Using AI to Reinvent Internal Training in Your SME

You run an SME and every new hire feels the same: same questions, same explanations, same procedures to repeat… yet people still don’t apply things the same way. Internal training often depends on the availability of “senior” staff and on scattered documents. The result: lost time, avoidable mistakes, and frustrated teams.

In this article, we’ll see how AI can help you structure and partially automate your internal training without turning your company into an online university or requiring technical skills. The goal: capture what your teams already know, standardise what should be consistent, and free up time for real human coaching.

We will cover:

• how AI can turn scattered knowledge into simple, practical training materials;
• which types of training are easiest to “augment” with AI;
• a step-by-step method to build your first AI-assisted internal training path;
• a practical checklist to get started this week.

1. Why your internal training struggles (and how AI can help)

In most SMEs, internal training looks like this:

• a shared folder with outdated procedures;
• emails or chat messages that get lost over time;
• oral explanations repeated for every new hire;
• “tricks of the trade” known only by a few key people.

Very concrete consequences:

• new hires take longer to become autonomous;
• managers keep explaining the same things again and again;
• everyone “does it their own way”, which creates inconsistent quality;
• when a key person leaves, a part of the know-how leaves with them.

The real asset of your SME isn’t just your clients or your tools: it’s your people’s know-how and how you share it internally.

AI won’t replace your trainers or experienced staff. But it can become an assistant for structuring and sharing knowledge:

• turning rough notes into clear step-by-step guides;
• generating quick reference sheets for different roles (new salesperson, new admin assistant…);
• creating simple quizzes to check understanding;
• suggesting examples or role-plays based on your real-life situations.

What AI is good at (and what it shouldn’t do)

AI is particularly helpful for:

• summarising: turning long procedures into clear checklists;
• adapting the tone and level: explaining something for a beginner vs. a more experienced profile;
• varying the format: text, multiple-choice questions, scenarios, checklists;
• updating quickly: adjusting a procedure in minutes.

On the other hand, it should not:

• define your business best practices on its own;
• train on sensitive topics without human validation (legal, compliance, HR-sensitive topics, health…);
• replace on-the-job coaching, feedback and human discussion.

The idea is not to create a “100% AI university”, but a structured base that frees up time for real human interaction.

2. Which internal training topics to prioritise with AI

Before thinking about tools, you need to decide where to start. Not all topics are equally suitable for AI-assisted training.

2.1. Target topics that are both repetitive and fairly stable

Start with:

• onboarding for recurring roles (sales, back office, production);
• standard admin procedures (new customer setup, invoicing, expense reports);
• basic customer service rules (tone of voice, main steps, standard replies);
• how to use your core tools (CRM, billing tool, helpdesk system…).

These topics share a few characteristics:

• they are repeated for every new hire;
• they change, but not every week;
• they can be broken down into clear, simple steps with examples.

2.2. Separate what needs to be standardised from what must stay 100% human

For each topic, ask yourself two simple questions:

1. Which parts must be done exactly the same way by everyone? (e.g. new customer setup in the system, confidentiality rules, mandatory legal wording.)
2. Where do we need human judgement, nuance, empathy? (e.g. handling an angry customer, dealing with a sensitive HR situation.)

AI will help most on the first type of content: standardisable, explainable, repeatable. For complex situations, it can suggest scenarios and points to watch, but training and decisions stay human.

Simple rule of thumb: AI for structure and repetition, humans for exceptions and sensitive topics.

3. Building a micro training path with AI: a simple method

You don’t need a full-blown learning management system. A shared folder, a few structured documents and an AI assistant are enough to get started.

Here is a 5-step method, illustrated with one example: training a new team member to handle simple customer emails.

Step 1: pick one clear, narrow topic

Good examples of sufficiently narrow topics:

• “Handle a simple customer request by email”;
• “Create a new customer record in the CRM”;
• “Process a standard supplier invoice”.

Avoid broad, vague topics such as “project management” or “leadership” for your first experiment.

Step 2: gather what you already have

Without inventing anything new, collect:

• past emails that you consider good examples;
• existing snippets of procedures;
• screenshots of your tools;
• a few common mistakes to avoid.

Store them in a folder and copy-paste the key elements into one working document.

