ActiveHub

Illustrative example — not client work

AI & Automation Roadmap Example

See how ActiveHub can turn a long list of plausible AI and automation initiatives into a practical sequence of foundations, pilots, decisions and deliberately deferred investments.

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Executive recommendation

What should this business do next?

The business has several plausible AI, automation and software initiatives.

The main challenge is not identifying more possibilities.

It is deciding:

  • what should start now
  • what must happen before other initiatives
  • which ideas should be tested
  • which investments require evidence first
  • what should deliberately wait

The recommendation is not to launch all initiatives in parallel.

The business should start with a small number of foundations and evidence-generating activities.

Those results should determine what deserves expansion.

Two principles guide the roadmap:

Sequence matters. A good initiative started too early can still be the wrong next step.

Do the work that reduces uncertainty first. Commit later when there is evidence.

Now / Next / Later roadmap

  1. Now

    Foundations and evidence generation

    Establish foundations

    • approved AI-use rulesStart now
    • process standardisationStart now
    • internal knowledge cleanupStart now
    • management-information improvementStart now

    Generate evidence

    • routine document-drafting pilotPilot
    • prepare meeting-summary usePrepare now
    • establish pilot baselines

  2. Next

    Evaluation and selective pilots

    Evaluate and test

    • evaluate document-drafting pilotEvaluate
    • introduce controlled meeting-summary assistancePilot / controlled adoption
    • pilot enquiry administration automationPilot
    • test internal knowledge searchPilot
    • evaluate customer-management solutionsEvaluate
    • selectively improve management reportingPrepare / selectively automate

  3. Later

    Expansion only where evidence supports it

    Expand only where justified

    • expand successful AI usesExpand if proven
    • broaden proven process automationExpand if proven
    • introduce integrations where neededEvaluate later
    • revisit advanced automationDefer

    Continue to defer

    • custom AI developmentDo not prioritise
    • core-system replacementDo not prioritise

    unless later evidence materially changes the case.

Initiative portfolio

The roadmap considers twelve initiatives.

InitiativeInitial statusPrimary purpose
Establish approved AI-use rulesStart nowCreate practical boundaries for responsible AI use
Pilot routine document draftingPilotTest whether AI meaningfully improves repetitive drafting
Improve internal knowledge structureStart nowMake source material more reliable and usable
Introduce meeting-summary assistancePrepare nowEnable controlled administrative use once rules are ready
Standardise enquiry and quotation processStart nowCreate clear process rules before automation
Automate routine enquiry administrationPrepare nowReduce repetitive work after process rules stabilise
Review customer-management solution optionsEvaluateDetermine whether current tools adequately support the requirement
Improve management-information qualityStart nowImprove reliability before reporting automation
Test internal knowledge searchPrepare nowValidate usefulness once source material is sufficiently clean
Revisit advanced workflow automationDeferWait for stable processes and evidence
Custom AI applicationDo not prioritiseNo demonstrated need that justifies custom development
Core-system replacementDo not prioritiseNo demonstrated case for broad replacement

An initiative to start now

Initiative 5

Standardise enquiry and quotation process

Start now

Objective

Clarify the operating process before introducing automation.

Define:

  • required enquiry information
  • qualification steps
  • ownership
  • quotation structure
  • approval points
  • follow-up
  • process statuses
  • exception handling

Why now?

This is the foundation for useful enquiry automation.

Without clear rules, automation would reinforce inconsistent behaviour.

Dependency

Automation of enquiry administration depends on this work.

Customer-management solution evaluation also benefits from clearer requirements.

Expected outcome

The business can describe how the process should work without referring to a particular software product.

Decision gate

Are the important process rules stable enough to automate?

If no

Fix the process first.

If yes

Identify the routine steps suitable for selective automation.

An initiative for the next horizon

Initiative 9

Automate routine enquiry administration

Pilot

Objective

Automate selected low-judgement process steps.

Possible examples include:

  • structured enquiry capture
  • completeness checks
  • routine missing-information requests
  • follow-up scheduling
  • status updates where reliable

What should remain human

Do not automate:

  • commercial qualification
  • pricing exceptions
  • final quotation approval
  • ambiguous situations

Dependency

Requires stable process rules from Horizon 1.

Expected outcome

Less repetitive administration and more consistent process handling.

Decision gate

Are the automation rules stable and are exceptions handled reliably?

If no

Reduce scope or return to process clarification.

If yes

Consider selective expansion.

Decision gates

Gate 1

Did the AI pilot create material value?

If no

  • stop
  • modify
  • narrow the use

If yes

Consider controlled expansion.

Gate 2

Are process rules stable enough to automate?

If no

Fix the process first.

If yes

Automate selected routine steps.

Gate 3

Is source information reliable enough?

If no

Improve information quality.

If yes

Test AI-enabled search or reporting assistance.

Gate 4

Do existing tools meet the need?

If yes

Use existing capability.

If no

Evaluate alternatives.

Gate 5

Is broader investment justified?

Consider:

  • evidence
  • business value
  • change burden
  • supplier dependency
  • cost
  • risk

If no

Defer.

If yes

Proceed to proportionate evaluation and validation.

What should wait?

Several initiatives are plausible.

That does not make them immediate priorities.

Custom AI development

RecommendationDo not prioritise

There is no demonstrated requirement that justifies custom development.

Test simpler options first.

Core-system replacement

RecommendationDo not prioritise

There is no evidence that replacing core systems is currently necessary.

Improve processes, information and use of existing capability before considering broader replacement.

End-to-end process automation

RecommendationDefer

The enquiry/quotation process needs clearer rules first.

Automate selected steps after standardisation.

Broad AI rollout

RecommendationDefer until initial uses are proven

The business should not treat initial interest as evidence that every employee or function needs AI.

Use pilot results to determine where wider adoption is justified.

Sophisticated reporting automation

RecommendationFix information first

If source data is inconsistent, faster reporting will not necessarily produce better management information.

Major integration programme

RecommendationDefer

Introduce deeper system connections only where a demonstrated workflow problem justifies them.

Recommended immediate decision

Need a clear sequence for AI and automation decisions?

This example shows one way a roadmap can be presented. The priorities, dependencies and decision gates in a real engagement are based on the business's own processes, information, existing tools and evidence.

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