Practical guidance for SMEs

EU AI Act: what SMEs should organise first

Even organisations that only use AI services need an inventory, usage rules and a clear view of data, providers and human oversight.

· Updated · Benjamin Raulf, BR-Systems

Even organisations that only use AI services need an inventory, usage rules and a clear view of data, providers and human oversight. The useful question is therefore not which product sounds most reassuring, but which outcome can be demonstrated, who owns it and how it is maintained after implementation.

What should be verifiable

  • Record AI systems, purpose, provider, data categories and accountable owner.
  • Define prohibited inputs and when human review is mandatory.
  • Retain training, approval and supplier documentation appropriate to the use case.

A practical decision path

Start with the affected business process and the impact of failure. Record the present state, dependencies and accountable people before selecting a control or platform. Compare at least the realistic alternatives, including the option to improve the existing environment. The chosen path should include implementation, rollback, documentation and a review date.

For smaller organisations, a short evidence pack is usually more useful than a large policy collection: an inventory, a named owner, the relevant configuration or procedure, a test result and an open-action list. This keeps management decisions traceable without pretending that documentation alone provides security.

Boundary and next step

This article is technical and operational guidance, not legal advice. Applicability, contractual obligations and sector-specific rules must be checked for the individual organisation. BR-Systems can establish the technical baseline, document findings and turn them into a prioritised implementation or operating plan.

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