APEX process for ROI positive transformational AI piloting
The APEX Method first establishes strategic alignment and a robust foundational framework for AI initiatives, ensuring all stakeholders are united on vision and success criteria from the outset. It then rapidly develops and iteratively refines pilot solutions through agile sprints, validating solution-market fit and ensuring continuous improvement. Ultimately, the method quantifies realized value from these pilots and establishes a clear roadmap for scalable deployment, maximizing organizational value capture and seamless transition to production.
With Arek, we have discovered innovations that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise. The Proof of Concept method is a powerful tool that helped teams in Discovery connect with innovation, something that would have remained untapped.
Arkadiusz’s partnership was pivotal in the strategic deployment and operationalization of AI across Krispol, driving our collective efforts to rapidly accelerate our AI-powered transformation.
A - Alignment & Foundation
Strategic Alignment & Foundation
First Two Weeks
Strategic Objective: Establish project governance, secure executive alignment, and create the foundational framework for successful AI implementation. This phase ensures all stakeholders are aligned on vision, success criteria, and expected outcomes.
Core Activities:
- Establish project team and governance structure with clear roles and responsibilities
- Develop a concise project charter with defined scope and boundaries
- Conduct formal kickoff with executive stakeholders, including AI opportunity assessment
- Articulate strategic ambition and construct compelling impact case with quantified ROI
- Engage IT and security leadership to ensure technical alignment and compliance
- Secure necessary access, approvals, and resource commitments
P - Pilot & Iteration
2-Week Sprint Cycles
Strategic Objective: Rapidly develop and rigorously test the pilot solution through structured sprint cycles. This phase focuses on rapid prototyping, continuous stakeholder feedback, and iterative refinement to ensure solution-market fit.
Sprint Framework (Continuous):
- Plan sprint objectives and create prioritized feature backlog
- Execute iterative development focusing on rapid prototyping and testing
Development Initiation:
- Conduct focused pilot design workshop to scope features and establish success criteria
- Identify, validate, and prepare critical data sources for pilot success
- Establish robust technical architecture in DevOps environment
Development Completion:
- Demo solution progress to executive stakeholders with structured feedback sessions
- Incorporate feedback through systematic review and refinement process
- Design comprehensive test protocols and validation frameworks
- Execute user acceptance testing with target user groups
- Conduct final demonstration with full project team
- Validate impact case fulfillment and measure against initial success criteria
EX - Execution & Scaling
Scalable Deployment & Value Realization
Final Two Weeks
Strategic Objective: Assess pilot outcomes, quantify realized value, and establish the strategic roadmap for scalable deployment. This phase ensures seamless transition from pilot to production while maximizing organizational value capture.
Strategic Activities:
- Conduct rigorous value assessment of expected returns from full-scale implementation
- Develop comprehensive scaling strategy including architecture and capability requirements
- Document complete solution architecture and deployment roadmap
- Identify and prioritize next-wave use cases for systematic expansion
- Secure executive agreement on implementation roadmap and resource commitments