Moving Beyond Artificial Intelligence Pilots to Achieve AI at Scale

The pioneers of AI at scale—the companies that have scaled AI across the business and achieved meaningful value from their investments—typically dedicate 10% of their AI investment to algorithms, 20% to technologies, and 70% to embedding AI into business processes and new ways of working. In other words, these organizations invest twice as much in people and processes as they do in technologies.

When companies underinvest in people and processes, they quickly lose momentum with AI. That’s because it’s deceptively easy to launch a series of successful AI pilots. Without the right approach and focus on change management strategy, it’s nearly impossible to scale AI across the business.

We help clients quickly launch and scale AI-driven initiatives using a variety of techniques, including machine learning, large-scale optimization, and simulations. Our approach—built on lessons from hundreds of client engagements—is to think big, start small, and grow fast. With this framework, companies deliver results in weeks or months, rather than years.

Think Big

Start by setting ambitious business objectives, targeting large value pools, and identifying capability gaps. Our AI consulting teams zero in on the initiatives with the highest potential impact.

Supporting expertise and offerings:

• Our Data Capability Maturity Survey establishes benchmarks so companies can precisely assess their data maturity and AI capabilities against those of their peers.

Start Small

Select high-value use cases, launch focused pilots, then build, test, and iterate. Using an agile, sprint-based approach, cross-functional teams drive change in an integrated way.

Supporting expertise and offerings:

• Our use case acceleration tool allows AI use cases to go live in as little as 6 months and have a major P&L impact in as little as 12 months.
• Source AI, a BCG product acquired by DataRobot, helps data scientists write code in unrestricted ways and allows organizations to build industrial-grade AI solutions.
• Our rapid AI app and prototype development tool, dais, ensures results are delivered quickly and right to users’ fingertips.

Grow Fast

It is crucial for organizations to build the digital and human capabilities needed to sustain and scale their AI strategy. Companies should be prepared to develop new ways of working, create opportunities for reskilling and upskilling, reimagine processes to facilitate true human–machine collaboration, and deploy a robust AI architecture.

Supporting expertise and offerings:

• Our responsible AI approach bridges the gap between overarching AI ethics principles and tangible strategies companies can take to access the untapped value of leveraging AI responsibly.
• Our data analytics platform, part of BCG’s data and digital platform offering, accelerates use cases from proof-of-concept to companywide rollout.
• Our Build-Operate-Transfer methodology allows clients to build internal capabilities, both digital and nondigital, to generate long-term AI advantage while delivering value for the organization along the way.
• Lighthouse, BCG’s high-frequency data and analytics platform, allows companies to understand rapid shifts in demand, enabling dynamic planning and resource allocation for AI in business.