By Janna Pearman Jacobs

OVERVIEW

AI is at the forefront of most organizations’ strategic planning – should we adopt, where should we adopt, and how should we adopt? These are good questions, and there are many unknowns. However, unknowns don’t have to prevent progress; unknowns change the approach you take. Stopping and waiting isn’t always an option, but what does the future look like with so many unknowns? The following outlines how to analyze the situation and make intentional choices.

STRATEGY

• Assess the organization’s current capacity for change. Why start here? Because understanding your organization informs you of weaknesses so you can mitigate them before they impact progress.

• Publish an AI Policy covering what’s currently okay to use versus what needs to wait for future strategic initiatives.

• Assess business processes and identify candidates for AI adoption. Why does this matter? This is the “why” you are adopting AI: to deliver business value. A structured approach informs why resources should be diverted and invested.

• Create an all-encompassing strategic roadmap for the transformations and changes that need to occur.

ASSESSING THE ORGANIZATION’S CURRENT CAPACITY FOR CHANGE

Assess These Core Categories:

• Leadership alignment – Are leaders aligned with vision and priorities?

• Organizational culture – Is there a culture of adaptability and innovation?

• Employee mindset – Are teams open to change, or is there resistance?

• Change history – How has the company handled change in the past?

• Communication strength – Are communication channels effective and trusted?

• Operational Flexibility – Review whether your operations can adapt quickly:

  • Processes – Are workflows rigid or agile?

  • Technology – Do current systems support rapid updates or scaling?

  • Supply chain – Is it resilient and diversified?

  • Decision-making – Is the organization capable of making fast, informed decisions?

• Evaluate Talent & Skills – Understand if your workforce has the capabilities needed for transformation:

  • Skills inventory – Do employees have the skills needed for new strategies?

  • Training programs – Are upskilling/reskilling programs in place?

  • Change agents – Do you have internal champions who can lead change?

• Review Governance and Structure – Ensure governance structures support rather than hinder change:

  • Decision rights – Are the right people empowered to make timely decisions?

  • Accountability – Are roles and responsibilities clearly defined?

  • Agility – Can the org chart flex with changing priorities?

• Test Scenario Planning and Crisis Management – Assess your ability to anticipate and react:

  • Scenario planning – Are there contingency plans for various disruptions?

  • Crisis response – How effective are crisis management protocols?

  • Data and analytics – Can the organization gather and act on insights quickly?

• Engage Stakeholders – Gauge buy-in from key stakeholders:

  • Employees – Do they trust leadership and feel engaged?

  • Customers – How are they impacted by or involved in change?

  • Partners & vendors – Are they adaptable and aligned with your strategy?

• Measure and Monitor – Implement KPIs and feedback loops to track progress:

  • Change adoption metrics – i.e., training completion, behavioral shifts.

  • Business outcomes – i.e., efficiency gains, revenue impact.

  • Employee sentiment – i.e., engagement surveys, attrition rates.

Weight the Results:

• Weight each category by Probability of Occurrence (High/Medium/Low) and Impact on Company (High/Medium/Low).

BUSINESS PROCESS ASSESSMENT

Phase 1: Identify Business Processes and add the following attributes:

• Business process type:

  • Revenue Generating (B2B or B2C?)

  • Non-Revenue generating (back office)

• Business process investment status:

  • Investing in growth or transformation?

  • No longer investing or needing (sunsetting)?

• Business process depends on human labor for:

  • Cognitive – think and make a decision

  • Generative – create new content from existing data

  • Manual – repetitive tasks

• Business process depends on technology for:

  • Systems of record

  • Systems of engagement:

    • Digital barrier to market entry

    • Competitive advantage

    • Industry innovative leader

    • Requirement for doing business

  • Systems of intelligence:

    • Digital barrier to market entry

    • Competitive advantage

    • Industry innovative leader

    • Requirement for doing business

• Expected return: (rate each high, medium, or low)

  • Revenue generation

  • Market share protection

  • Industry innovation

  • Cost savings

• List the direct benefits of adopting AI impacting the areas of expected return.

• Expected costs: (rate each high, medium, or low)

  • People – required skills

  • Timeframe to realize the benefits

  • Financial investment

  • Opportunity cost

Phase 2: Selection:

• Based on analysis of ROI, results from Capacity for Change assessment, and organization’s risk tolerance

• Identify 3-5 long-term investment and low-hanging fruit options for further consideration

BUILDING A TRANSFORMATION ROADMAP

• Use assessment results from Capacity to Change and Business Process selection as a starting point.

• Include scope, time, and resources needed to transform people, processes, technology, governance, organizational change management, and risk mitigation.

• Words of caution: Be disciplined and single-focused on AI adoption. Validate the roadmap and assumptions with a trusted third party.

© 2026 RKC Management Consulting, LLC