AI Adoption Consulting
The problem
Most teams stall in the gap
Early AI use comes from individuals working with tools on their own. Most value comes once AI is embedded in how the organization works. Between the two is the gap where AI adoption commonly stalls.
Where most
teams start
Individuals run pilots and produce small wins drafting, summarizing, ad-hoc productivity. Useful, but isolated and hard to measure.
Key gap
Pilots that don’t scale. Governance that doesn’t form.
Where most value
comes from
AI is embedded in teams and processes, governed and secured, with agents handling end-to-end workflows across the organization.
Why apply
Six steps, two phases
AI doption consultants at 180 Systems work through six steps: first building the foundation and proving value, then scaling what works across the organization.
Phase 1: Foundation
Where most teams start
Productivity first. Set ownership, define use cases, and pilot before scaling.
1. Build a team
Appoint an AI lead and department owners
2. Gather requirements
Workshops and process reviews to define use cases
3. Platform & implementer selection
Choose the fit for your business and security needs
4. Pilot small use cases
Test workflows and confirm value before scaling
Phase 2: Scale
Scale what works
Organization-wide use. Embed AI in teams and processes, and automate with agents.
5. Expand to the organization
Embed AI in teams and business processes
6. Build & deploy AI agents
Automate end-to-end workflows that scale
Phase 2 is where most value comes from, and where most teams need support to get across the gap.
Phase 1
Building the foundation
The work that comes first: ownership, requirements, platform selection, and a pilot to confirm the case.
1. Build a team
- Appoint a lead and department leads for your AI implementation
- Lead can be internal or external it’s a major time commitment
- Develop the project plan and timeline
2. Gather requirements
- Workshops with leadership and middle management
- Business process reviews with end users
- Define use cases and the business case for using AI
3. Platform & implementer selection
- Different platforms suit different tasks – choose the right fit
- Account for confidential information and security
- Implementers should have industry experience and references
4. Pilot small use cases
- Pick a small use case and pilot it
- Build your prompts
- Test existing workflows and the problems you want to eliminate
How we evaluate
Evaluating AI platforms and implementers
The work that comes first: ownership, requirements, platform selection, and a pilot to confirm the case.
No single AI platform fits every business. The right choice depends on your use cases, your data, and your security requirements. Our AI adoption consultants run a structured, weighted evaluation so the decision is documented and made on your criteria.
We score each option against a defined set of criteria, weight them to your priorities, and apply the same assessment to the implementer as to the platform. We advise and recommend; the client makes the final decision.
Phase 2
Scaling across the organization
Once the foundation is in place, we expand the platform organization-wide and build the agents that automate defined workflows.
Expand the platform
1. Confirm and purchase licensing requirement
2. Complete policy documents, including confidential information and sources
3. Develop personalization and script instructions, and roll out to employees
Build & deploy AI agents
1. Start with larger, enterprise use cases
2. Deploy agents across the organization with roles, security, and access
3. Manage, monitor, and continuously refine agents for performance
Example
AI Implementation Example
WaterLAB
Design & drafting
assistant
Custom water features
AI-assisted design and drafting workflows for custom water features.
Faster design cycles
Data migration
Legacy → Target
mapping
ERP implementation
AI-supported mapping from legacy system fields to target ERP database formats.
ERP go-live in 4 weeks
180 Systems internal
Review & Analysis
automation
Advisory work
AI-supported business process reviews, RFP generation, financial tracking, document review, work instructions, and test scripts.
Faster time-to-value
Frequently Asked Questions: AI Adoption Consulting
Q: What is AI adoption consulting?
A: AI adoption consulting is a structured service that takes an organization from isolated AI experiments to governed, measurable, organization-wide use.
Q: Why do most AI initiatives stall?
A: The gap between individual use and enterprise deployment is not driven by technology. It is driven by a lack of structure, ownership, and alignment. Pilots do not scale and governance does not form.
Q: How does 180 Systems select an AI platform?
A: No single platform fits every business. 180 Systems runs a weighted evaluation scoring each platform and implementer against defined criteria, including use cases, data, and security. The client makes the final decision.
Q: Is 180 Systems tied to any AI vendor?
No. 180 Systems is vendor-neutral and takes no vendor compensation, so the recommendation is based on the client’s requirements rather than a sale.
Q: What are the six steps of the AI adoption model?
A: Build a team, gather requirements, select platform and implementer, pilot small use cases, expand across the organization, and build and deploy AI agents.