90 days. That is all you need to go from "we should do something with AI" to a working AI solution that delivers real results.
In this article we share our proven roadmap, including week-by-week planning and practical checklists.
The 90-day AI implementation framework
Week 1-2: discovery and alignment
Goal: get everyone on the same page and pick the right use case
Week 1: stakeholder alignment
- Kick-off meeting with key stakeholders
- Document the current processes
- Map the pain points and the wishes
- Identify quick wins
Week 2: use case selection
- Score potential AI use cases (impact versus feasibility)
- Work out the top 3 use cases
- Calculate the business case
- Take a go/no-go decision
Deliverables:
- AI opportunity assessment
- Chosen use case with business case
- Project charter with scope and KPIs
Week 3-4: design and planning
Goal: technical design and detailed planning
Week 3: solution design
- Draw up the functional requirements
- Design the technical architecture
- Identify the integration points
- Define the data requirements
Week 4: project planning
- Build the detailed plan
- Allocate resources
- Run a risk assessment
- Draw up the communication plan
Deliverables:
- Technical design document
- Project plan with milestones
- Resource planning
- Risk register
Week 5-8: build and test
Goal: build the AI solution
Week 5-6: core development
- Configure or train the AI model
- Backend development
- Build the APIs
- Put the first integrations in place
Week 7-8: testing and refinement
- Unit testing
- Integration testing
- User acceptance testing
- Bug fixing and optimisation
Deliverables:
- Working AI solution in a test environment
- Test report
- Documentation for users
Week 9-10: pilot and feedback
Goal: go live with a limited group
Week 9: pilot launch
- Select the pilot group (5 to 10 users)
- Deliver the training
- Pilot go-live
- Set up the support structure
Week 10: feedback and iteration
- Daily check-ins with pilot users
- Collect and analyse feedback
- Implement quick fixes
- Measure performance against the KPIs
Deliverables:
- Pilot feedback report
- Improved version of the AI solution
- Go/no-go for the full rollout
Week 11-12: rollout and optimisation
Goal: organisation-wide rollout
Week 11: full rollout
- Communication to the whole organisation
- Training for all users
- Step-by-step rollout per department
- Set up the support desk
Week 12: optimisation and handover
- Performance optimisation
- Finalise the documentation
- Handover to operations
- Retrospective and recorded learnings
Deliverables:
- Production-ready AI solution
- User documentation
- Operations handover
- Retrospective report
Success metrics template
Track these KPIs throughout your implementation:
| Metric | Baseline | Target | Week 4 | Week 8 | Week 12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time per task | X hours | -50% | |||
| Error rate | X% | -80% | |||
| Customer satisfaction | X | +20% | |||
| Cost per transaction | €X | -30% | |||
| Employee adoption | 0% | 80% |
Common delays (and how to prevent them)
1. Scope creep
Risk: "Could we add X as well?" Prevention: strict scope governance. New features come after the MVP.
2. Data problems
Risk: data is not clean, incomplete, or out of reach Prevention: a data assessment in week 1 and 2. Reserve buffer time for data cleaning.
3. Stakeholder availability
Risk: key stakeholders are not available to take decisions Prevention: commitment up front. Block the calendars. Clear escalation paths.
4. Integration complexity
Risk: legacy systems turn out to be harder to connect than expected Prevention: an early integration assessment. A technical spike in week 3.
Next steps
Ready to start?
- Download our AI implementation checklist: every checklist in one document
- Book a discovery call: talk through your situation with a specialist
- Read as well: AI Implementation in the Netherlands: the complete guide
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What we do. Want to put AI to work in your own business? As an AI agency we build AI agents, chatbots and automation connected to your systems. See for example what we did with AI for VRY van Fintessa.
