AI on IBM i Readiness Checklist

A practical checklist to work through before starting an AI-on-IBM-i project: data readiness, Db2 for i version and PTF level, staff skills, security and governance, and budget.

Most stalled AI-on-IBM-i projects fail on readiness, not technology. Work through this checklist before committing to a pilot.

Checklist

1. Data QualityIs the Db2 for i data an AI agent or coding tool would query or work against clean, complete, and trustworthy for the specific use case?

2. IBM i Release / PTF LevelDoes your current IBM i release and PTF level meet the minimum requirement for the specific watsonx, Bob, or MCP Server tooling you plan to use?

3. Staff RPG/SQL SkillsDo you have developers who can review AI-suggested RPG changes from a tool like Bob, or staff comfortable defining and reviewing the SQL tools an MCP Server deployment exposes?

4. Security & GovernanceDoes your existing security and audit tooling (see our AI modernization vendor directory) cover any new AI-driven access patterns against Db2 for i data?

5. Scope DisciplineIs the first project narrow and measurable, per our AI adoption roadmap, rather than an open-ended platform initiative?

6. Budget for IntegrationIf the project involves watsonx Assistant or watsonx Orchestrate, have you budgeted for the custom integration work needed to reach Db2 for i data, since neither ships with a built-in IBM i connector?

7. Vendor ConfirmationHave you confirmed current capability and licensing directly with IBM or the relevant vendor, rather than relying on older announcements or secondhand summaries?

If you cannot check off items 1 through 3 with confidence, that is a readiness gap to close before starting a pilot, not a reason to avoid AI adoption altogether ... see our AI adoption roadmap for how to sequence the work.