Approach

Eight building blocks in one strategy.

A data and AI strategy, not a data strategy with an AI chapter at the back. Ambition and portfolio are the strategy itself. The four capabilities are built only to the extent the portfolio requires, and they rest on governance and a funded roadmap.

The strategy1. Ambition and directionWhat should data and AI do for the business?

The strategy2. Value portfolioWhich initiatives create the most value, and what are they worth?

Capability3. Data foundationAI-ready data, ownership and data products

Capability4. Platform and architectureTarget architecture, build/buy and agent platform

Capability5. Operating modelOrganisation, roles, sourcing and staffing

Foundation6. Governance, risk and regulationDecisions, controls, AI Act and Data Act

Capability7. People and adoptionLiteracy, change and new ways of working

Foundation8. Roadmap, funding and measurementSequence, investment envelope and KPI tree

Five phases. Five decisions. 12 weeks.

Every phase ends with a decision. Execution is agreed separately afterwards.

Mobilise

Week 0-1

Kickoff with sponsor, scope, stakeholder map, document collection and interview plan

Project charter and steering committee

G0: scope and sponsor in place

Understand

Week 1-4

15-25 interviews, online survey, data and system landscape, current AI use and spend

Maturity heatmap, pain points and long list of opportunities

G1: steering committee approves findings

Prioritise

Week 4-7

Ambition workshop, 3-5 use case workshops, scoring, AI-ready data check, business cases

Ambition, prioritised portfolio and business cases

G2: executive team chooses ambition and portfolio

Design

Week 7-10

Operating model, governance and AI governance, target architecture, literacy and regulation

Operating model, governance model and target architecture

G3: design approved

Anchor

Week 10-12

Roadmap, investment envelope, KPI tree, 100-day plan, presentation to the executive team

The complete strategy and execution plan

G4: go and funding

Execute

Week 13-25 · separate agreement

Lighthouse start-up, PMO, governance in operation, first literacy wave, benefit tracking

The first results and a working governance model

Quarterly portfolio review

Five design principles

Value first

Every foundation initiative points to the use cases it enables and their value in kroner.

Smallest necessary foundation

Data and platform are built in step with the portfolio, not everything first.

The business owns the value

Ownership of data and use cases sits in the business.

Workflows, not tools

An initiative only counts once a process has changed and the effect has been measured.

A living strategy

The portfolio is reprioritised every quarter and the strategy every year.

Maturity in five levels

We score each building block from 1 to 5 per business unit. The target is rarely 5 everywhere: we set the level the portfolio actually requires and repeat the measurement after 12 months.

1Ad hocData and AI are used by enthusiasts without a shared direction.Typically: shadow spreadsheets, private AI accounts

2ExperimentingPilots and tools, but no prioritisation or measurement.Typically: many proofs of concept, few in production

3SystematicShared platform, ownership and portfolio management.Typically: use case process and business cases exist

4ScaledValue is measured and reused, governance works in practice.Typically: AI in core processes, benefits are tracked

5TransformativeData and AI shape the business model.Typically: new products and services built on data and AI

Your effort

Written into the proposal, and the timeline depends on it.

1 hourper week for the sponsor, plus four steering committee meetings

20-30 %of the core team's time for 12 weeks

1 hourper interview and 2-3 half days per workshop participant

Tools you own afterwards

A decision document of 25-40 pages plus the working tools. The strategy must be able to live on without us.

Strategy on one pageSponsor

Use case catalogue with scoring modelPortfolio owner

Business case modelCFO or controlling

Maturity assessment as baselineHead of data and AI

RoadmapPMO

Governance package and AI policyGovernance owner

Literacy plan per roleHR

Plan for the first 100 daysProgramme manager

See a worked example

Other engagements

The framework above applies to the data and AI strategy. The two engagements below each have their own method.

Find the value · 2-6 weeksBusiness processesMapping and understanding your processes so the strategy hits the mark. You cannot redesign work you cannot see.See the method →Make the plan · 10-12 weeksDigital strategy and target architectureTwo lenses and one target architecture. We rethink without bias, respect what you have today, and build the bridge between the two.See the method →

Facing a decision on digital, data and AI?

A new CIO, a new group strategy, an ERP change, many pilots and few in production, or a board asking about AI. Call when the decision is approaching.

Book an introductory meeting