Step 3: use AI to structure and produce the training materials

With an AI assistant (ChatGPT, Notion AI or one embedded in your tools), you can:

1. Create a step-by-step guide

   • Input: your description of the process + examples.
   • Prompt example:
     • “Using this information, write a practical guide for a new hire: objective, prerequisites, numbered steps, mistakes to avoid.”

2. Generate response templates

   • Input: 3–5 email examples you like.
   • Prompt example:
     • “Analyse these emails and suggest 3 response templates for: simple information request, minor delivery issue, very upset customer. Keep a professional and empathetic tone.”

3. Create a short quiz

   • Prompt example:
     • “Write 5 multiple-choice questions to check that a new hire has understood the procedure above.”

Your role is to review, correct and validate. AI drafts; you decide.

Step 4: test with one or two people

Before rolling anything out widely:

• pick a recent hire or someone currently learning the role;
• ask them to go through the guide, use the templates and complete the quiz;
• systematically collect feedback:
  • What was clear?
  • What was missing?
  • What did not match reality on the ground?

Refine the materials with AI based on this feedback.

Step 5: standardise and define how to use it

Once this micro training path is validated:

• store all elements in a clear, visible place (shared drive, Notion, simple intranet);
• define who must follow this training (all new service reps, for example);
• clarify when (week 1, after 2 days of shadowing, etc.);
• appoint a content owner responsible for keeping it updated when procedures change.

You now have a reusable training block you can build on.

4. Bringing AI into training without overcomplicating your organisation

A common trap is trying to do everything, too fast:

• launching a big LMS project;
• trying to map the entire employee journey from day one;
• multiplying tools to the point that no one knows where to go.

For SMEs, the key is simplicity:

• leverage tools you already use (Drive, SharePoint, Notion, your CRM);
• use AI primarily to prepare and update content;
• keep formats simple: PDFs, internal web pages, short videos.

How to explain AI to your teams in a reassuring way

To avoid fear or pushback:

• explain that AI does not replace on-the-job training; it prepares it;
• show a concrete before/after example of a procedure improved with AI;
• involve 1–2 team members in reviewing content;
• set clear rules, for example:
  • no AI-generated content is published without human review;
  • sensitive topics are always validated by a subject-matter expert (HR, finance, legal…).

This anchors the idea that AI is an assistant for structure, not a black box making decisions.

Practical section: 7-day action plan

Here is a realistic plan to build your first AI-assisted micro training path in one week.

Day 1: pick the topic

• List 3 recurring internal training topics.
• Select the one that ticks most boxes: frequent, fairly stable, quick impact (e.g. simple customer requests, customer record creation, standard invoices…).

Day 2: collect raw material

• Spend one hour gathering emails, procedures, screenshots, examples.
• Write down the 3 most common mistakes on this topic.

Day 3: create a first draft with AI

• Ask AI to produce:
  • one step-by-step guide;
  • 2–3 message or action templates;
  • 5 control questions.
• Review, correct and adapt the wording to your reality.

Day 4: test with a team member

• Ask them to follow the guide and complete the quiz.
• Collect immediate feedback and list improvement points.

Day 5: improve and freeze version 1

• Refine the content with AI.
• Define usage rules (who, when, how) and write them at the top of the document.

Day 6: organise storage and access

• Create a "Internal Training" folder with a simple structure.
• Add an index page or document listing available training paths.

Day 7: choose the next micro training

• Note 1–2 additional topics to tackle next, using the same approach.
• Share a short message with your teams to explain the initiative.

By repeating this cycle over a few weeks, you will progressively build a living internal academy, simple, structured and easy to maintain.

Conclusion

By using AI as a structuring assistant, you can:

• cut down the time spent repeating the same explanations;
• speed up onboarding for new hires;
• harmonise practices on key tasks;
• secure critical know-how inside the company;
• make teams more autonomous in their learning.

The goal is not to build a complex training system, but to make your knowledge sharable, up to date and accessible, without adding extra complexity.

If you start with one focused micro training path, you will quickly see benefits for both managers and new employees. Then you can extend the approach step by step, keeping people and real-life practice at the centre.

If you want to go further and adapt this approach to your specific context, you can seek support.

If you’d like support with your digital transformation, Lyten Agency can help you identify and automate your key processes. Contact us for a free initial assessment.