{"id":23103,"date":"2026-08-27T10:27:25","date_gmt":"2026-08-27T10:27:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/?p=23103"},"modified":"2026-08-27T10:27:25","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T10:27:25","slug":"ai-investment-strategy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/ai-investment-strategy\/","title":{"rendered":"How CEOs Can Make Smarter AI Investment Decisions"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"text-align: left; background-color: #ebf5ff; padding: 20px 25px; font-size: 16px; border-radius: 16px; border: 1px solid #b6dcff; width: 100%; box-sizing: border-box;\">\n<p style=\"font-size: 16px; margin: 0 0 15px 0;\"><strong>Key Takeaways<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin: 0; padding-left: 20px; line-height: 1.7;\">\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 10px;\"><span class=\"TextRun SCXW145009851 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW145009851 BCX8\">How do CEO\u2019s\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW145009851 BCX8\">demonstrate<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW145009851 BCX8\">\u00a0ROI on AI investments in the business rather than in the CIO\u2019s department\u2019s tech spend?\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 10px;\"><span class=\"TextRun SCXW105805563 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW105805563 BCX8\">Best AI investments are not those that use the most advanced technology or cost the most dollars. Go for high Business Value, ready for prime time, scalable, and strategic fit for your organisation.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 10px;\"><span class=\"TextRun SCXW82903127 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW82903127 BCX8\">From data quality to infrastructure and talent, as well as governance, security, and workforces,\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW82903127 BCX8\">it\u2019s<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW82903127 BCX8\">\u00a0the factors that will enable you to ensure the success and unlock long-term value of the\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW82903127 BCX8\">initial<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW82903127 BCX8\">\u00a0AI investment into your organisation.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 10px;\"><span class=\"TextRun SCXW179693222 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW179693222 BCX8\">Every single AI solution should have a benchmark, return, investment,\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW179693222 BCX8\">time frame<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW179693222 BCX8\">, as well as the decision for the same to scale, stop, or continue.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"margin-bottom: 10px;\"><span class=\"TextRun SCXW104205739 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW104205739 BCX8\">Balance Core, Growth, and Transform initiatives to improve today&#8217;s operations while building new sources of revenue and competitive advantage for the future.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">AI investment\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">is no longer a technology decision for the CIO and CTO. Rather,\u00a0it&#8217;s\u00a0a capital allocation choice for the CEO that\u00a0impacts\u00a0growth, productivity, customer service,\u00a0operations\u00a0and competitiveness. Simply buying more AI does not provide more value.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">CEO\u2019s today\u00a0aren&#8217;t\u00a0short on AI budget anymore;\u00a0they&#8217;re\u00a0short on a way to decide where that budget should go. The\u00a0real challenge\u00a0is knowing where to invest in AI, how much to invest, and which AI initiatives deserve to scale. From\u00a0<\/span>generative AI<span data-contrast=\"none\"><strong>\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/intelligent-process-automation\/\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">intelligent automation<\/span><\/b><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0to AI-powered products and enterprise data infrastructure, organisations have more investment opportunities than ever, but limited resources to pursue them all.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">The smart investment in AI approach should therefore begin with the business outcome rather than the technology. CEOs require a clear assessment of whether to invest in an AI proposition based on return on investment, strategic worth, organisational readiness, risk, scalability, and time to value.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">This guide will cover the ways business executives can approach enterprise AI investment as portfolio and improve their decisions with AI&#8217;s long-term measurable value.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"how-should-ceos-think-about-investing-in-ai\"><strong><span class=\"TextRun SCXW17299284 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW17299284 BCX8\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"heading 2\">How Should CEOs Think About Investing in AI?<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP Selected SCXW17299284 BCX8\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:360,&quot;335559739&quot;:120}\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">CEOs must consider investments in AI in the same frame they consider any capital investment: based on expected value to the business, capacity to support business differentiation and competitive advantage, and an understanding of the risks. Not based on what their competitors are spending, or how flashy a demo can be.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">That involves defining the business problem before defining the tech, prioritising a portfolio of use cases rather than throwing a Hail Mary behind every proposal simultaneously, clearly defining at the start the data that would lead to funding scale or stopping an initiative, and defining success in terms of business outcomes, not the number of pilots initiated. The point is to spend more on AI, not to spend the money wisely and in the right sequence, with a path to discovering what works.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">McKinsey&#8217;s 2025 State of AI survey found 88% of organisations now use AI in at least one business function, yet only 39% can point to any enterprise-level EBIT impact, and just 6% qualify as high performers capturing real financial return. The bottleneck\u00a0isn&#8217;t\u00a0spending.\u00a0It&#8217;s\u00a0the absence of an investment discipline that treats AI the way a CEO would treat any other capital allocation decision.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"whats-the-difference-between-ai-spending-and-strategic-ai-investment\"><strong><span class=\"TextRun SCXW135782816 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW135782816 BCX8\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"heading 2\">What\u2019s<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW135782816 BCX8\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"heading 2\">\u00a0the Difference Between AI Spending and Strategic AI Investment?