{"id":124,"date":"2026-09-01T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-01T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thorsten-jekel.de\/?p=124"},"modified":"2026-09-18T19:24:27","modified_gmt":"2026-09-18T19:24:27","slug":"which-ai-fits-your-company","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thorsten-jekel.de\/en\/which-ai-fits-your-company\/","title":{"rendered":"Which AI Fits Your Company? A Practical Decision Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The question is not which AI is best \u2013 but which fits your processes, data and people.<\/li><li>Four criteria decide: integration into the daily workflow, data protection, model quality for your tasks, cost per user.<\/li><li>Many companies do well on two tracks: an integrated solution for the many, specialist tools for the pros.<\/li><li>A moderated selection workshop prevents the most expensive decision: the postponed one.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cChatGPT, Copilot or something European?\u201d \u2013 I hear this question after almost every keynote. My answer disappoints headline fans: there is no best AI. There is only the best AI for your situation \u2013 and a clear path to finding it.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Which Criteria Really Count in AI Selection?<\/h2>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Integration: an AI inside the familiar workflow beats a better AI in an extra window.<\/li><li>Data protection and compliance: where does the data flow, what does the DPA say, what does your industry require?<\/li><li>Task fit: texts, analysis, coding, research \u2013 models have measurably different strengths.<\/li><li>Total cost: licenses are the smallest item \u2013 training and process adaptation decide the return.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why Is the Two-Track Strategy Often the Smartest?<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because breadth and peak need different tools: for the many, a low entry barrier and integration count \u2013 solutions in the office environment score here. For specialists in marketing, development or analytics, powerful dedicated tools or platforms with model choice are worth adding. What matters is a shared framework: guardrails, data rules and knowledge exchange across tool boundaries.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Which Mistakes Cost the Most Time When Choosing an AI?<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The most expensive mistake is the permanent review: a committee compares feature lists month after month, while the workforce has long been using some chatbot privately \u2013 without rules, without data protection, without shared experience. The second mistake is the demo trap: what shines in a sales meeting with perfectly prepared examples fails on your own offer, your own price list, your own ticket system. So test exclusively with your own documents.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The third mistake is a tool decision without a process decision: an AI speeds up a bad workflow \u2013 it does not repair it. And the fourth: treating training as a leftover item. Anyone who buys licenses and leaves the rollout to chance pays for software that sits in a drawer after six weeks. How to bring a team to the tools properly is covered in the article on <a href=\"https:\/\/thorsten-jekel.de\/en\/brief-microsoft-copilot-properly\/\">briefing Microsoft Copilot the right way<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Do You Make the Decision in a Structured Way?<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In three steps, ideally as a moderated workshop: First, collect the ten most important use cases \u2013 from real everyday work, not brochures. Second, test two or three candidates on exactly these cases, with the same tasks. Third, decide and communicate \u2013 including the rules on what is allowed with which data. After one day you have what months of market watching do not deliver: a decision your team supports.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Do You Know the Decision Holds Up in Daily Work?<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Three signals tell you. First: the number of shadow tools drops. When people switch to the approved solution voluntarily, the choice fits the workflow. Second: the team starts building its own prompt blocks and templates \u2013 a reliable sign that the AI has moved from toy to tool. Third: the questions in the company shift from \u201cHow does this work?\u201d to \u201cAre we allowed to do this with this data?\u201d \u2013 at that point guardrails matter more than features.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If these signals are missing after three months, the model is rarely the reason. Almost always it is one of two things: no integration into the workflow, or no time to practice. Both can be corrected without overturning the basic decision \u2013 and both belong in the plan before the first license is booked.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Planning an event?<\/strong> As a keynote speaker for artificial intelligence, digitalization and Microsoft 365, I bring technology topics to the stage in a way that sticks \u2013 hands-on, entertaining and immediately actionable. <a href=\"https:\/\/thorsten-jekel.de\/en\/ai-keynote\/\">Book an AI keynote: content, formats and fee at a glance<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)<\/h2>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How often should the tool decision be reviewed?<\/h3>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once a year thoroughly \u2013 the market moves fast. But: switch only for clear added value. Well-practiced usage beats the newest model almost every time.<\/p>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What about European and open-source alternatives?<\/h3>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They belong in every selection \u2013 especially with high data protection requirements or a desire for digital sovereignty. Even self-hosted models are realistic for mid-sized companies today.<\/p>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can this selection process be part of an event?<\/h3>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes \u2013 the combination has proven itself: the keynote for everyone in the morning, the selection workshop with the decision circle in the afternoon. One day connects orientation and decision.<\/p>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How long does a moderated selection workshop take?<\/h3>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One day is usually enough: collect and prioritise use cases in the morning, test two or three candidates on the same tasks in the afternoon. The line-up is what matters \u2013 decision makers, IT and one person from each affected department.<\/p>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Do we need our own AI experts for the selection?<\/h3>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No. You need people who know your own processes well, plus someone who can classify the tools. Expertise about models can be bought in, process knowledge cannot.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ChatGPT, Copilot or a European alternative? Four criteria, a two-track strategy and the workshop path to an AI decision your team supports.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":102,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-124","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-kuenstliche-intelligenz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thorsten-jekel.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thorsten-jekel.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thorsten-jekel.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thorsten-jekel.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thorsten-jekel.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=124"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thorsten-jekel.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":305,"href":"https:\/\/thorsten-jekel.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124\/revisions\/305"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thorsten-jekel.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/102"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thorsten-jekel.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=124"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thorsten-jekel.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=124"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thorsten-jekel.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=124"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}