Service — AI Use Case Portfolio

Stop funding pilots on a hunch. Build a portfolio that compounds.

In 4–6 weeks you walk away with a scored, prioritised shortlist of AI use cases — each with a business case and a clear place on a three-horizon roadmap. So you invest with evidence, not the loudest sponsor's conviction.

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Duration

4–6 weeks

Engagement Type

Strategy Portfolio design

Typical Client

CDO, CIO, Head of AI Organisations with multiple AI initiatives but no portfolio view

Output

Prioritised AI use case portfolio Scored use cases with business cases, three-horizon roadmap, and foundation requirements

The Challenge

Too many pilots. No portfolio view. No compounding.

Most enterprises have a collection of AI initiatives — some strategic bets, some efficiency plays, some bottom-up experiments. But they don't have a portfolio. No common scoring framework. No explicit view of which investments serve which horizon. No way to tell whether the foundation work being done today will actually enable what matters tomorrow.

Without a portfolio discipline, every use case competes on narrative rather than evidence. The loudest sponsor wins, foundation investments get sacrificed for quick wins, and the organisation never builds the compounding capability that separates leaders from followers.

Scattered AI initiatives, no central view

Use cases in flight across multiple teams — nobody can see the full picture or identify overlap and dependencies.

No prioritisation framework

Decisions made by sponsor influence rather than structured scoring. No shared language for comparing opportunities.

Can't size the opportunities

Gut-level conviction that use cases matter, but no rigorous method to estimate value, cost, and feasibility.

Foundation neglect

Short-term pressure kills long-term capability. Data infrastructure and integration work is perpetually deprioritised.

Deliverables

From scattered initiatives to a governed portfolio.

Six deliverables that turn ad-hoc AI activity into a portfolio that compounds.

AI Value Map

Mapping of AI opportunities across your value chain, categorised by top-line value, employee efficiency, and core process optimisation.

Use Case Scoring Matrix

Structured scoring framework covering strategic alignment, feasibility, value potential, and dependency risk — applied to every candidate.

Portfolio Roadmap (3 Horizons)

Visual roadmap balancing near-term delivery, foundation building, and transformative bets — with explicit sequencing logic.

Business Cases (Top 5–8)

Investment-grade business cases for priority use cases: value estimate, cost model, capability requirements, and risk register.

Foundation Requirements

The data, integration, and organisational capabilities required to unlock horizon-two and horizon-three use cases.

Executive Portfolio Brief

Board-ready synthesis: portfolio logic, investment ask, expected returns by horizon, and governance recommendations.

Process

Four to six weeks. Four phases.

Structured to surface the right use cases, score them honestly, and sequence them for compounding value.

Week 1

Align

Discovery & Strategy Alignment

Stakeholder interviews, strategy review. Establish value categories, scoring criteria, and portfolio boundaries.

Week 2–3

Source

Use Case Sourcing

Three-channel discovery: strategy-led workshops, structured SME assessments, and employee-driven input. Build the long list.

Week 3–4

Score

Scoring & Prioritisation

Apply the scoring matrix. Size opportunities. Identify dependencies and foundation requirements.

Week 5–6

Design

Portfolio Design & Roadmap

Build the three-horizon roadmap, write priority business cases, and prepare the executive portfolio brief.

Who It's For

For leaders who need to govern AI investment, not just approve it

Chief Data Officer

Owns the AI programme and needs a defensible portfolio logic to allocate budget and sequence delivery.

CIO

Needs to connect AI demand to infrastructure investment and ensure foundation work is protected.

Head of AI / Data

Managing multiple initiatives without a shared framework — needs structure to prioritise and communicate trade-offs.

VP Strategy

Responsible for ensuring AI investment aligns with corporate strategy and delivers across multiple horizons.

FAQ

Common questions about the AI Use Case Portfolio

What is an AI use case portfolio?

A structured, scored, and sequenced collection of AI initiatives — categorised by value type, prioritised by a common framework, and mapped across near-term, foundation, and transformative horizons. It replaces ad-hoc project approval with governed portfolio management.

How is this different from an AI strategy?

A strategy sets direction and builds the investment case. A portfolio engagement focuses specifically on identifying, scoring, and sequencing the use cases that deliver against that strategy — with enough rigour to govern ongoing prioritisation decisions, not just the initial roadmap.

How do you source use cases across the organisation?

Three channels: strategy-led workshops with leadership to identify where AI creates asymmetric advantage, structured assessments with subject matter experts who know where value is lost in core processes, and bottom-up input from employees who identify opportunities from their daily work.

What happens to use cases that don't make the priority list?

They stay in the portfolio backlog with scores and rationale. As foundations are built and capacity frees up, lower-priority cases move up. The portfolio is designed as a living instrument — not a one-time prioritisation exercise.

How do you prevent foundation investments from being cut?

By making the dependency chain explicit. Every horizon-two and horizon-three use case has documented foundation requirements. When leadership considers cutting infrastructure work, the portfolio shows exactly which future value is at risk — in business terms, not technical ones.

Discuss your portfolio

Get your AI use cases scored — and see what to fund first.

Tell us about your AI ambitions. Sander or Pieter will reach out within one business day to scope a 30-minute portfolio review — tailored to your industry and operating model.

Independent advisory — no software to sell.
4–6 weeks. Prioritised portfolio with business cases.
Confidential. We don't share your information.

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