<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP Selected SCXW135782816 BCX8\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:360,&quot;335559739&quot;:120}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n<table data-tablestyle=\"MsoNormalTable\" data-tablelook=\"1696\" aria-rowcount=\"7\" aria-colcount=\"2\">\n<tbody>\n<tr aria-rowindex=\"1\">\n<td data-celllook=\"69905\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">AI Spending<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335551550&quot;:2,&quot;335551620&quot;:2,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"69905\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Strategic AI Investment<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335551550&quot;:2,&quot;335551620&quot;:2,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr aria-rowindex=\"2\">\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Licenses and tools<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Business capability<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr aria-rowindex=\"3\">\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Disconnected experiments<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Measurable outcomes<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr aria-rowindex=\"4\">\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Pilots that stay pilots<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Scalable use cases<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr aria-rowindex=\"5\">\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Technology-first decisions<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Business-first decisions<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr aria-rowindex=\"6\">\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Short-term activity<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Portfolio value over time<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr aria-rowindex=\"7\">\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Treated as a cost centre<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Treated as value creation<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><span class=\"EOP Selected SCXW17299284 BCX8\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:360,&quot;335559739&quot;:120}\"><span class=\"TextRun SCXW204058810 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW204058810 BCX8\">Buying\u00a0<\/span><\/span><strong><a class=\"Hyperlink SCXW204058810 BCX8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/best-ai-tools\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><span class=\"TextRun Underlined SCXW204058810 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW204058810 BCX8\" data-ccp-charstyle=\"Hyperlink\">AI tools<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/strong><span class=\"TextRun SCXW204058810 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"none\"><strong><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW204058810 BCX8\">\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW204058810 BCX8\">doesn&#8217;t<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW204058810 BCX8\">\u00a0automatically create enterprise value. Gartner&#8217;s 2025 research found 72% of CIOs report their organisation&#8217;s AI investments are breaking even or losing money, and only 38% rate their progress toward AI value creation as good or excellent. The difference between the two columns above is usually the difference between those two groups.<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP Selected SCXW204058810 BCX8\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"questions-every-ceo-should-ask-before-investing-in-ai\"><strong><span class=\"TextRun SCXW119955841 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW119955841 BCX8\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"heading 2\">Questions Every CEO Should Ask Before Investing in AI<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP Selected SCXW119955841 BCX8\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:360,&quot;335559739&quot;:120}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-23106 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Questions_Every_CEO_Should_Ask_Before_Investing_in.webp\" alt=\"Questions Every CEO Should Ask Before Investing in AI\" width=\"700\" height=\"322\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Questions_Every_CEO_Should_Ask_Before_Investing_in.webp 700w, https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Questions_Every_CEO_Should_Ask_Before_Investing_in-300x138.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Questions_Every_CEO_Should_Ask_Before_Investing_in-390x179.webp 390w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Q1.<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0What business problem are we solving? Not &#8220;what can AI do,&#8221; but which specific outcome cost, revenue, risk, speed- this investment is meant to move.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Q2.<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0Where will the biggest impact from AI? Several workflows pay for themselves many times over per dollar invested. Look for these places before you invest widely.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Q3.<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0What capabilities must we build to capture that value? The model itself rarely matters as much as data, talent, and governance ability.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Q4.\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">What is the expected return and time horizon? A defined number and date, not a vague expectation of &#8220;efficiency gains.&#8221;<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Q5.<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0What evidence tells us to scale, pause, or stop? Decide the criteria before the money is spent, not after results are disappointing.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">A CEO who\u00a0can&#8217;t\u00a0answer all five for a proposed AI initiative\u00a0isn&#8217;t\u00a0ready to fund it yet, regardless of how compelling the technology pitch is.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"where-ai-investments-actually-go\"><strong><span class=\"TextRun SCXW211109682 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW211109682 BCX8\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"heading 2\">Where AI Investments Actually Go?<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP Selected SCXW211109682 BCX8\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:360,&quot;335559739&quot;:120}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">A CEO\u2019s investment in AI\u00a0shouldn\u2019t\u00a0be limited to the purchase of AI tools, nor should it stop at deploying new\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/how-to-build-ai-models\/\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">AI models<\/span><\/b><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">. When planning for AI, a CEO\u2019s considerations should extend to the full suite of capabilities needed to build, deploy,\u00a0govern\u00a0and scale AI.