AI strategy

AI strategy

We provide AI strategy consulting that results in a finished product rather than a report. Our services include readiness assessments, roadmaps, and business cases. These are designed by the same team that handles the technical delivery.

Summary

Strategy that must remain effective through implementation

Our AI strategy consulting answers four specific questions. We identify where AI creates value in your business and determine if your data can support those goals. We then decide which projects to build first and calculate the costs and returns for each stage. The final result is a sequenced roadmap with a business case for every step rather than a general vision document.

People who do not build AI systems write most AI strategies. These documents are often easy to read but fail to produce results because the authors do not have to manage the practical consequences of their assumptions. Our engineers and consultants write our strategies and also deliver the first phase of the project. This approach changes the advice significantly. We identify specific dependencies and provide realistic timelines. If your current data cannot support a specific use case, we move that task to the second phase and prioritise the necessary data work in the first phase.

Strategy is where we are most likely to decline a project. If AI does not solve the specific problem you presented, or if the underlying foundation requires improvement before other work can begin, the strategy will state that clearly. Providing this information now is less expensive than discovering it after the system has launched.

What you get

The scope of our AI strategy

AI readiness assessment

We assess your data, systems, skills, and governance to find out what they can support at present. You may complete the free self-assessment to receive an initial report.

Roadmap and sequencing

This section describes what to build and the sequence of development. It pinpoints dependencies for each step and orders tasks so that the initial revenue or results finance later phases.

Business case for each step

It details the value of each use case, the costs to develop and operate it, and the break-even point. These figures give a basis for board review.

Implementation planning

The transition from strategy to technical systems involves selecting platforms, establishing governance, defining team structures, and managing the handover into AI development.

Proof

Proof it works

Working with the team at Shipshape has been really positive. The team were very flexible in addressing our requests. When we encountered problems, they rolled up their sleeves and found solutions for us.

Edt Goris, Partner and Country GM at Slimstock
Read the Slimstock case study

1.5 days a week

cut from the weekly workload at Smarter Services, by prioritising data before choosing tools.

60% of tickets

processed to meet a human standard at 1NCE, marking the first win on a sequenced roadmap.

11 languages

answered continuously at Slimstock. The approach moved to production with the same team.

Method

How a strategy engagement operates

  1. An honest assessment of readiness

    We assess data, systems, skills, and governance in relation to the requirements of AI in production. This process uncovers potential issues while keeping costs low.

  2. Value mapping

    Determine where AI can be applied throughout your operations. Each opportunity receives a score based on its potential value, technical feasibility, and the quality of your current data.

  3. Sequence and business case

    A roadmap arranged so that the first step finances the second. It includes written documentation of the costs, returns, and dependencies for each step.

  4. Board-ready, builder-ready

    This document is appropriate for both board members and developers. It provides the clarity needed for executive approval and the technical detail required to start development immediately.

  5. Project delivery

    The team that created the strategy also completes the initial build. This ensures that the original plans are executed accurately during the development process.

The test

How to assess an AI strategy consultant

A large number of AI strategy consultants operate in the market, and their presentations frequently appear identical. You can tell them apart by posing four questions:

Will they examine your data prior to offering recommendations? A strategy built without analysing the underlying data is just an essay. The state of your data decides which projects can be undertaken, the order they should follow, and the overall cost.

Does the roadmap sequence produce its own funding? A successful AI strategy begins with a quick, measurable win that funds later phases. If all significant outcomes happen in the second year, you ought to reassess the aim of the first year.

Would they build it? Enquire whether the consultancy would commit to delivering the first phase of the project at the price and timeline outlined in their strategy. Watch how this query influences the confidence of the participants in the room.

Can the consultant refuse? A strategy firm that has never counselled a client against building AI acts as a sales team. Certain issues need a report, a process change, or no action. Your consultant must have the authority to offer these options.

Maturity

Moving from an initial pilot to full AI maturity

AI maturity is not measured by the number of models you operate; it is judged by how consistently the entire loop functions: data in, decisions out, results measured, systems improved. Our maturity assessment positions you on that curve truthfully, whether you are pre-first-pilot or have AI in production and are questioning why it has plateaued.

Your strategy should reflect your present stage. If you are beginning for the first time, concentrate on achieving a small initial success with data that is already prepared. If you are rebuilding after a failed attempt, you need to repair the foundation first, because foundational issues usually caused the earlier failure. If you are scaling, you must set up governance, evaluation methods, and an operating model. These systems enable you to convert a single working project into a broader organisational capability. The most common mistake is proposing a strategy that does not align with the current stage. You can prevent this by determining your position before you start. The readiness assessment requires ten minutes to complete and will identify your stage.

AI maturity curve diagram showing four stages from first pilot to first production win, measured and governed AI, and AI as an organisational capability
The AI maturity curve: the readiness assessment places you on it, and the strategy differs by stage.
FAQ

Commonly asked questions

What does AI strategy consulting involve?

AI strategy consulting consists of identifying where AI provides value for a business, determining if existing data is sufficient, selecting initial projects, and calculating the total costs and returns. Shipshape Data provides a sequenced roadmap that includes a business case for every stage. This plan is created by the same team responsible for the technical delivery.

Do you need an AI strategy before you start building?

You need a strategy that is sufficient to identify the first problem you should solve and to confirm that your data is adequate. This process can sometimes be a two-week assessment rather than a six-month programme. We will provide an honest recommendation based on your specific situation, as we prefer to build a functional product instead of selling an unnecessarily long engagement.

What is an AI readiness assessment?

A structured look at your data, systems, skills, and governance that scores how ready each is to support AI in production. It surfaces the gaps that would sink a build before money is spent on one. You can take our free self-assessment online, or we run a deeper version as the first step of an engagement.

How does your AI strategy differ from a large consultancy's?

Our AI strategy process differs from that of large consultancies because the people who design our strategies are the same people who implement them. This structure ensures that we only propose solutions that are practical to build. Every recommendation includes a list of necessary dependencies, and we sequence the roadmap so that initial phases generate the funding for subsequent steps. We deliver these strategies within weeks rather than months.

What is the price of an AI strategy engagement?

The cost is lower than the expense of a failed development project. We determine the scope after an initial discussion and provide a fixed price based on specific outcomes. These deliverables include readiness scores, a sequenced roadmap, and a business case for each stage. The initial scoping conversation is free and results in a direct quote.

What occurs once the strategy is complete?

Ideally, the same team delivers the first build. The strategy identifies an initial project with a clear return on investment, and most clients proceed immediately to delivery. If you choose a different team, the roadmap is designed so that any qualified group can build it, including all necessary dependencies.

It is most cost-effective to adjust an AI plan before it is developed. Tell us about your current situation, and we will explain what a strategy would include and whether your organisation requires one.

Next steps

What occurs when you get in touch with us

  1. You describe your current situation

    Inform us of what you have tried so far, the options you are weighing, and your deadline. Only a few lines in the form are required. We will send a personal reply, usually within one working day.

  2. A scoping conversation

    We will allocate thirty minutes to discuss your data, your goals, and your limitations. No slide deck or sales pitch will be presented.

  3. A direct response

    We will give a written explanation of whether you need a complete strategy, a readiness assessment, or an initial build, and include the specific cost for each option.

If you are not prepared to speak with us, you may use the free AI readiness assessment. It takes about three minutes to complete and gives a score of your current status. Providing contact information is not required.

Start at your core.

Tell us where your data is today and what you want AI to do. We'll come back with a straight answer on what your foundation needs and where the quickest real win is.

Talk to us