AI and Automation Without the Hype: Where to Start

At CambsB2B North on 11th June 2026, our Managing Director, Jason Mashinchi, gave a talk on a question we hear from almost every SME we work with: "Where do you actually begin with AI?"

AI adoption for SMEs involves identifying which repetitive or data-heavy tasks can be handled more efficiently by AI tools, starting with clear inputs and measurable outputs.

With plenty of questions and uncertainty in the room, the audience was hooked on every word, with many businesses clearly keen to move past the noise and find something practical to help them free up headspace for the work that actually matters.

Here is a recap of the main points for anyone who couldn't make it or wants a reminder of what was covered.

The Opportunity, and the Hesitation with AI

Every industry is going through some form of digital transformation, and AI sits right at the front of it. The potential is real: better efficiency, higher quality, lower costs, and time freed up for the work that actually matters. The hesitation is just as real. We hear the same "yes, but" responses again and again.

"We lack the expertise." - New tools let non-engineers build systems and understand their own data.

"It's too expensive." - Start small, let the service scale, and the efficiency gains often pay for themselves.

"Our data isn't good enough." - You already have usable data, AI works with small sets, and it can help you collect more.

"It'll disrupt our workforce." - In practice, it augments people by taking the tedious work away, allowing staff to focus solely on higher-value tasks.

What AI Is

Jason's framing went down well with the audience. Think of AI as a very knowledgeable intern. Fast, capable, and occasionally confidently wrong. Large language models predict the next most likely word, so they can make things up, which means you should always verify.

It works best on tasks where you can tell whether the answer is right, and the old rule applies more than ever: put rubbish in, expect rubbish out.

Understand Your Data, Processes, and Systems

A recurring theme was that the foundations matter more than the tools. Most businesses want a single system that runs everything, yet the reality is that data is spread across SharePoint folders, CRM, ERP systems, spreadsheets, and even filing cabinets. Most of the pain shows up at the joins, where information is re-keyed between disconnected tools.

The same goes for processes. You cannot automate a process you cannot describe, so understanding how work really flows, including the hand-offs and the workarounds, often delivers quick wins before AI is even involved. Information should flow through the business, not around it.

Four Practical Ways to Put AI to Work

Jason set out four levels, each adding more leverage and demanding more from your data:

• Asking and exploring: Q&A over documents, summaries and "what if" questions
• Instructing: drafting emails, reports, plans, or code
• Reviewing: refining your own work, improving tone, clarity, and structure
• Automating: multi-step workflows that update systems and handle tasks end to end

A Sensible Way to Start Adopting AI

The advice for getting going was refreshingly down-to-earth. Start with the outcome you want and work backwards. Essentially, what pain points do you want to eradicate? Consolidate your data so it is consistent and accessible. Automate data collection to cut out failure points. Document what you do and how you make decisions, which Jason described as "gold dust" for getting better results from AI.

A safe pilot follows a simple loop: choose a pain point, experiment with real tasks, measure whether the output is good enough, build confidence within the team, then review, and keep asking why. The worst thing any business can do is nothing at all, especially with how clever these AI models are becoming.

A big thank you to the Cambridgeshire Chamber of Commerce team for organising such a well-run event, and everyone who stopped by our stand to talk through their challenges. It was a pleasure to meet new faces and catch up with familiar ones, too.

You can find out more about Jason's talks and book him to speak at one of your events around the topic of AI and business process improvements on our speakers page.