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\"><strong>1. Use Cases &amp; Workflow Transformation<\/strong><br \/>\nWork on business problems for which AI provides a clear win for things that impact efficiency, cost, speed, or customer experience.<\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\"><strong>2. Data Foundations<\/strong><br \/>\nEnsure that data quality, accessibility, integration, security and governance receive adequate investment. The foundation for reliable AI should always be reliable data.<\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\"><strong>3. Infrastructure &amp; Technology<\/strong><br \/>\nThis encompasses all aspects ranging from cloud infrastructure and AI platforms to model APIs, integrations, and the associated monitoring tools that are ultimately used to deploy AI at scale.<\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\"><strong>4. Talent &amp; Workforce Capability<\/strong><br \/>\nRecruit, train, and upskill to have a healthy mix of AI expertise, industry experience, leadership, and full organisation AI knowledge.<\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\"><strong>5. Governance, Security &amp; Risk<\/strong><br \/>\nDesign mechanisms that deal with data privacy, cybersecurity, compliance, risk modelling, intellectual property, and trustworthy AI.<\/p>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd\"><strong>6. Change Management &amp; Adoption<\/strong><br \/>\nEnsure training, communication and revised business processes enable and motivate employees to adopt AI. Provide sound change management.<\/p>\n<p><strong>7. AI-Enabled Products &amp; Revenue<\/strong><br \/>\nDon&#8217;t stop with cutting costs. AI can generate new products, services, customer experiences, and new sources of revenue, too.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW68668036 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW68668036 BCX8\">Our\u00a0<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW68668036 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW68668036 BCX8\">AI Readiness Assessment<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW68668036 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW68668036 BCX8\">\u00a0and<\/span><\/span><strong><span class=\"TextRun SCXW68668036 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW68668036 BCX8\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/strong><a class=\"Hyperlink SCXW68668036 BCX8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/enterprise-ai-governance\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><span class=\"TextRun Underlined SCXW68668036 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW68668036 BCX8\" data-ccp-charstyle=\"Hyperlink\"><strong>Enterprise AI Governance guides<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/a><span class=\"TextRun SCXW68668036 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW68668036 BCX8\">\u00a0go deeper on the second, third, and fifth rows; this article focuses on how a CEO should\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW68668036 BCX8\">allocate<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW68668036 BCX8\">\u00a0across all seven, not just the technology line.<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP Selected SCXW68668036 BCX8\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"the-sphinx-ai-investment-priority-score\"><strong> <span class=\"TextRun SCXW189036304 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW189036304 BCX8\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"heading 2\">The Sphinx AI Investment Priority Score<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP Selected SCXW189036304 BCX8\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:360,&quot;335559739&quot;:120}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW79915316 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW79915316 BCX8\">Most enterprises rank AI investments by executive enthusiasm rather than a comparable score. Use this simple model instead: score each candidate initiative 1\u20135 on business value, strategic differentiation, data readiness, and scalability, then subtract scores for implementation complexity and risk.<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP Selected SCXW79915316 BCX8\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-23107 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/The_Sphinx_AI_Investment_Priority_Score.webp\" alt=\"Sphinx AI investment priority scoring model\" width=\"700\" height=\"331\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/The_Sphinx_AI_Investment_Priority_Score.webp 700w, https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/The_Sphinx_AI_Investment_Priority_Score-300x142.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/The_Sphinx_AI_Investment_Priority_Score-390x184.webp 390w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Priority Score =\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">(Business Value + Strategic Differentiation + Scalability + Readiness) \u2212 (Complexity + Risk)<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW92153486 BCX8\">The loudest proposals\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW92153486 BCX8\">don\u2019t<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW92153486 BCX8\">\u00a0get funded first; the best ones do.\u00a0A use case with strong business value but poor data readiness should be parked, not funded, until that specific gap closes; a lower-value initiative with near-zero complexity and risk may still be worth funding early because it builds organisational muscle for what comes next.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW156737844 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW156737844 BCX8\">This is a practical\u00a0<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW156737844 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW156737844 BCX8\">Sphinx scoring model<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW156737844 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW156737844 BCX8\">, not a certified financial\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW156737844 BCX8\">methodology<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW156737844 BCX8\">; its value is forcing a consistent comparison across a genuinely apples-to-oranges set of proposals.<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP Selected SCXW156737844 BCX8\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"how-much-should-a-company-invest-in-ai\"><strong><span class=\"TextRun SCXW40688473 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW40688473 BCX8\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"heading 2\">How Much Should a Company Invest in AI?<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP Selected SCXW40688473 BCX8\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:360,&quot;335559739&quot;:80}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW48357554 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW48357554 BCX8\">There\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW48357554 BCX8\">isn&#8217;t<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW48357554 BCX8\">\u00a0one right percentage across industry, and that is good \u2013 the &#8216;right&#8217; budget depends on industry, AI maturity, data maturity, and competitive forces and not on some percentage from an unrelated company&#8217;s 10-K.