---
title: "Which AI use case goes first: value, ease and risk in one table"
slug: matriz-priorizacion-casos-uso
lang: en
situation: medir
format: plantilla
minutes: 30
updated: 2026-10-19
---

# Which AI use case goes first: value, ease and risk in one table

> For managers holding a list of AI ideas who need to defend which one starts first, with criteria others can review.

## When to use it

- Your team collected ten AI ideas and everyone is defending their own.
- Leadership asks you for "a pilot" and you have to explain why that one and not another.
- Two pilots already started at the same time and neither has a way to be measured.

## The sheet

Score each criterion from 1 to 5. For inverse risk, 5 means low risk. Adjust the weights if your committee asks, but write them down before scoring.

| Use case | Business value (×3) | Ease / data available (×2) | Inverse risk (×2) | Measurable in 90 days (×2) | Named owner | Baseline exists (yes/no) | Weighted total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Case 1] | [1–5] | [1–5] | [1–5] | [1–5] | [name] | [ ] | [sum] |
| [Case 2] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |
| [Case 3] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |
| [Case 4] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |
| [Case 5] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |

Weighted total = value × 3 + ease × 2 + inverse risk × 2 + measurable × 2. Maximum: 45.

What each criterion means:

- **Business value:** which indicator in your area it moves and how much that indicator weighs in your goals.
- **Ease / data available:** whether the data exists, is clean and can be used without a separate project.
- **Inverse risk:** how serious a mistake would be. Something internal and reviewable scores high; something that reaches the client unreviewed scores low.
- **Measurable in 90 days:** whether in three months you can compare a before number with an after number.

Illustrative example: "Triage support emails: value 4, ease 4, inverse risk 4, measurable 5. Total 38. Owner: support lead. Baseline: yes."

## How to fill it in 30 minutes

1. Write each case as a concrete action: "summarize supplier contracts", not "AI for legal".
2. Set the weights before seeing the scores. Changing them afterwards so your favorite wins is the most common mistake.
3. Score with at least two people and discuss only the gaps of two points or more.
4. Fill in owner and baseline before adding up. If either is missing, the case leaves the ranking.
5. Sort by total and pick one. The second waits until the first has a result.

## The line that is almost always missing

A use case with no named owner or no baseline does not enter the ranking, whatever its score. A 42 with no owner does not move, and one with no before number cannot be evaluated in 90 days. It is better to start with a 34 that has both.

## If this becomes a big decision

If the chosen case commits budget, sensitive data or a client-facing process and carries your name, the free tools at vicsol.org/decision-clarity/ help you structure it. They do not replace a formal review.

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Vic Sol · Decision Desk · vicsol.org/resources/ · Free to use with attribution.
This sheet structures a conversation; it is not legal, financial or audit advice.