The Business Technology Association (BTA) has launched a new online workshop designed to help office technology dealers turn artificial intelligence (AI) into a revenue-generating advisory service. The BTA AI Readiness Assessment Workshop, beginning July 15, will be led by West McDonald of GoWest.ai and held via Microsoft Teams from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Eastern on four consecutive Tuesdays: July 15, July 22, July 29 and Aug. 5.

AI is already reshaping how businesses buy, sell, serve customers and operate internally. Dealers who cannot guide that conversation risk losing relevance with both their teams and their customers. This workshop gives dealers a practical framework for identifying where AI can create measurable business value, how to avoid common implementation mistakes and how to turn AI readiness into a new advisory opportunity with customers.

By the end of the workshop, participating dealers will understand how to:

• Identify high-value AI opportunities inside their dealerships and with their customers
• Separate practical AI use cases from hype-driven distractions
• Assess workflows for AI readiness, risk, complexity and business impact
• Prioritize AI opportunities based on ROI, feasibility and strategic value
• Build a practical AI road map for action
• Avoid costly missteps related to data security, shadow AI, poor tool selection and unclear ownership
• Position AI readiness assessments as a new revenue engine for their dealerships

The goal is not simply to teach dealers about AI, but to help them build a repeatable business capability they can use internally and bring to their customers.

Workshop Structure
The workshop will be delivered as a multiweek, cohort-style program:

Week 1: AI Readiness Foundations — McDonald will begin with the current state of AI in business and why this moment matters for office technology dealers. This session will focus on the opportunity AI creates for dealers, the risks of ignoring it and how AI readiness assessments can help dealers uncover practical, high-value opportunities.
Topics include:

• Why AI readiness matters now
• The business risks of falling behind
• Internal dealership opportunities versus customer-facing opportunities
• Common AI myths, mistakes and distractions
• The role dealers can play as trusted AI advisors

Week 2: Identifying High-Value AI Opportunities — This session will focus on how to evaluate workflows and uncover meaningful AI use cases. Attendees will learn how to look across departments, identify friction points and determine where AI can help save time, reduce costs, improve the customer experience or create new revenue.
Topics include:

• How to evaluate workflows for AI potential
• Department-by-department opportunity discovery
• Common AI use cases in sales, service, admin, finance, HR and customer support
• How to distinguish "interesting" AI ideas from business-critical opportunities
• How to ask better discovery questions with customers

Week 3: Risk, ROI and Prioritization — Not every AI opportunity is worth pursuing. This session will help attendees understand how to evaluate ideas based on business value, implementation complexity, risk and readiness. McDonald will also cover how to think about ROI and how to avoid poorly scoped AI initiatives.
Topics include:

• AI risk factors dealers need to understand
• Shadow AI and data security considerations
• ROI and business impact modeling
• Prioritizing opportunities based on value and feasibility
• Avoiding common AI project failure points
• Building confidence before implementation

Week 4: Building the AI Readiness Road Map — The final session will bring the pieces together into a practical road map. Attendees will learn how to organize findings, communicate recommendations and begin turning AI readiness into an actionable plan for their own dealership or their customers.
Topics include:

• Creating an AI readiness summary'
• Building a practical AI road map
• Turning findings into executive-level recommendations
• Positioning AI readiness assessments as a customer-facing offering
• Next steps for implementation, enablement and ongoing advisory services

Instructor

McDonald is the founder of GoWest.ai and a leading voice in practical AI adoption for dealers, MSPs and office technology providers. With more than 20 years of industry experience, he specializes in helping organizations identify where AI delivers real value — improving workflows, reducing costs and creating new revenue opportunities. Known for his engaging delivery and no-fluff approach, McDonald is a sought-after speaker and advisor who helps businesses cut through the noise and take meaningful action on AI.

GoWest.ai is an AI advisory firm that has been helping the office technology and managed services channels navigate AI initiatives for nearly four years. Focused on practical, workflow-driven outcomes, GoWest.ai helps organizations move from AI curiosity to real business impact through structured assessments, use-case identification and implementation guidance. GoWest.ai is also the creator of BizVantage, the world's first full AI readiness assessment platform built specifically for dealers and MSPs. Together, GoWest.ai and BizVantage help partners identify high-value AI opportunities, avoid costly mistakes, guide customers with confidence and turn AI into a scalable revenue engine.

BTA member tuition is $2,500 and includes two attendees per dealership. BTA members can also apply their $150 or $250 educational discount received with their membership toward the workshop. Non-member tuition is $3,000 per dealership (includes two attendees and a one-year BTA dealer membership).

For more information or to register, visit www.bta.org/AIReadiness.