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP Selected SCXW48357554 BCX8\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW177740020 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW177740020 BCX8\">The three postures are three useful\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW177740020 BCX8\">initial<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW177740020 BCX8\">\u00a0frames for thinking:\u00a0<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP Selected SCXW177740020 BCX8\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Conservative<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">: productivity and automation in low-risk areas.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Growth-led:\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">value workflows, customer experience, and products built with AI.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Transformation-led:<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0the business model and decision-making based on AI.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW169299452 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW169299452 BCX8\">The right question\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW169299452 BCX8\">isn&#8217;t<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW169299452 BCX8\">\u00a0&#8220;what percentage of revenue should we spend on AI&#8221;;\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW169299452 BCX8\">it&#8217;s<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW169299452 BCX8\">\u00a0&#8220;what level of investment is justified by the value opportunity, and by our actual ability to capture it.&#8221; A company that\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW169299452 BCX8\">hasn&#8217;t<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW169299452 BCX8\">\u00a0closed its data and governance gaps yet\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW169299452 BCX8\">shouldn&#8217;t<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW169299452 BCX8\">\u00a0fund transformation-level investment no matter how large its budget is.<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP Selected SCXW169299452 BCX8\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"build-vs-buy-vs-partner\"><strong><span class=\"TextRun SCXW139368244 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW139368244 BCX8\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"heading 2\">Build vs. Buy vs. Partner<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP Selected SCXW139368244 BCX8\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:360,&quot;335559739&quot;:120}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n<table data-tablestyle=\"MsoNormalTable\" data-tablelook=\"1696\" aria-rowcount=\"4\" aria-colcount=\"3\">\n<tbody>\n<tr aria-rowindex=\"1\">\n<td data-celllook=\"69905\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Approach<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335551550&quot;:2,&quot;335551620&quot;:2,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"69905\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Best For<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335551550&quot;:2,&quot;335551620&quot;:2,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"69905\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Main Risk<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335551550&quot;:2,&quot;335551620&quot;:2,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr aria-rowindex=\"2\">\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Build<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Capabilities that differentiate you competitively<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Cost, complexity, and time to value<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr aria-rowindex=\"3\">\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Buy<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Commodity capabilities available off the shelf<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Vendor dependence, limited differentiation<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr aria-rowindex=\"4\">\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Partner<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Specialised transformation work outside core\u00a0expertise<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Integration complexity and external dependency<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW173399024 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW173399024 BCX8\">The discipline that matters more than any single choice: build only where the capability is genuinely differentiating; buy or partner for everything else. Enterprises that default to building commodity capability burn scarce engineering capacity that should be funding the differentiating third of the portfolio.<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP Selected SCXW173399024 BCX8\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"how-to-measure-ai-roi\"><strong><span class=\"TextRun SCXW7642011 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW7642011 BCX8\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"heading 2\">How to Measure AI ROI?<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP Selected SCXW7642011 BCX8\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:360,&quot;335559739&quot;:120}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW96902737 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW96902737 BCX8\">AI ROI differs from conventional technology ROI because the value shows up across more categories than a typical <\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun Underlined SCXW96902737 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW96902737 BCX8\" data-ccp-charstyle=\"Hyperlink\">software deployment<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW96902737 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW96902737 BCX8\">\u00a0and because some of the most important indicators lead the financial results rather than following them.