Practice
Advisory & Assessment
Decide where AI creates value before you invest in building it.
Advisory & Assessment helps leadership teams separate real opportunities from noise. We assess readiness across strategy, processes, people, data, technology and governance, then turn the findings into a prioritised roadmap, a target architecture and business cases that finance and risk functions can challenge.
01Problems we solve
When this practice is the right place to start
The situations this practice is designed for. If several sound familiar, it is worth a conversation.
- 01
Leadership is expected to act on AI, but there is no shared view of where it would create measurable value.
- 02
Pilots have started in several departments without common priorities, standards or ownership.
- 03
It is unclear whether your data, systems and teams are ready to support AI in daily operations.
- 04
Investment decisions need a business case that finance and risk functions can scrutinise.
- 05
Governance, data-protection and procurement questions are slowing every initiative down.
02Offerings
What we offer, and what each one delivers
Each offering is scoped separately, so you can start with the one that answers your most pressing question.
- 01
Executive AI Consultation
Outcome
A focused decision session that leaves you with clear next steps on one priority question.
- 02
AI Opportunity Session
Outcome
A structured working session and a written summary that rank your strongest AI opportunities.
- 03
AI Readiness Assessment
Outcome
A baseline across strategy and leadership, processes and use cases, people and adoption, data, technology, and governance and risk, with the gaps that matter most.
- 04
AI Strategy & Transformation Roadmap
Outcome
A sequenced roadmap with business cases, a target architecture and an operating model for delivery.
- 05
AI Governance & Risk Design
Outcome
Policies, decision rights and controls that let teams use AI responsibly without stalling progress.
- 06
Executive AI Workshop
Outcome
A leadership team aligned on vocabulary, opportunities, risks and the first decisions to take.
03Lifecycle position
Where Advisory & Assessment sits in the lifecycle
The highlighted stages are the ones this practice leads. The stages before and after connect to the other practices, so nothing is lost at a handover.
01
Assess
Led by this practice
We establish where you stand: business priorities, processes, data, systems and team readiness. The result is a clear baseline and a shortlist of opportunities worth pursuing.
02
Advise
Led by this practice
We turn the assessment into decisions: a prioritised roadmap, a target architecture, the assumptions behind the business case and the governance needed to act with confidence.
03
Build
We design and engineer the solution in short, reviewable increments, validated against real data and agreed acceptance criteria before anything reaches production.
04
Enable
We prepare your people to own what has been built: role-based training, documentation, a structured handover and the operating routines that make adoption last.
05
Operate
We run and monitor the system alongside your team, covering performance, data quality, cost and model behaviour, with clear responsibilities for incidents and change requests.
06
Scale
Once the value is proven, we extend what works to new processes, sites and business units, building on the same foundations instead of starting again.
04How an engagement runs
Phases and deliverables
Each phase ends with a review point and concrete deliverables, so you decide on the next phase with evidence in hand.
01
Frame
We agree the business question, the scope and the decision the work must support, and identify the people, documents and data we need.
Deliverables
- Scope and decision brief
- Stakeholder and interview plan
02
Assess
Interviews, process walkthroughs and a review of data and systems establish where you stand on each readiness dimension.
Deliverables
- Readiness baseline across six dimensions
- Data and systems review
03
Prioritise
Opportunities are scored on value, feasibility and risk, so the shortlist reflects both ambition and what your organisation can realistically deliver.
Deliverables
- Scored opportunity matrix
- Shortlist with its assumptions stated
04
Plan
We design the roadmap, the target architecture and the governance model, and prepare business cases and delivery options for the first initiatives.
Deliverables
- Prioritised roadmap and target architecture
- Business cases and governance model
05
Decide
A closing session with your leadership turns the recommendations into decisions, owners and a start date for the next stage.
Deliverables
- Decision session and handover pack
05Technical depth
Capabilities in this practice
The architecture, methods and technologies behind each capability, written for technical teams.
AI Readiness Diagnostics
The evidence work behind an AI readiness assessment: data profiling, a review of systems and integrations, process walkthroughs and structured interviews, scored on six axes.
AI Roadmap & Target Architecture
Turns a scored opportunity portfolio into a sequenced plan: which initiatives come first, what they depend on, the target architecture that supports them and the business case for each.
06Frameworks
Methods we apply
Named NLAI frameworks that give the work in this practice a consistent structure.
AI Readiness Framework
A structured view of how ready an organisation is to create value with AI, across six axes: Strategy & Leadership, Processes & Use Cases, People & Adoption, Data, Technology, and Governance & Risk.
Opportunity Matrix
A way to compare candidate AI and automation use cases on business value and feasibility, so that investment goes first to the opportunities that are both worth doing and possible to deliver.
Transformation Blueprint
A single-page structure for an AI and digital transformation roadmap: four workstreams planned across three horizons, so that use cases, data and platforms, people and governance move forward together.
AI Governance Toolkit
A practical set of policies, templates and routines for using AI responsibly: who decides, how use cases are classified by risk, how systems are documented, how people stay in control and how incidents are handled.
07Industry contexts
Where this practice applies
Sector challenges and the capability patterns that address them.
08Entry points
How to start, and what it costs
Positioning prices in SAR. Scope, assumptions and the final price are confirmed in a written proposal.
Executive AI Consultation
A focused one-hour working session to test an AI idea, a vendor proposal or a transformation plan against your business priorities. You leave with an independent view of what is worth pursuing and what to do next. Suited to executives who want an informed second opinion before committing budget.
AI Opportunity Session
A structured 90-minute working session that maps where AI can create value in one business area, followed by a written summary of the prioritised opportunities, their dependencies and a recommended next step. Suited to leadership teams that want a documented starting point to share internally before scoping a larger engagement.
AI Readiness Assessment
A structured assessment of your organisation across six dimensions: strategy and leadership, processes and use cases, people and adoption, data, technology, and governance and risk. It sets an honest baseline and a prioritised plan for closing the gaps that matter most. Suited to organisations that want a fact-based starting point before investing in AI programmes.
from SAR 24,500
Request a proposalAI Strategy & Transformation Roadmap
A strategy and roadmap that link AI and digital initiatives to business objectives: prioritised use cases, target architecture, governance, capability needs and a phased investment plan that leadership can approve and track. Suited to organisations moving from isolated pilots to a coordinated transformation programme.
from SAR 49,500
Request a proposalExecutive AI Workshop
An interactive workshop that gives a leadership team a shared, realistic understanding of what AI can and cannot do for the organisation, and turns it into agreed priorities. Examples and exercises are tailored to your sector. Suited to boards and executive committees preparing an AI agenda or a transformation decision.
from SAR 12,500
Request a proposal
09Questions
Frequently asked questions
How is an AI Readiness Assessment different from a consultation?
A consultation addresses one question in a single session. The assessment is a structured engagement that establishes a baseline across strategy and leadership, processes and use cases, people and adoption, data, technology, and governance and risk, and ends with prioritised recommendations.
Do we need clean data before we start?
No. Assessing the quality and availability of your data is part of the work. We identify what is usable now, what needs improvement and which opportunities are realistic in the meantime.
Will the recommendations assume that NLAI builds everything?
No. Recommendations compare building, buying and partnering, and some opportunities are better served by existing vendors or your own teams. The roadmap is yours to execute with whoever you choose.
Does the work cover data protection and regulatory requirements?
Yes. Governance and risk is one of the six dimensions we assess. We map the requirements that apply to you together with your legal and compliance teams; we do not provide legal advice or certification.
Next step
Bring one decision you need to make about AI.
An executive consultation or an opportunity session turns it into clear options, the evidence behind them and a next step.