AI strategy and readiness

Which AI use case is worth funding?

We assess business value, data reality, delivery risk and operating cost—then define which use case is worth testing first.

Review your use cases Try the readiness check
  • Two-week decision brief
  • Five readiness dimensions
  • Pilot with stop/go criteria
Opportunity review Decision brief
Candidate Value Feasibility Decision
Customer inquiry triage High High Pilot candidate
Demand forecasting High Medium Validate data
Content support Medium High Controlled quick win
Illustrative output. Your shortlist is based on your processes, systems and evidence.

Before a pilot

The expensive mistake is choosing the wrong problem

Most AI initiatives do not need another tool first. They need a clear decision about the process, the evidence and the person who owns the outcome.

  1. Priority

    A long idea list is not a roadmap

    We compare opportunities against the same commercial and technical criteria instead of following the loudest request.

  2. Data

    A demo can hide the data work

    We check access, quality, ownership and retention before a pilot depends on data that cannot be used reliably.

  3. Measure

    A prototype is not a result

    A baseline, target metric and review date are agreed before implementation starts.

  4. Ownership

    No model runs itself in production

    Approvals, monitoring, escalation and cost ownership are part of the design—not tasks left for later.

One comparison, not ten opinions

How we choose the first use case

Every candidate is reviewed with the same questions. The result may be “pilot”, “prepare the data” or “do not invest yet”.

Swipe horizontally to compare all criteria.

CriterionQuestionEvidenceDecision signal
Business valueWhich cost, delay or risk changes?Volume, handling time, failure costA measurable baseline exists
Data readinessCan the required data be used?Access, quality, ownership, retentionNo critical dependency is hidden
Delivery fitCan the workflow be changed safely?Integrations, review steps, exceptionsA bounded pilot is possible
Operating riskWho controls quality and cost?Owner, limits, monitoring, escalationProduction responsibility is clear

A high-value idea can still be the wrong first pilot when its data or operating model is not ready.

Quick self-assessment

Five questions before you fund a pilot

This is a directional check, not a sales score. Choose the answer that reflects today’s reality.

Questions answered 0/5
01Is the business problem measurable today?
02Can the required data be accessed lawfully and reliably?
03Does one person own the operational outcome?
04Can a human review exceptions during the pilot?
05Is there a date and rule for a stop/go decision?

Answer all five questions to see the most sensible next step.

The result is indicative. Security, compliance and data quality still require review in your specific environment.

Two-week assessment

A decision package your team can use

The engagement starts with a bounded assessment. Pilot delivery and rollout remain separate decisions.

  1. Days 1–3

    Frame the decision

    We interview the people who own the process and agree what value, failure and acceptable risk mean.

  2. Days 4–7

    Test the assumptions

    We review workflow, data, systems, controls and cost drivers for the strongest candidates.

  3. Days 8–10

    Make the recommendation

    You receive a ranked shortlist, pilot scope, budget range and explicit stop/go criteria.

Control before scale

Guardrails belong in the operating model

Instead of treating governance as a final approval, we define who decides, what evidence is reviewed and when the pilot must stop.

Swipe horizontally to review the full control model.

Decision areaControlEvidenceStop condition
Data useApproved sources and retention rulesData inventory and access logUnapproved personal or confidential data
Output qualityHuman review for defined exceptionsSample review and error categoriesCritical error exceeds the agreed limit
Operating costUsage and unit-cost limitsWeekly cost reportCost per completed task exceeds target
OwnershipNamed business and technical ownersReview log and escalation pathNo owner can approve corrective action

A useful starting point

When this assessment makes sense

The goal is an honest investment decision. Sometimes the right result is to fix the foundation before building anything.

Good fit

You have a real decision to make

  • Several AI ideas compete for budget or attention
  • A process owner can provide evidence and context
  • You want measurable pilot criteria before committing
Clarify first

The foundation still needs an owner

  • There is no defined business problem yet
  • Required data cannot currently be accessed
  • Nobody can own the workflow after the demo

Practical questions

Before we start

A few boundaries make the assessment faster and more useful.

Do we need to have selected an AI platform?

No. Platform selection comes after the workflow, data requirements and operating constraints are understood.

Can you assess an existing pilot?

Yes. We can review its baseline, measured result, data dependencies, cost and production controls before a rollout decision.

Does the assessment include implementation?

No. It produces the decision package and a bounded pilot scope. Implementation is commissioned separately only if the case is strong enough.

Who should participate?

Usually the process owner, one technical lead, a person responsible for data or security, and the budget owner.