Home / Productized Services / AI Audit & Roadmap
PRODUCTIZED · STRATEGY ENTRY POINT

AI Audit
& Roadmap.

An honest readiness assessment across eight domains, paired with a 12-month implementation roadmap you can actually execute. For leaders who need to figure out where to deploy AI — and where not to — before writing the buildout check.

$10,000
3-week engagement
50% deposit · Balance on delivery
Buy now — $10,000 Discuss with sales
8-domain assessment 12-month roadmap 50% credit toward builds
// PRODUCT SHEET
AI Audit & Roadmap
SKU · DLS-AAR-V1
// Duration 3 weeks
// Domains Scored 8
// Roadmap Horizon 12 months
// Interviews 8–15 stakeholders
// Exec Briefing Included
// Build Credit 50% toward Studios
// Investment $10,000 USD
// The Eight Domains

An honest look at where you actually are.

Each domain is scored 0–100 based on stakeholder interviews, documentation review, and infrastructure audit. The composite score becomes the foundation for your roadmap.

// 01

Data foundation

Quality, accessibility, completeness, and structure of your business data. The single biggest predictor of AI success.

// 02

Tech stack

Existing infrastructure, APIs, integration surface, and architectural readiness for AI workloads.

// 03

Talent

Internal capability to operate, evolve, and govern AI systems after deployment. Build-vs-buy implications.

// 04

Use cases

How well your team can articulate what AI should do for the business. Quality of the use-case pipeline.

// 05

Governance

Decision rights, approval processes, model inventory, and AI committee structure (or absence of one).

// 06

Compliance

Regulatory exposure mapped to your specific industry, geography, and customer base. Audit-readiness baseline.

// 07

Security

Data handling, access controls, vendor management, and the controls that protect AI deployments from misuse.

// 08

Change capacity

Your organization's ability to absorb AI-driven workflow changes. Often the unspoken ceiling on ROI.

02 / Qualification

Is this the right starting point?

AI Audit & Roadmap is for organizations that need a plan before they spend money on builds. If you already know exactly what to build and you're just looking for a vendor, you don't need this — go straight to a build engagement.

// THIS IS FOR YOU IF

You need direction before deployment

  • You know AI is strategically important but don't yet know where it should go first
  • You have competing internal opinions on AI priorities and need an outside perspective to align leadership
  • You're being asked by your board, CEO, or investors for an AI strategy and need a defensible plan
  • You're considering a six- or seven-figure AI buildout and want to validate the approach first
  • You can put 8-15 stakeholders on 45-minute interview calls over 2 weeks
  • You want an honest answer — including, possibly, "you're not ready yet"
// LOOK ELSEWHERE IF

You're ready to build

  • You already know what to build and just need a vendor — start with Claude Agent Builder or RAG-in-a-Box
  • You need formal regulatory compliance documentation — that's AI Compliance Setup
  • You need binding legal opinions on AI regulation — we're not lawyers, see your counsel
  • You want a 50-page McKinsey-style report with no follow-through — that's not what we make
  • You're a Fortune 500 needing multi-business-unit transformation strategy — talk to us about Studios Enterprise
  • You're not ready to commit 8-15 stakeholders to interviews — this won't work without input
03 / What's Included

Six things you get.
All documented.

Fixed scope means the deliverables are defined before you sign. Here's exactly what shows up in your inbox at the end of week 3.

// INCLUDED 01

8-domain readiness scorecard

Quantitative scoring 0–100 across data foundation, tech stack, talent, use cases, governance, compliance, security, and change capacity. Backed by interview evidence and infrastructure review.

// INCLUDED 02

12-month implementation roadmap

Quarter-by-quarter plan with named initiatives, dependencies, investment ranges, expected outcomes, and success metrics. Sequenced so each quarter funds the next.

// INCLUDED 03

Use-case prioritization grid

Every candidate use case from your stakeholder interviews mapped on a 2x2 (impact × feasibility) with recommended sequencing. Stops the "everything is priority one" problem in its tracks.

// INCLUDED 04

Investment & ROI model (.xlsx)

Excel model showing expected investment per initiative, payback assumptions, sensitivity analysis, and a build-vs-buy comparison where relevant. Editable so your CFO can run their own scenarios.

