Three phases. One operating system for every engagement.
Every Fractional Chief AI Officer engagement at AALI runs through the same structured method: thirty days of Discovery, sixty days of Deployment, and ongoing Optimization. The framework is what makes embedded executive leadership repeatable instead of ad-hoc.
Phase I
Discovery
30 days
Phase II
Deployment
60 days
Phase III
Optimization
Ongoing
I.
Phase I · 30 days
Discovery
We audit the organization end-to-end. We do not assume we know what's broken — we find out by talking to the people who run the work.
Deliverables
- ✓Stakeholder interviews across leadership and operating teams
- ✓Process inventory: where the friction lives, where AI can compound it away
- ✓Tool inventory: existing software, integration surface area, data quality posture
- ✓Governance gap assessment: legal, compliance, data handling, security posture
- ✓AI Readiness Report — a 20-page document, written, delivered, walked through
- ✓Opportunity map: ranked by ROI, deployability, and risk
- ✓90-day roadmap with quarterly success metrics defined upfront
Cadence
Weekly leadership sync starting day one. Daily presence in the relevant departmental Slack/Teams channels. By end of week four, you have a roadmap that survives executive scrutiny.
II.
Phase II · 60 days
Deployment
Execution against the roadmap. Quick-win automations first to build momentum. Then the systems that compound — agents integrated into your stack, governance documented, team trained.
Deliverables
- ✓First quick-win automation live by end of week two of deployment
- ✓AI agents integrated with your existing tools (HubSpot, Salesforce, NetSuite, QuickBooks, Slack, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, custom systems)
- ✓Role-specific training programs designed and delivered to each affected team
- ✓AI governance policy drafted and approved by legal/compliance
- ✓Acceptable-use guidelines for employees, written and distributed
- ✓Audit logging and observability for every AI system in production
- ✓Runbook for every workflow we touched — owned by your team, not us
Cadence
Twice-weekly leadership cadence. Daily presence in operating teams. Demo and feedback cycles every two weeks. Whatever ships is reviewed by leadership before going to the broader team.
III.
Phase III · Ongoing
Optimization
After the first 90 days, the rhythm shifts from build to compound. We measure what's working, expand what's delivering, retire what isn't. Quarterly reviews with executive leadership reframe the roadmap for the next cycle.
Deliverables
- ✓Monthly outcome reporting: what was deployed, what shifted in the metrics, what's queued
- ✓Quarterly business review with CEO and executive team — 60 minutes, structured agenda
- ✓Continuous expansion of the AI agent footprint as new departments come online
- ✓Vendor management: contract renewal review, pricing optimization, replacement decisions
- ✓Ongoing employee education as tools and capabilities evolve
- ✓Annual AI strategy refresh — full reset of priorities for the year ahead
Cadence
Weekly leadership sync continues indefinitely. Operating cadence flexes with the work — heavier during expansion, lighter during steady-state. The relationship is structured to last 18+ months because the compounding takes that long to be visible.
A timeline you can measure us against.
We commit to specific outcomes in specific windows. If we miss, you know within thirty days. If we hit, you have measurable proof of value before the first quarter closes.
01 · Days 1–7
Discovery interviews
Leadership, ops, sales, customer success — everyone whose work AI touches.
02 · Days 8–21
Process & tool audit
Workflow mapping. Tool inventory. Data quality audit. Governance posture.
03 · Days 22–30
AI Readiness Report & roadmap
Written document. Walked through with leadership. Quarterly metrics locked.
04 · Days 31–45
First quick-win automation
Live in production. Owned by your team. Visibly delivering measurable value.
05 · Days 46–75
Core integration deployment
AI agents wired into 2–3 high-leverage workflows. Training delivered.
06 · Days 76–90
Governance & QBR prep
Policy approved. Audit logging in place. First quarterly business review delivered.
Citation
The Applied AI Leadership Institute. “The Applied Method.” https://appliedaileadership.org/framework. Accessed [date].
Permission granted to quote any passage from this page with attribution. Recommended attribution: The Applied AI Leadership Institute (AALI), https://appliedaileadership.org/framework.
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