FAIG · Fisher AI Implementation Gauge · FFSS Suite · Active

Is your business ready
to implement AI responsibly —
and profitably?

Most small and medium businesses are being sold AI before they have the governance, controls, or vendor oversight to use it safely. Monte Fisher — retired CPA, CFE, and independent AI governance advisor — helps you assess where you stand, build what you need, and evaluate vendors without a sales agenda.

Take the Free FAIG Assessment → How Monte helps
46%Cite governance gaps
SMBPrimary focus
$0Vendor relationships
faig_output_sample.json
// FAIG Report — illustrative sample
data_governance: 74/100
security_posture: 68/100
human_oversight: 42/100
vendor_due_diligence: 31/100
org_readiness: 55/100
overall_faig_score: 54/100
tier: "PROCEED_WITH_GUIDANCE"
critical_flag: "vendor_due_diligence"
recommendation: "Talk to Monte"
Who this is for

Built for small and medium businesses
navigating AI adoption right now.

You've heard the pitch. You're evaluating vendors. You're worried about data privacy and liability. And you have nobody independent to turn to — because every AI consultant is trying to sell you something. Monte brings a forensic accountant's lens to AI governance. No product to sell. No vendor kickbacks. Just honest analysis.

✓Small to medium businesses exploring AI tools and automation
✓Companies evaluating AI vendors who need independent due diligence
✓Organizations that deployed AI without governance and now have risk
✓Professional services firms needing client data protection policies
✓Business owners who want to understand AI before committing budget
✓Companies in regulated industries with AI compliance concerns

Monte is independently positioned to guide your AI transformation

Partnered with vetted AI optimization and solution providers, Monte facilitates structured AI evaluations — helping companies go from "we've heard AI is important" to "we know exactly what we need, what it costs, and what risks we're accepting." The same forensic methodology that identifies missed VA claims and tax audit risks applies directly to AI governance gaps. Evidence-based. Controls-focused. Independent.

Free assessment — start here

FAIG — Fisher AI
Implementation Gauge

15 questions. 5 categories. Live score. 5 minutes. No signup. Your answers stay in your browser — nothing is sent anywhere. Take it first — then read what happens next based on your score.

FAIG Self-Assessment · Fisher AI Implementation Gauge
Aligned with NIST AI RMF · COSO · ISO 42001 · SOC 2
0/15
What happens after your score

The assessment is the start.
Here's what comes next.

Your score tells you where you stand. What you do about it is where Monte comes in. The conversation is always free — scope and next steps are agreed together before any work begins. No upfront fees. No pressure.

1

Take the FAIG — get your score

Free. 5 minutes. No signup. Your score across five categories shows exactly where your gaps are.

2

Message Monte with your score

Tell him your score, your industry, and what you're trying to do with AI. He personally reviews every message. The initial conversation is free — no obligation to proceed.

3

Monte assesses your situation

Based on your score, your industry, and your AI plans, Monte identifies which engagement type fits. He explains what it looks like and what it involves before you commit to anything.

4

Scope agreed — work begins

You decide if you want to proceed. Scope is clearly defined. Work begins only after you're comfortable with what's involved. No surprises, no scope creep, no pressure.

5

Deliverable — framework, report, or vendor introduction

Depending on the engagement: a written governance framework, a vendor evaluation report, or a facilitated introduction to a vetted AI solution partner. You leave with something concrete and actionable.

Three ways Monte helps

Pick the engagement that fits
where you are right now.

Not every organization needs the same thing. Monte assesses your situation in the initial conversation and recommends which engagement makes sense. All three start with a free conversation.

ENGAGEMENT A

Governance Framework Build

You're deploying or planning to deploy AI and you don't have documented policies, data handling rules, or human oversight procedures. Monte builds them with you.

  • AI data governance policy
  • Acceptable use guidelines for staff
  • Human oversight and audit procedures
  • Vendor data handling requirements
  • Incident response and rollback plan
Deliverable: Written governance framework · Aligned with NIST AI RMF and COSO
ENGAGEMENT B

Vendor Due Diligence

You're evaluating specific AI tools or vendors and want an independent forensic review before you sign anything or share any data. Monte runs structured due diligence.

  • Data practices and LLM usage review
  • SOC 2 and security certification verification
  • Sub-processor and data flow analysis
  • Contract terms — data deletion, breach notification
  • Explainability and auditability assessment
Deliverable: Written vendor evaluation report · Proceed / Caution / Do Not Proceed
ENGAGEMENT C

AI Solution Facilitation

You need to find the right AI solution. Monte facilitates a structured evaluation process, introduces vetted AI optimization partners, and helps you decide without being sold to.

  • Requirements and use case scoping
  • Vetted AI partner introductions
  • Structured vendor evaluation coordination
  • Independent scoring of vendor responses
  • Final recommendation with documented rationale
Facilitation fee disclosed upfront · No vendor kickbacks · Same model as tax CPA referral

Not sure which fits? Message Monte — he'll tell you after a short free conversation.

Free resource

Free AI Vendor Due Diligence
Checklist — get it now

Before you sign up for any AI tool that touches your business data, run it through this checklist. It's the same framework Monte uses in Engagement B vendor reviews — simplified for internal use. Most businesses find they can't answer half the questions. That's the point.

Free · No Signup Required

AI Vendor DDQ — Fisher Due Diligence Checklist

20 questions your team should be able to answer about every AI vendor before you commit. Covers data handling, security certifications, LLM usage, sub-processors, and contract terms.