// INCLUDED 05

Build-vs-buy decisions

For each initiative on the roadmap, our honest recommendation — build custom, buy off-the-shelf, or partner. Includes vendor evaluation rubric you can use independently of Studios.

// INCLUDED 06

Executive briefing & Q&A

90-minute live session with your leadership team — we walk through findings, defend recommendations, and answer questions. Recorded so absent stakeholders can review.

%
If you build with Studios, we credit 50%.

Should the roadmap lead to a Studios build engagement within 6 months of delivery, $5,000 of your audit fee applies toward that engagement. No obligation, no exclusive — you own the roadmap and can take it to any vendor.

$5,000
04 / Three-Week Timeline

From kickoff to executive briefing
in 15 working days.

Every AI Audit & Roadmap runs on the same proven cadence. Stakeholder-driven, weekly milestones, no surprises at handoff.

01
// WEEK ONE · SCOPE

Stakeholders scheduled

Kickoff with project sponsors, scope confirmation, stakeholder interview list approved, interview scheduling complete. We design the questions per stakeholder role.

// END-OF-WEEK
Interview calendar live
02
// WEEK TWO · DISCOVERY

Interviews complete

8-15 stakeholder interviews conducted, themes synthesized, preliminary scoring across 8 domains, use case inventory built. Mid-week sponsor check-in on emerging findings.

// END-OF-WEEK
Preliminary scorecard draft
03
// WEEK THREE · DELIVERY

Roadmap + briefing

Final scorecard, 12-month roadmap, ROI model, vendor rubric all delivered. Executive briefing scheduled and presented. Q&A session recorded for absent stakeholders.

// END-OF-WEEK
Full delivery package + exec briefing
05 / Your Delivery Bundle

Six artifacts. Editable. Yours.

The concrete files you receive at the end of week 3. Editable, branded for your organization, designed to be lived in by your team — not shelved like a McKinsey report.

▤

Scorecard (.pdf + .pptx)

8-domain readiness assessment in both formats — PDF for distribution, editable PowerPoint for internal repurposing.

→

Roadmap (.pptx)

Quarter-by-quarter 12-month plan with named initiatives, dependencies, and success metrics. Editable for internal customization.

$

ROI model (.xlsx)

Excel investment model with sensitivity analysis. Your CFO can run scenarios independently — no Studios dependency required.

⊞

Use-case grid (.pptx)

Impact × feasibility prioritization matrix with every candidate use case from interviews mapped and ranked.

✓

Vendor rubric (.docx)

Evaluation framework you can apply to any AI vendor — including us. Lets you run a fair competitive process.

▶

Executive briefing recording

90-minute presentation + Q&A recorded and shared. Absent stakeholders get the same context as those who attended.

06 / What You Provide

Five inputs to make this land in 3 weeks.

AI Audit & Roadmap hits its timeline because stakeholder access is locked on day one. Here's what we need from you.

// 01
An executive sponsor

One C-level or VP sponsor who can convene the stakeholder list, unblock interview scheduling, and own the briefing audience.

// 02
8-15 stakeholders for interviews

Cross-functional coverage: data leader, engineering/IT, 2-3 business unit heads, legal/compliance, security, operations.

// 03
Existing strategy documentation

Whatever AI strategy material exists already — drafts, working docs, vendor proposals you've received, anything relevant.

// 04
Briefing audience commitment

The leadership team that needs to attend the executive briefing in week 3. Calendar holds in week 1 prevent slippage.

// 05
Tech stack overview

High-level architecture, key SaaS systems, data warehouse details. We do most of the work; we just need a starting map.

// 06
50% deposit

$5,000 deposit on SOW signature kicks off week 1. Balance due on delivery at end of week 3.

07 / Pre-Sale Questions

Things buyers ask
before clicking.

The honest answers to the questions buyers ask in the intake call. If yours isn't here, ask us when we talk.

