Two-week AI Technical Readiness Initiative
Rapid assessment across Preside's four-foundation framework (data quality and access, infrastructure and tooling, governance and policy, team capability), structured to map to the four functions of the NIST AI Risk Management Framework (AI RMF): Govern, Map, Measure, Manage. Each foundation is scored, gaps are named, and a roadmap runs to your first production AI use case.
Who this is for
An AI readiness scorecard in two weeks.
CIO / CTO
The board is asking when AI gets deployed and you need an answer with the gating items named.
Chief Data Officer / Data Lead
You are being asked to support an AI rollout and want the data-readiness work scoped clearly.
CEO
You want an outside read on whether the AI investment thesis holds up before you commit budget.
CISO
AI usage is happening informally and you want the readiness picture before formal deployment begins.
Scope
What this initiative delivers, and what it does not.
Scope is fixed at signing. Items marked TOP are available through the Technology Operating Partner (TOP) Program. Items marked with a firm type need a separate engagement with that kind of firm.
In scope
- Preside four-foundation assessment: data quality and access, infrastructure and tooling, governance and policy, team capability, mapped to NIST AI RMF's four functions (Govern, Map, Measure, Manage)
- Readiness scorecard per foundation with named gaps
- Shadow AI signal: AI apps and services visible in your Microsoft 365 and Azure telemetry (use on personal accounts or unmanaged devices will not appear)
- Prioritized roadmap to the first production AI use case, with gating items named
- Findings referenced to NIST AI RMF, Microsoft's Copilot rollout guidance, and the AWS Cloud Adoption Framework (AI/ML perspective) where they apply
Out of scope
- Building, fine-tuning, or deploying any AI modelAI build firm
- Drafting AI governance policyTOP
- AI tool selection or vendor evaluationTOP
- Adversarial testing or prompt-injection validationSpecialty firm
- Use-case ideation workshops with business unitsTOP
Inputs
What we need from you
Provided at kickoff. Missing inputs delay the initiative; they do not change scope.
- Read-only access to the Microsoft 365 and Azure tenant, for the AI-usage signal
- Existing data architecture or data catalog if any
- Any existing AI policy or governance documentation
- Two to three interviews (CIO or CTO, data or analytics lead, optionally CISO)
Timeline
Week by week
Status updates run throughout the work. The direction check with the CIO or CTO comes at the start of week 2, before the roadmap is written.
Week 1
Access, signal, interviews
Scope locked and read-only tenant access set up. Existing AI usage signal pulled, data and infrastructure documentation reviewed. Two to three structured interviews held.
Week 2
Scoring, roadmap, walkthrough
Four foundations scored. Scores and gaps reviewed with the CIO or CTO. Roadmap drafted, scorecard finalized, walkthrough held.
Output
What you walk away with
- Written AI readiness scorecard across four foundations
- Shadow AI signal report from Microsoft 365 and Azure telemetry
- Prioritized roadmap to the first production use case, with gating items
- Walkthrough call
Limits
What this initiative is not
A two-week initiative produces a directional readiness picture, not a deep technical implementation plan. Findings are based on documentation, Microsoft 365 and Azure telemetry, and a small interview set. A broader organizational diagnosis needs a longer engagement. We do not build, deploy, or train AI models. We do not draft governance policy in this initiative.
If you are a portfolio company
How the work fits a PE-backed company.
AI questions in a PE-backed company usually come from the board and the sponsor.
- Board cycle. The scorecard is timed to land before the next quarterly board meeting, ahead of any AI budget decision.
- Hold period. The roadmap marks which gating items can close within your remaining hold and which cannot.
Related
Initiatives that pair with this one
FAQ
Questions buyers ask first
Why do AI pilots stall before production?
AI pilots can stall for many reasons, and data readiness is one of them. The data sits in the wrong systems, lacks lineage, or fails the quality bar the use case requires. The initiative scores data quality and access as the first of four foundations. The scorecard names the gaps in each foundation, and the roadmap orders the work needed for the first production use case.
What does an AI readiness assessment cover?
The initiative scores four foundations: data quality and access, infrastructure and tooling, governance and policy, and team capability. They map to the four functions of the NIST AI Risk Management Framework: Govern, Map, Measure, Manage. Preside runs the assessment in two weeks, using documentation review, read-only tenant access, and two to three interviews. You get a scorecard per foundation with named gaps, a shadow AI signal report, and a roadmap to the first production use case.
How do we know if our data is ready for AI?
The data quality and access foundation checks four things. Quality: the data is accurate and complete enough for the use case. Ownership: someone owns each data set and access is controlled. Architecture: the data sits in systems that can serve the use case at the speed it needs. Findability: the team can locate the data without searching across systems. The scorecard names the gaps and the roadmap orders the fixes.
For your role
Pages for your role
For CEOs →
How many AI pilots reach a measurable return, and what the board should ask first.
For Boards and Audit Committees →
What the board needs to see before approving the AI budget: NIST AI RMF alignment, governance, and data readiness, scored.
For CIOs and Heads of IT →
Where data readiness and governance meet, and what the roadmap shows can ship now.
After the initiative
If you want the work to continue
This initiative is a one-time, fixed-price piece of work that ends with the scorecard and roadmap. AI tool selection and policy drafting are available through the Technology Operating Partner Program. You choose the Program level after you have the scorecard.
Ready to scope this
An AI readiness scorecard for your board. Two weeks.
Tell us the situation in a few sentences. We reply within one business day to confirm fit or point you to a better one.
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