Where does our data go?
Is our data used for model training?
Do they hold SOC 2 Type II?
Who are their sub-processors?
What happens to our data if we cancel?
Can we audit AI outputs?
What's their breach notification timeline?
Is there a human oversight mechanism?
Get the Full Checklist via WhatsApp →

Monte sends the full 20-question checklist as a PDF. Free. No obligation. Takes 30 seconds.

Five pillars

What FAIG measures.
What most businesses skip.

DATA

Data governance

Where does your data go? Who processes it? Is it used to train vendor models?

SECURITY

Security posture

SOC 2, sub-processors, access controls. Do AI vendors meet your security bar?

OVERSIGHT

Human oversight

Is there a human in the loop? Can you audit AI decisions? Can you roll back?

VENDOR

Vendor due diligence

Are you evaluating AI vendors the way you'd evaluate a financial auditor?

READINESS

Org readiness

Do you have the policies, roles, and change management to govern AI post-deployment?

Aligned frameworks

FAIG is built on
established standards.

NIST AI RMF

NIST AI Risk Management Framework

US government AI risk standard. FAIG scoring aligns with NIST's Govern and Measure functions.

COSO + AICPA

COSO Internal Control for Generative AI

Published 2026. COSO's proven Internal Control framework applied to generative AI. AICPA-aligned.

ISO 42001

ISO/IEC 42001:2023

International AI management standard. Now required for EU AI Act compliance.

SOC 2

SOC 2 Trust Services Criteria

FAIG vendor due diligence section checks whether your AI vendors meet SOC 2 Security criteria as a baseline.

The analyst

Monte Fisher,
CPA (Ret.) · CFE

Monte Fisher
Monte Fisher
CPA · Texas (Retired) CFE · ACFE 25+ Yrs Analytics AI Governance No Vendor Agenda

Monte brings a forensic accountant's lens to AI governance — the same skepticism, evidence-weighting, and controls-focused mindset he applies to VA claims and tax forensics. He helps small and medium businesses evaluate AI vendors, build governance frameworks, and navigate AI transformation without being sold to.

He is independently positioned — partnered with vetted AI optimization and solution providers but holding no equity, receiving no vendor commissions, and disclosing all facilitation arrangements upfront. No product to sell. No vendor kickbacks. Honest forensic analysis of your actual situation.

Email Monte
FAQ

Common questions.

Is the FAIG assessment really free?
Yes. The entire assessment runs in your browser. No data is sent anywhere. No email required. If your score is high, you may not need further help. If it's low, now you know why and can decide whether to start a conversation with Monte.
What does the initial conversation cost?
Nothing. The initial conversation — where Monte reviews your FAIG score, asks about your situation, and explains what engagement type might fit — is always free. No work begins and no fees are discussed until you understand exactly what's involved and decide you want to proceed.
Does Monte have a financial relationship with any AI vendors?
Monte is partnered with vetted AI solution providers and earns a disclosed facilitation fee when he refers clients to those partners under Engagement C. This is always disclosed before any introduction is made — the same model as his tax CPA referral. He does not receive vendor commissions, hold equity in AI companies, or accept payment to recommend specific products. Engagements A and B are completely independent of any vendor relationship.
How is a forensic CPA qualified to advise on AI governance?
AI governance failures are fundamentally controls failures. The questions that prevent AI governance disasters are: Where is the accountability? Who owns the data? Can you audit the decision? Can you roll back a bad outcome? These are audit questions, not technology questions. Monte's 25 years of forensic accounting experience is exactly the right lens — and it's a perspective most technology consultants simply don't have.
Can Monte help with VA claims AND AI governance?
Yes. Many of Monte's VA clients are also business owners or defense contractors with AI governance questions. Monte handles both through the Fisher Forensic Scoring Suite — same analyst, same forensic methodology, different domains.
AI transformation series

Industry-specific guides —
free to read, no signup.

Practical AI transformation analysis for specific industries — fleet and logistics, professional services, supply chain, healthcare operations, and regulated industries. Written from a forensic accountant's perspective, not a vendor's.

ARTICLE 1 · LIVE

Fleet & Fuel Management AI 2026

Fuel savings, predictive maintenance, fraud detection, and integrated fleet ecosystems — what's actually working for fleet operators right now.
ARTICLE 2 · COMING SOON

AI for Professional Services

How law firms, accounting practices, and consulting firms are deploying AI without compromising client confidentiality.

ARTICLE 3 · COMING SOON

Supply Chain & Logistics AI

Vendor risk, inventory intelligence, and demand forecasting — where AI delivers real ROI in complex supply chains.

ARTICLE 4 · COMING SOON

AI for Healthcare Operations

Scheduling, billing, and clinical documentation AI — with the governance requirements HIPAA-covered organizations must meet first.

All articles published at fishergovernance.ai

Important disclosures & disclaimers

Educational purposes only. The FAIG assessment and all content on this page is for general educational purposes only. It is not legal advice, technical consulting advice, or a formal governance audit.

Not a certification. A FAIG score does not constitute certification or compliance under any framework (NIST, COSO, ISO, SOC 2). It is an educational self-assessment tool calibrated against those frameworks.

Facilitation disclosure. Monte Fisher earns a facilitation fee when clients are introduced to AI solution partners under Engagement C. This is always disclosed before any introduction is made.

Consult qualified professionals. For formal AI governance audits, legal compliance opinions, or technology implementation decisions, always engage qualified professionals in your jurisdiction.