 5: Pilot & Performance Validation ### Limited Rollout & Testing - [ ] **Define pilot scope and timeline** - Pilot team size: [e.g., 3 team members] - Pilot duration: [e.g., 4 weeks] - Pilot use cases: [List specific workflows to test] - Success criteria: [Define what "success" looks like] - [ ] **Monitor pilot performance against baseline metrics** - Metric 1 baseline: [Starting value] - Metric 1 target: [Goal] - Metric 1 actual result: [Pilot result] - Metric 2 baseline: [Starting value] - Metric 2 target: [Goal] - Metric 2 actual result: [Pilot result] - [ ] **Collect pilot team feedback** - Feedback method: [ ] Survey [ ] Interviews [ ] Focus group - Key feedback themes: [Summarize] - Issues encountered: [List any problems] - Recommended improvements: [Note suggestions] - [ ] **Make go/no-go decision** - Metrics met: [ ] Yes [ ] No [ ] Partially - Team readiness: [ ] Yes [ ] No [ ] Needs more training - Technical issues resolved: [ ] Yes [ ] No [ ] Minor issues remain - **Decision: [ ] Proceed to full rollout [ ] Extend pilot [ ] Do not proceed** - Decision rationale: [Explain reasoning] --- ## Phase 6: Full Rollout & Ongoing Management ### Deployment & Continuous Improvement - [ ] **Execute full team rollout** - Rollout date: [Date] - All users trained: [ ] Yes [ ] No - Support resources in place: [ ] Yes [ ] No - Escalation process documented: [ ] Yes [ ] No - [ ] **Establish ongoing performance monitoring** - Monitoring frequency: [e.g., weekly, monthly] - Owner responsible for tracking: [Name] - Dashboard/reporting tool: [e.g., custom spreadsheet, BI tool] - Review meeting cadence: [e.g., monthly] - [ ] **Schedule regular check-ins and optimization** - 30-day check-in: [Date] - 90-day review: [Date] - 6-month ROI assessment: [Date] - Optimization opportunities identified: [List any] - [ ] **Document lessons learned** - What worked well: [Summarize] - What could be improved: [Summarize] - Recommendations for future tool evaluations: [Note] - Knowledge base/wiki updated: [ ] Yes [ ] No --- ## Sign-Off | Role | Name | Date | Approval | |------|------|------|----------| | Project Owner | [Name] | [Date] | [ ] Approved | | Marketing Leader | [Name] | [Date] | [ ] Approved | | Compliance/Legal | [Name] | [Date] | [ ] Approved | | IT/Technical Lead | [Name] | [Date] | [ ] Approved | **Notes & Comments:** [Add any additional context or outstanding items]