How to integrate AI into your business: a step-by-step guide
Short answer: to integrate AI into your business, find where your time goes, pick the one job worth building first, connect the AI to your existing systems, keep a person approving what matters, roll out in phases and measure the result. That is the Discover, Build, Run process LuxxStack uses with every client.
Updated October 2026.
Key points
- Start with a time sink, not a technology.
- Pick jobs that repeat, follow a pattern and take real hours.
- Connect to the systems you already use so nobody has to change how they work.
- Keep a person approving anything sensitive, and keep a log.
- Roll out one team at a time, then measure.
The six steps
1. Find the time sinks
Ask each team what they did last week that they would happily never do again. Chasing documents, answering the same questions, copying details between systems and writing reports come up again and again. Put rough hours next to each. Our admin cost calculator turns hours into pounds using your own numbers.
This is the first part of our Discover phase: recorded calls, workflow mapping and a list of where the time goes.
2. Pick what is worth building
Not everything should be automated. A job is a good candidate when it:
- happens often,
- follows a pattern most of the time, and
- has a clear “done” that a person can check.
Rank the list by hours saved and by how easy it is to check. The top one or two are your first build. The output of this step is a shortlist, a phased roadmap and a clear quote.
3. Connect to your existing systems
The AI has to see the same things your team sees. That usually means your email, WhatsApp, CRM, accounting software, calendars, website forms and spreadsheets. Integrations are the bulk of the build effort, and the number of systems is one of the main drivers of cost. We do this in the Build phase.
4. Keep a human approving
Start with approval on everything that goes out to a client, costs money or changes a record. Add an audit trail so you can see what was drafted, who approved it and when. As trust grows, you can relax approval on low-risk steps.
Responsibility stays with your business. That is why the AI prepares and a person decides. Where personal data is involved, UK GDPR applies, and a person should review anything that significantly affects an individual.
5. Roll out in phases
Go live with one team, one office or one workflow first. Fix what you find, then widen. On our recruitment agency integration, the plan is to roll out one office at a time so problems show up before everyone is live.
6. Measure, then keep improving
Compare hours, turnaround times and missed items before and after. Then keep going. Workflows change, tools update and people ask for more. This is the Run phase, and it is the one most projects skip.
Our process at a glance
| Phase | What happens | Deliverables |
|---|---|---|
| Discover | We learn how the business really runs | Recorded calls, workflow map, shortlist, phased roadmap and quote |
| Build | We set it up around your tools | Your agent or system, integrations, approval steps and audit trail, testing in real work |
| Run | We stay and run it | Live with approvals, monthly reviews, phased rollout, ongoing support |
How much will it cost?
It depends mainly on the number of systems, data quality, compliance review, volume and the number of teams. As a guide:
| Starting point | Price (excl. VAT) |
|---|---|
| AI teammate | From £295 a month, plus setup from £495 |
| Automations and agents | Typically £2,500 to £15,000 |
| Full integration programme | From £15,000 |
| Discovery and roadmap | £1,500 to £3,000, credited against the build |
See the pricing guide for the detail.
Common mistakes
- Starting with the tool instead of the problem.
- Trying to automate everything at once.
- Skipping the approval step to save time.
- Building it and walking away.
Want help?
If you would rather not do it alone, book a call. We will tell you what is worth building first and what it would cost. You can also read what is AI integration for the plain-English definition.