AI is getting a ton of hype these days. Opportunities abound for all parts of the organization to deliver more value for less.
But how do you define a smart AI strategy?
How do you leverage the opportunities and avoid the pitfalls in the context of your industry?
For many organizations, consulting is the answer. The right consultancy can help you define your AI strategy—then implement and support it.
Here’s everything you need to know to get started.
What is AI strategy consulting?
AI strategy consulting is the process of working with an expert partner to define how your organization will use AI to support business goals. Depending on your needs, you may work with a consultancy for a one-off engagement or an ongoing relationship. With AI evolving rapidly, many organizations are choosing a recurring services model for AI consulting—but we’ll get to that in a moment.
How is AI adoption going in general?
Survey data shows that business leaders are eager to adopt AI, but they sometimes lack the specific strategy that’s required to see real results. Here are some intriguing findings from an AI adoption study conducted by IBM.
- Only 25% of AI initiatives have delivered expected ROI.
- Only 68% of organizations have clear KPIs to measure ROI from AI initiatives.
- 64% of CEOs admitted that fear of falling behind drives companies to adopt new technology without a clear strategy or business case.
In other words, the opportunity is there—but many organizations aren’t capitalizing on it.
This is why companies turn to consulting. They need experience and guidance to help them articulate an AI strategy that’s highly specific (and applied) in the context of their organization. And they need clear goals and KPIs to help them measure success.
What are the benefits of AI strategy consulting?
Even if you have in-house AI experts, rapid developments in technology may make it difficult for them to keep up. You want a strategic partner who works with many companies in many industries. This way, you get the perspective you need to leverage the full value of AI and avoid the pitfalls.
Specifically, here’s what you get with AI strategy consulting.
1. Broad industry perspective
What are your competitors doing with AI?
What are companies outside your industry doing with AI?
Both questions are essential to defining your AI strategy. Where staff resources may be more focused on your internal processes, a consultancy brings a wider view to the table. The right partner should be able to identify how your industry is using AI and benchmark your current capabilities against these emerging practices. This exercise is critical to uncovering your real opportunities in AI.
2. Access to the latest trends and technologies
What’s going on generally in the world of AI?
What new trends are emerging that may affect your customers, your competitors, and your organization?
What new AI tools are hitting the market that could help you grow and become more efficient?
What existing tools, software, or processes do you have today that can be leveraged with AI integration? Product updates with AI features are happening so fast, it’s hard to stay ahead of what’s coming—let alone know what you can leverage in your existing tech stack.
A consultancy can help answer these questions in the context of your business. Knowledge is power—and without these answers, your AI strategy could be uninformed, leaving value on the table.
3. Avoid the pitfalls
A shortsighted AI strategy or a bad implementation can create risks. A consultancy can help you avoid these issues by planning and implementing your strategy carefully.
We see two common problems when organizations implement AI without expert guidance.
- Dirty data. If you’re going to integrate an AI tool into your existing systems, as you should, then that AI solution will only be as useful as the data you give it. An audit of your data landscape, frequently followed by a data cleanup initiative, is essential to launching AI smoothly. For example, when implementing Microsoft Copilot, the most common problems are dirty data and misconfigured user permissions in Microsoft 365. These issues can affect the integrity and security of your data and Copilot’s output.
- Cybersecurity issues. Believe it or not, jumping into AI without full knowledge can create cybersecurity issues. Specifically, you want to ensure that your chosen AI software provider doesn’t train their solution on user inputs. Tools that do this can reveal your organization’s proprietary information to users outside your team. Learn more here (scroll down to #7): Microsoft Copilot vs. ChatGPT.
How does AI strategy consulting work?
Start with the end in mind. You should know what you’re trying to achieve so you can ask the right questions and examine existing processes in the context of your goals.
Doing this successfully requires a clear workflow. That’s why you’ll get the most out of AI strategy consulting with a clearly defined process. This way, everyone knows what to expect, and you’ve spelled out the deliverables that you want to generate.
