Most AI assistants look similar in a demo. The differences that matter show up on your own tasks, with your documents, under your data rules and inside the tools your team already uses. These four steps run a short, fair comparison and end with a decision you can explain.

Step 1 — Set the criteria

Goal: Agree what the assistant must do before looking at products.

  1. List the three to five tasks the team will use it for most.
  2. Write the data rules: what may go in, what may not, and who administers accounts.
  3. Note the tools it must work with, such as email, documents, chat and CRM.
  4. Decide who makes the final call and by when.

You finish with: A one-page set of tasks, rules and integration needs.

Step 2 — Check the basics

Goal: Remove options that fail a hard requirement.

  1. Confirm a business plan exists with admin controls and user management.
  2. Read the data retention and model training terms for business accounts.
  3. Check single sign-on, access controls and audit options you need.
  4. Shortlist two or three options that pass.

You finish with: A shortlist with notes on terms and controls.

Step 3 — Test on real work

Goal: Compare results on the same tasks and inputs.

  1. Give each option the same tasks with the same approved documents.
  2. Have the people who do the work score the outputs blind where possible.
  3. Test connections to the tools in step 1, not just chat.
  4. Record time, edits needed and any answers that were wrong.

You finish with: A side-by-side scorecard from real tasks.

Step 4 — Decide and roll out

Goal: Commit and set the team up to use it well.

  1. Choose based on the scorecard, controls and total cost per seat.
  2. Start with the team that ran the test, with shared setups for their tasks.
  3. Retire personal accounts for work use once the business plan is live.
  4. Review usage and results after the first months and adjust.

You finish with: A recorded decision and a first-team rollout plan.

Common pitfalls

  • Choosing from a demo instead of your own tasks.
  • Ignoring data terms until after rollout.
  • Testing chat only, not the integrations people need.
  • Letting personal accounts continue alongside the business plan.

See it as a workflow

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