Three differences. (1) Scope and speed — our engagement is $10K and runs 3 weeks. The Big Four equivalent is typically a six-figure, six-month engagement. (2) Practitioner depth — our roadmaps are written by people who also build AI systems, so we know which "shovel-ready" recommendations actually ship and which are vapor. (3) No buildout sales pressure — we'll tell you when not to build something, and we'll recommend off-the-shelf tools when that's the right answer. We benefit when you make the right decision, not when you sign a follow-on engagement.
That's a useful outcome — and it happens. Roughly 30% of our roadmap engagements conclude with "the first quarter is preparation, not deployment" — usually because of data quality issues or governance gaps that would torpedo any AI buildout. Clients consistently tell us that honest framing was the most valuable part. We'd rather give you that answer than sell you a buildout you'd struggle to operate. You still get all six deliverables and the executive briefing — the recommendations just point at foundation work instead of agent deployments.
If you engage Studios for a build (Claude Agent Builder, RAG-in-a-Box, AI Compliance Setup, or a custom Starter/Growth/Enterprise engagement) within 6 months of audit delivery, $5,000 of your audit fee credits toward that engagement's invoice. No obligation, no exclusive, no minimums. You own the roadmap and can take it to any vendor — the credit is just our way of being honest that the audit pays for itself if you build with us.
Cross-functional triangulation. AI projects fail when one stakeholder's view dominates the strategy — usually the loudest internal advocate, who may not be aware of operational realities the data leader or compliance officer sees. The 8-15 range gives us enough perspectives to triangulate (we cap at 15 to stay efficient). If you have a smaller org with fewer relevant stakeholders, we'll do 5-8 — same deliverables, sharper focus. If you push below 5, we'd suggest a different engagement model since the cross-functional value disappears.
We've delivered audits and roadmaps across SaaS, fintech, financial services, nonprofit/social impact, education (including HBCUs), travel, retail, e-commerce, healthcare-adjacent, and manufacturing. The eight-domain framework adapts to industry context — we adjust the regulatory and compliance lens, the typical use case patterns, and the talent benchmark per sector. We do not currently do defense, intelligence, or highly classified work. If you're in a specialized regulated industry like medical devices or pharmaceutical, we can scope but may recommend a sector specialist for some portions.
Yes — frequently. Most enterprises don't need custom AI for everything; they need a mix of custom builds, configured SaaS tools (Glean, Writer, Cohere, off-the-shelf agents), and not-yet (initiatives that should wait until something else lands first). The vendor evaluation rubric we deliver is the same framework we'd be evaluated against — you can run a fair competitive process. Our reputation as honest advisors generates more buildout work than aggressive selling would, so the incentives are aligned.
Three options. (1) You execute the roadmap with your internal team and whatever vendors fit best — no further Studios involvement needed; we built the rubric so you can do this. (2) You engage Studios for one or more of the recommended build initiatives, applying the $5K build credit. (3) Fractional AI CTO retainer ($10K-$25K/month, 6-month minimum) for organizations that want embedded strategic leadership through their AI buildout — about 30% of audit clients go this route. No upsell pressure at the briefing — that's a hard internal rule.
No, and no. The AI Audit & Roadmap maps your use cases against regulatory frameworks at a strategic level and identifies obligations — but we're AI implementation strategists, not attorneys. For binding legal opinions, regulatory filings, or representation in enforcement actions, you need your own counsel. If you need formal compliance documentation, governance policies, and audit-ready paperwork, that's AI Compliance Setup ($25K, 6 weeks) — and even that pairs with your counsel, not replaces them.
The 50% deposit is non-refundable once week 1 stakeholder interviews are scheduled. If we materially fail to deliver against the agreed scope, we work to fix it under our limited services warranty (re-perform or correct) — Terms §11. If you terminate without cause mid-engagement, you owe for work performed through termination. For strategy work the warranty is narrower than for builds because the value is in the process and synthesis — both happen continuously throughout the engagement.

From "we should do AI"
to a 12-month plan in 21 days.

Book a 30-minute intake call. We'll confirm scope, identify stakeholders, and send an SOW within 48 hours if it's a match.

Buy now — $10,000 Discuss with sales View Strategy practice area
Fixed price · 50% credit toward Studios builds · No follow-on obligation
// Other Productized Services
// 3 WEEKS

Claude Agent Builder

$7,500

A custom Claude-powered AI agent for one use case. Deployed in 3 weeks. Lowest-risk first AI build.

View product // 5 WEEKS

RAG-in-a-Box

$15,000

Retrieval-augmented system on your documents. Up to 10,000 docs indexed. Searchable in natural language.

View product // 6 WEEKS

AI Compliance Setup

$25,000

Governance framework + compliance documentation. Audit-ready for EU AI Act, NIST AI RMF, state laws.

View product