With the current acceleration of AI model development and expanding potential applications, manufacturing SMEs are starting to consider the development and integration of AI-based solutions to support and improve their business and production processes. As such, they are being faced by an ever increasing number of potential solutions as well as rapidly evolving solution development approaches based on new development in the AI field. This led to the question on how to properly start an applied AI project within an SMEs, what elements to consider when defining a potential AI solution to an existing business issues or opportunities, and how to align this project approach to the lifecycle of AI solutions development and implementation.