Going AI-native
How to start going AI-native: a back-office checklist
General information, not legal advice. Last checked 31 Oct 2026. Examples use a fictional business.
You don't go AI-native in one go. You start with one routine job that eats your team's week, write down how you do it, and hand it over with clear rules on what needs a person. Then you do the next one.
The checklist
| # | Step | Done when |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | List your routine back-office jobs: logging, chasing, updates, portal entry, reminders | You have a list your team agrees with |
| 2 | Pick one: frequent, follows a pattern, low risk, and annoying | One job chosen, with one owner |
| 3 | Write down how you do it (SOP guide) along with the templates it uses | The person who does it has checked it |
| 4 | Write down what always goes to a person | A short, explicit list |
| 5 | Set the approval rule. Start with everything approved. | Everyone knows who approves what |
| 6 | Check your data rules: personal data only in tools set up for business use | Agreed and written down |
| 7 | Run it on real cases alongside the team, and fix the procedure where it goes wrong | Mistakes go back into the written procedure |
| 8 | Review after an agreed period: keep, fix or stop | Decision made; next job picked |
Step 6 is general information, not legal or qualified advice. The ICO publishes guidance for UK organisations.
Signs of a good first job
- It happens often.
- Most cases follow the same pattern.
- Getting it slightly late or inconsistent is annoying but not dangerous.
- You can say what "done" looks like.
Signs of a bad first job
- Every case is different.
- It mostly involves judgement, money or legal decisions.
- Nobody can agree how it's done today.
Example: a letting agency's first job
For a letting agency, a natural first job is the repair report. The report gets logged, the landlord and contractor are chased, and the tenant is told what happens next, all following the agency's own procedure. Anything that needs a person comes back to the team. Letting agencies in Scotland are the first trade Lorework is built for. See Lorework for letting agents in Scotland.
Scottish agencies also have deadlines a routine must hit. See the Repairing Standard checklist and Awaab's Law in Scotland. General information, not legal or qualified advice.
Starting with Lorework
- Bring your procedures. Lorework learns your procedures and templates and shows its sources.
- Give it a task or a schedule. It takes on scheduled and recurring work and keeps a record of what was done.
- Your people approve. You can require approval before it writes or submits anything, and it works in the web systems you already use.
Questions
Where should a small business start with AI?
With one routine back-office job, written down and handed over with clear approval rules. Not with a company-wide strategy.
Do we need an AI policy first?
A short written rule on data and approval is enough to start, and you can build on it. General information, not legal or qualified advice.
How do we know if it's working?
Compare how long the job takes and how often it goes wrong before and after, using your own records.
What if it doesn't work?
Stop, keep what you learned (your written procedure is still useful), and pick a different job.