The AI transformation playbook you actually need
A structured, practitioner-written guide for senior leadership teams in consumer-facing businesses. From first orientation through to governed experimentation, business case production, and operational scaling. Written for operators, not technologists.
Most AI strategies stall before they start
Leadership teams know AI matters. But the gap between awareness and action is where most businesses get stuck. Too many start with technology instead of business outcomes. Too many run disconnected experiments that never scale. Too many buy tools before understanding what problem they are solving.
This playbook closes that gap. It is a structured methodology for getting from “we know AI is important” to governed experiments producing measurable results, built from real programme experience in retail, hospitality, and consumer brands.
A complete journey, not a collection of tips
16 sections covering every stage from first orientation to operating model. Each section follows the same structure: operating reality, practical method, real examples, common traps, and actionable tools.
Foundation
- Orientation
- Strategic Context
- Readiness Assessment
Discovery
- Opportunity Identification
- Tooling Landscape
Setup
- Programme Structure, Teams and Governance
Experimentation
- Experimentation Framework
- Risk and Governance
- Ethics and Responsible AI
- RAG and Knowledge Systems
Scaling
- Change Management and Adoption
- Scalability Assessment
Operations
- Business Case Production
- Operating Model for AI
One playbook, two paths
The first strategic decision any business needs to make about AI: are you optimising what you already do, or fundamentally changing how you operate? The playbook covers both.
Do what you do, faster and cheaper
AI handles tasks within existing processes. Content generation, data analysis, customer service triage, compliance summarisation. Lower risk, faster payback, works from moderate readiness.
Change how decisions get made
AI reshapes core business processes. Demand planning, pricing, personalisation, operational decision-making. Higher investment, bigger returns, requires stronger foundations.
Where does your organisation stand?
Six questions across the dimensions that determine whether AI programmes succeed or stall. Get your readiness profile in under two minutes.
Data Quality
If you needed a clean dataset of your last 12 months of sales by product and channel, how would that go?
Built by someone who delivers this work
Built on 20 years of major change and transformation programmes, including a decade driving commercial value with predictive analytics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence.
Underpinned by the AI-Enabled Business Transformation Executive Programme, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford.
Get the playbook when it launches
Full playbook + 65+ tools and templates. Launching summer 2026.
Join the waitlist for early access and launch pricing.