Here’s the basic process that we use as a starting point with clients. We tweak things as needed, since no two companies are the same, but this is the backbone of our approach.
- Identify and recruit your company’s AI evangelists. When it comes to your team, who are the early adopters of new technology? These people are more likely to dream big with AI and help you uncover real strategic opportunities. You’ll want to find them and engage them in the consulting process.
- Workshop your AI use cases. PowerPoints and discussions are great, but when it comes to AI, you need to get people working with the tools and exploring real use cases. You’ll want to get your AI evangelists in a room and turn them loose with AI. Ask them which mundane tasks drag them down the most—and ask them to try completing those tasks with AI. You might be surprised at what they come up with.
- Refine your AI use cases. Not every use case from the workshop will be a slam dunk. Some may be low priority or too complex to execute well in your first rollout. (You can save those ones for Phase Two.) Take time to refine, prioritize, and consolidate your use cases into a solid list for your AI launch.
- Articulate a strategic vision for AI. Now you know what problems you’re trying to solve with AI. Consequently, you can define your strategy—both the measure of success and how you’ll get there. Once you know what you want to do with AI specifically, you’re ready to choose the right AI tool(s) for your organization.
Consider one-time vs. recurring consulting
As you can see, this process can help you take the first step (or the next step) with AI.
For some organizations, one consulting engagement may be enough. Perhaps your AI use cases are fairly basic, or your AI opportunities and challenges won’t evolve much over time.
Those situations are the exception. Most organizations will need to evaluate and evolve their AI practice on a continual basis. AI technology and competitive trends aren’t sitting still, and the pace of change will only accelerate as these sophisticated solutions become more widely adopted.
This is why we recommend recurring consulting for most clients. With a regular services agreement for AI strategy consulting, you can take advantage of economies of scale while also staying ahead of continuous change.
What should you look for in an AI strategy consultancy?
Not all consulting companies are equipped to help you with AI strategy. They may specialize in certain technologies or industries. While specialization is important, you want to make sure it’s the right focus for your organization.
Here’s what you should look for.
1. Broad technical knowledge and capabilities
AI touches on specialized disciplines like cybersecurity and data integration. The right AI consultancy should have dedicated expertise in these areas in addition to AI itself.
Here at Corsica, our integrated team of subject matter experts covers a wide range of disciplines.
- Cybersecurity
- Digital transformation
- IT consulting
- Data integration and EDI
- Regulatory compliance
This coverage is essential to implementing AI safely, securely, and with the best possible business value.
2. Experienced in cultural transformation
Every organization experiences change differently. Some team members may embrace new processes, while others may struggle. It’s essential to include all team members in the initiative as early as possible, gaining buy-in, inviting feedback, and ensuring everyone’s concerns are incorporated. A good AI strategy consultant should come to the table with a strong plan to manage the soft side of transformation.
3. 100% predictable monthly pricing + service bundling
If you choose to engage AI consulting services on an ongoing basis, pay attention to your provider’s pricing model. You should insist on 100% predictable monthly pricing, which is what we offer here at Corsica Technologies. This is especially important given how fast AI tech is evolving. You want to solve for the future state and unknown AI capabilities, as these things are guaranteed to change.
Be sure to look at bundling your services as well. The more services you can get from one provider, the more you can leverage economies of scale for cost savings. That’s why we offer comprehensive, flexible service packages that cover IT, cybersecurity, strategic consulting, data integration, and much more. Learn more here: Our Services.
The takeaway: Don’t wait to define your AI strategy
The age of AI is here. The growth opportunities and competitive threats are evolving rapidly. But you don’t want to jump in without a considered approach or a strategic goal. An AI consulting firm like Corsica Technologies can help you uncover your biggest opportunities, implement AI effectively, and transform continuously to stay ahead of the curve. Contact us today, and let’s take your next step.
Ready to create your AI strategy?
Reach out to schedule a consultation with our AI strategy specialists.
