AI & Automation – from AI strategy to working solution

AI and automation create value where processes are repetitive, knowledge-intensive or high-volume — typically customer service, finance, IT support, sales and documentation. Real value only emerges when the technology is embedded in business flows, measured against clear KPIs and combined with training. The potential depends on current processes, volumes, data quality, integrations, implementation, user adoption and organisational maturity.

ROI is measured through time saved per process, lower cost per case, higher conversion, improved CSAT and reduced attrition. Establish a baseline before the pilot, measure the same KPIs at 3, 6 and 12 months and include both hard costs (licenses, integration, operations) and soft effects (quality, risk reduction). Don't justify ROI against license cost — justify it against business impact.

Start by clarifying the business problem and which KPI it must move. Validate data quality, ownership and legal basis under GDPR. Define responsibility for model choice, integrations, security, operations and decommissioning. Start narrow with a measurable pilot — not a broad platform purchase.

Where is data stored, who has access and under which jurisdiction? Are your models trained on our data? Which certifications (ISO 27001, SOC 2, ISAE 3402) do you hold? What does exit, data portability and pricing look like in 3 years? Who is liable for incorrect output, a data breach or a vendor change?

Evaluate across four dimensions: business impact (KPIs), technical fit (integration, security), legal (GDPR, IP, liability) and vendor risk (financial strength, lock-in, exit). Use a structured scoring matrix and assess at least three alternatives. An independent advisor makes the comparison transparent and the decision defensible.

Encryption at rest and in transit, role-based access, logging of prompts and responses, handling of personal data, separation of customer and training data, model review, vulnerability management and incident response. The requirements must be contractually binding — not merely referenced from a vendor security page.