AI consulting case studies by Joel & Nanz Inc.
The scoring we run before we put a tool into a client's business.
These are the questions we work through on client projects like the ones in our case studies. They are the ones a Canadian small business tends to discover too late: is the price in Canadian dollars, where is the data stored, does it handle GST/HST the Canadian way, is there a French interface, and who answers when something breaks. Writing the rubric down keeps our own recommendations honest and lets you check our working.
Each criterion scores 0 to 5. All criteria carry equal weight, and the overall score is the plain average, rounded to one decimal. A score is only as good as its evidence, so every product card shows the reason for each number and the page it came from.
| Criterion | The question we ask | What the numbers mean |
|---|---|---|
| Price | What does a typical 5-person Canadian business pay per month, in Canadian dollars, for the plan it actually needs? | 5 = free tier usable or lowest in category, priced in CAD. 4 = below category median. 3 = around the median. 2 = above median or USD-only pricing. 1 = premium pricing or significant minimums. 0 = price not published. |
| Canadian data | Does the vendor state, on its own site, that customer data can be stored in Canada? | 5 = data stored in Canada by default on every plan. 4 = Canadian region selectable on SMB plans. 2 = Canadian residency only on enterprise plans or add-ons. 1 = vendor publishes non-Canadian storage only. 0 = not stated anywhere we could find. |
| CAD and sales tax | Can you pay in Canadian dollars, and does the product handle GST/HST/PST/QST correctly where that matters to the category? | 5 = CAD billing and Canadian tax handled in-product. 4 = CAD billing plus partial Canadian tax handling. 3 = CAD billing or Canadian tax, not both. 2 = USD billing with some Canadian tax support. 1 = USD billing, no Canadian tax features published. 0 = not stated. |
| French | Can your team and your customers use it in French? | 5 = full French interface and French customer-facing output (documents, calls, emails). 4 = French interface confirmed by the vendor. 3 = partial: some screens translated, French documentation, or French customer-facing output only. 2 = vendor website or help centre in French, but no French product interface confirmed. 1 = vendor says English only, or no French anywhere on its own site. 0 = not stated. |
| Setup effort | How much work is it for a non-technical owner to get running? | 5 = self-serve, live the same day, no technical steps. 4 = self-serve with one technical step (e.g. DNS records). 3 = guided onboarding or a few days. 2 = onboarding project or migration help needed. 1 = paid implementation required. |
| Support | Who helps you when it breaks, and how fast, on the plan a small business buys? | 5 = phone and chat support with published hours or SLA on SMB plans. 4 = live chat or phone on SMB plans. 3 = email or ticket support with a published response target. 2 = email or ticket support, no target. 1 = community or knowledge base only on SMB plans. 0 = not stated. |
For our editorial recommendations, written for owners who want a pick rather than a spreadsheet, see Joel & Nanz Inc.'s recommendations for Canadian small business.
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