AI Readiness: here's how to make a difference today 

Deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer something for the future for many organizations - with AI, they are already building business success today. At the same time, we see the same questions coming back to many organizations: How can AI really help us, and where do we start? How do we take AI beyond a few pilots? How do we do it in a way that suits our organization? And what are the risks? 

At ConQuaestor Management Consulting, we see both sides every day: the enthusiasm and the reluctance. That's why we developed an AI Readiness Scan that gives direct and concrete insights into your starting point and helps you take targeted steps. 

In this interview, Mariska Seijsener (Managing Partner), Sander Vlasveld (Partner Data, AI & Technology) and Marten van der Zee (Senior Manager Data & AI) share their vision, and most importantly what you can already do today to stay ahead tomorrow.

Why is AI such an important issue for organizations right now? 

Mariska: "For a long time, AI was something for tech giants with huge budgets. Now organizations are in a new era, because with the increasingly accessible technology, the increasing use of known generative AI tools, and the embedding of AI into existing applications, the benefits of AI have become feasible for many more organizations." 

"AI offers many opportunities - think smarter processes, better customer interactions, or faster insight into complex data. But without a clear ambition, thorough preparation and executable plan, disappointment lurks. That's why we help companies not only get excited, but more importantly, be well prepared and realize the impact permanently."  

What are the biggest technological challenges? 

Sander: "In practice, technology alone rarely proves to be the biggest challenge in implementing AI. The real obstacles are often deeper in the fundamentals of the organization. Think of problems with the underlying data, a fragmented IT landscape, insufficient governance, or an organizational culture in which data-driven work has not yet been widely embraced. Many organizations do have large amounts of data, but lack consistency, accessibility or the confidence to extract value from it. This is precisely why it is important to approach AI more broadly than just from a technology perspective." 

"Implementation of AI is not an implementation project with a fixed end date. This is why we always start with a thorough analysis: how mature is the organization in key areas? We assess the organization's AI maturity in terms of data, technology, processes, culture and leadership, i.e. including the support and mindset within the organization. Only then do we build something that will continue to work."  

What determines the success of AI adoption? 

Marten: "Our experience shows that the success of AI adoption is largely determined by how an organization manages its data and has that data in order. We see that reliable, well-structured data and clear governance are essential for AI to actually deliver value. Without a clear and sufficiently complete data model, ownership and quality assurance on data, AI initiatives often remain stuck in the pilot phase. A solid data foundation gives AI a foundation to build on." 

Sander adds: "Transition to working with AI, often in combination with the desire to become more data-driven, requires team effort: it requires involvement of business and IT, and a culture in which experimentation and learning are central. We guide organizations from strategy to implementation, and are standardly involved in aftercare. We can also take on part of the implementation. This is how we make it tangible, permanent and scalable." 

What exactly does your AI Readiness Scan entail? 

"It's a scan of all the domains that determine the success of AI.", says Marten. "We look at five domains that together determine an organization's ability to deploy AI in a sustainable and effective way: data, technology, processes, culture and leadership. All of these domains reinforce each other, and only when they are in balance can you truly deploy AI at scale and realize value for the organization." 

"Our scan provides you with a clear report in which we present the strengths and weaknesses, as well as concrete recommendations and initiatives. The outcome provides shared and concrete steps forward and ensures that the report does not end up in a drawer, but actually leads to action. This gives companies a pragmatic action plan to build on in a focused way, and get employees on board." 

"For example, at a retail organization, the assessment led to a discrepancy in data culture and data literacy. To bridge this gap, targeted initiatives were defined to strengthen employees' data knowledge and skills." 

Why is it important to invest in AI Readiness right now? 

Mariska: "In the coming years, companies that are able to use AI effectively will significantly strengthen their competitive position. But successfully implementing AI takes time. You cannot suddenly be 'AI-ready' tomorrow. Companies that invest in the right foundations today will have a head start tomorrow. With our approach, we help organizations make this journey not only ambitious, but above all thoughtful and sustainable."