DiagnosticWhat are we ready for, what needs work, where do we start?
Lays the groundwork for choosing the right first opportunity
The Diagnostic stage does more than describe the organization's current position on AI. Within its business goals, ways of working, people, information and data conditions and risk limits, it lays the groundwork on which the organization can choose the right first AI opportunity.
At the end of the Diagnostic stage, the organization receives an AI Transformation Map. The map is not a single score or a general list of recommendations; it brings the Maturity Assessment, the AI Application Opportunities, the Lighthouse Application Decision and the Lighthouse Application Plan into one leadership view.
The Diagnostic stage is not a technical pre-study, a training program or an abstract strategy exercise.It is a focused decision exercise, run through interviews with business units and a close look at their real workflows.
How the Diagnostic stage runs
Over two weeks, the organization's priorities, workflows and working reality are examined up close.
- 01
Day 1 · Kick-off session
Transformation goal, scope, participants and decision mechanism are agreed.
- 02
Day 2 · Diagnostic Question Set and first interviews
Current usage, working habits, core problems and first opportunity hypotheses come into view.
- 03
Day 3 · Workflows and value areas
Repetitive work, information flows, decision points, bottlenecks and value areas are identified.
- 04
Day 4 · Information, data, technology and risk
The information, data, systems, access and security conditions for the first application are understood.
- 05
Day 5 · First synthesis
First maturity findings and a draft of AI application opportunities take shape; the areas to deepen in week two are set.
- 06
Day 6 · Deepening the opportunities
For priority opportunities, the business problem, users, expected value and place in the workflow are made clear.
- 07
Day 7 · Feasibility and success measures
Starting conditions, key risks, dependencies and success metrics are defined.
- 08
Day 8 · Maturity Assessment
Evidence, strengths and development needs are finalized for all six assessment areas.
- 09
Day 9 · Lighthouse Application Selection Session
AI application opportunities are compared; the Lighthouse Application Decision is made.
- 10
Day 10 · Executive Decision Session
The AI Transformation Map is presented; the Lighthouse Application Plan, ownership and the next decision are confirmed.
How visible is AI literacy at this stage?
One of the six areas of the Maturity Assessment looks directly at people: AI literacy, usage habits, willingness to learn and the division of work between people and AI.
The question this area answers is: how ready are people to work with AI safely and with a focus on value? The Diagnostic stage does not start training here; it makes visible, for the Proof stage, which groups need AI literacy and at what intensity.
Outputs of the Diagnostic stage
At the end of the Diagnostic stage, the organization receives this basis for its decision:
- AI Transformation Map — the document that brings the outputs below into one leadership view.
- AI Transformation Maturity Assessment — current position across six areas, strong foundations, development needs and differences in perception between stakeholders.
- AI Application Opportunities — a candidate list: applications defined within the same frame, that can be revisited in later cycles.
- AI Application Opportunity Cards — one page per candidate: business problem, value, data and system conditions, trust limits and success measure.
- Lighthouse Application Decision — which opportunity to start with, with its business owner, user group, scope and success target.
- Lighthouse Application Plan — how the selected opportunity will enter implementation.
What happens if the Diagnostic stage succeeds?
The Diagnostic stage succeeds when the organization has enough clarity to make a leadership decision on its first AI application under these headings:
- The business problem to be solved.
- The business owner and the first user group.
- Expected business value and how success is measured.
- Information, data, system, security and human oversight limits.
- The conditions and responsibilities needed to start the Proof stage.
What the Diagnostic stage does not do
- No technical pre-study, training program or abstract strategy exercise is run.
- The Lighthouse Application is not built; only its decision and plan are produced.
- Software and license fees, infrastructure investment and broad system integration are not included.
- Work that requires separate specialist expertise is not taken on.
Commercial terms of the Diagnostic stage
The standard Diagnostic stage covers interviews in 3–4 priority business areas, the Diagnostic Question Set, workflow reviews, validation of information, data and technology, AI Application Opportunity Cards, the Lighthouse Application Selection Session, the Executive Decision Session and the AI Transformation Map.
For multi-company groups, more than eight business units, heavy regulation or extensive data and system review, the duration extends to three to four weeks and the scope is agreed separately.
Proof
The Diagnostic stage creates the decision clarity needed to start with the right opportunity. The Proof stage turns that decision into a first solution that real users work with and whose business value is measured.