What people mean by an AI audit
The phrase covers several different jobs. Before you compare prices, check which one you are being offered. Firms use the same words for very different pieces of work.
These are priced very differently. A quote for one is not comparable with a quote for another, so ask exactly what is included before you compare.
- A website check. This is an automated scan of your site's speed, search visibility and basic setup. It is often free.
- A process or automation review. Someone looks at how work moves through your business and spots tasks software could handle. Automation here just means getting software to do a repeated task, such as copying order details into an invoice.
- An AI readiness or strategy review. This is a wider look at where AI tools could fit, what data you hold, and what needs fixing first.
- A risk or compliance review. This checks AI tools you already use for data protection and accuracy problems. It is common in regulated sectors.
What drives the price
The cost mostly reflects time from someone who knows what they are doing. Several things push that up or down.
Be wary of open-ended day rates with no clear end point. A good audit has a defined scope and a defined result. If nobody can tell you what you will receive, you cannot tell whether it was worth the money.
- How many processes are in scope. One process, such as how enquiries become bookings, is quick to review. The whole business is not.
- How much access is needed. Digging through your systems and data takes longer than a conversation.
- Who does it. A senior consultant costs more than an automated tool. A specialist with a fixed, narrow method usually sits somewhere between.
- What you get at the end. A short list of priorities is cheaper than a long report with costings and diagrams.
- Whether it is tied to further work. Some firms price the audit low and credit it against a build. Others charge in full and leave you to it.
- Your sector. If you handle sensitive personal data, as in health and care, expect more checking and a higher fee.
Free checks versus paid reviews
Free tools are useful. They are quick and they show obvious problems. But they only see what is visible from outside, which is usually your website. They cannot see that your team retypes every order into a spreadsheet, or that customer emails sit unanswered all weekend.
That hidden work is where most of the time and money goes in a small business. Finding it needs a conversation with someone who asks the right questions. That is what a paid review buys you.
If you want to think about this before speaking to anyone, start with the job your team complains about most. Our guide on choosing the first process to automate walks through how to pick one.
How to judge whether an audit is worth it
Price matters less than what you can do with the result. Before you pay anyone, ask these questions.
A good audit leaves you with a short list of changes in priority order, with a rough idea of the effort each one needs. It should be written so you understand it without a technical background. If it reads like a sales brochure, it probably is one.
It also helps to understand how your current tools fit together. Our explainer on what a business system is covers this in plain terms.
- What exactly will you look at, and what will you leave out?
- What will I receive, and in what form?
- Will you tell me where AI or automation is not worth it?
- Could I act on the findings without hiring you?
- If I do hire you, is the audit fee credited against the work?
What Diajem Digital charges
Our Automation Audit costs £65. It is a focused review of where automation could help your business, and the full details are on that page.
The fee is credited against a Pilot Build. A Pilot Build is a small first version of an automation, built and tested on real work before you commit to anything bigger. So if you go ahead, the audit has not cost you anything extra. If you do not, you have spent a small, fixed amount rather than an open-ended consultancy fee.
Common questions
Is the free AI Website Audit the same as the Automation Audit?
No. The AI Website Audit is a free, instant, automated snapshot of a website. It does not look at your internal processes. The Automation Audit is the paid £65 review. Running the free check first is a quick way to clear obvious website issues before a deeper conversation.
Do I need to be technical to get value from an audit?
No. You need to know how work gets done in your business. Bring real examples of the jobs that take longest or go wrong most often. Turning those into practical options is the auditor's job, not yours.
Should I get an audit before buying AI software?
Yes, ideally. An audit run by a software seller tends to recommend that seller's product. An independent review first tells you whether you need new software at all, or whether better use of the tools you already pay for would do the job.