<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP Selected SCXW96902737 BCX8\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<table data-tablestyle=\"MsoNormalTable\" data-tablelook=\"1696\" aria-rowcount=\"10\" aria-colcount=\"2\">\n<tbody>\n<tr aria-rowindex=\"1\">\n<td data-celllook=\"69905\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Metric<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"69905\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">What It Measures<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr aria-rowindex=\"2\">\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Cost per transaction<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Efficiency<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr aria-rowindex=\"3\">\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Cycle time<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Process improvement<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr aria-rowindex=\"4\">\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Revenue per employee<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Productivity<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr aria-rowindex=\"5\">\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Conversion rate<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Revenue impact<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr aria-rowindex=\"6\">\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Customer retention<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Customer value<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr aria-rowindex=\"7\">\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">AI adoption rate<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Workforce uptake<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr aria-rowindex=\"8\">\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Model accuracy<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Technical performance<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr aria-rowindex=\"9\">\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">AI-generated revenue<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">New business value<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr aria-rowindex=\"10\">\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">ROI \/ ROIC<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Overall financial return<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW226060572 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW226060572 BCX8\">CEOs should track business outcomes, not the number of pilots launched or licenses\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW226060572 BCX8\">purchased<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW226060572 BCX8\">; activity metrics are the easiest to report and the least connected to whether the investment is\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun AdvancedProofingIssueV2Themed SCXW226060572 BCX8\">actually working<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW226060572 BCX8\">.<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP Selected SCXW226060572 BCX8\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"why-ai-investments-fail-to-deliver-roi\"><strong><span class=\"TextRun SCXW147304484 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW147304484 BCX8\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"heading 3\">Why AI Investments Fail to Deliver ROI?<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP Selected SCXW147304484 BCX8\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:320,&quot;335559739&quot;:80}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW21149620 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW21149620 BCX8\">The pattern is consistent enough to\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed SCXW21149620 BCX8\">predict:<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW21149620 BCX8\">\u00a0investing before the business problem is defined, funding fragmented pilots instead of a coordinated portfolio, weak data foundations, no accountable executive owner, governance added after deployment, and most expensively failing to fund the scaling stage once a pilot proves out. We cover this failure pattern and its fixes in full in\u00a0<\/span><\/span><strong><a class=\"Hyperlink SCXW21149620 BCX8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/why-enterprise-ai-projects-fail\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><span class=\"TextRun Underlined SCXW21149620 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW21149620 BCX8\" data-ccp-charstyle=\"Hyperlink\">Why Enterprise AI Projects Fail<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/strong><span class=\"TextRun SCXW21149620 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW21149620 BCX8\">;<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW21149620 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW21149620 BCX8\">\u00a0the\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW21149620 BCX8\">short version<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW21149620 BCX8\">\u00a0for a CEO is that most ROI failures trace back to a decision made at Question 1 or 2 above, not a flaw in the technology itself.<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP Selected SCXW21149620 BCX8\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"what-is-the-ai-investment-portfolio\"><strong><span class=\"TextRun SCXW245225553 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW245225553 BCX8\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"heading 2\">What is The AI Investment Portfolio?<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP Selected SCXW245225553 BCX8\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:360,&quot;335559739&quot;:120}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Don\u2019t\u00a0use everything for experimental purposes. Divide your AI portfolio into three groups, so you can purposefully\u00a0allocate\u00a0funds for all three, rather than investing everything into a single project:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"3\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Core:\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Low-risk initiatives that improve current operations (automation, productivity tools).<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"4\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Growth:\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Initiatives that create measurable new revenue or competitive advantage (customer experience, new AI-enabled workflows).<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"5\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Transform:<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0Longer-horizon bets that could reshape products or the operating model itself.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW198041872 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW198041872 BCX8\">A portfolio weighted entirely toward core plays it safe but rarely produces a competitive edge; one weighted entirely toward transform is high-risk with a long, uncertain payback. Most businesses\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW198041872 BCX8\">require<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW198041872 BCX8\">\u00a0an intentionally crafted balance reviewed on a fixed schedule, not something that happens accidentally.<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP Selected SCXW198041872 BCX8\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 id=\"when-to-scale-pause-or-stop-an-ai-investment\"><strong><span class=\"TextRun SCXW242054434 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW242054434 BCX8\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"heading 3\">When to Scale, Pause, or Stop an AI Investment?<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP Selected SCXW242054434 BCX8\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:320,&quot;335559739&quot;:80}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Scale<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0when business value is proven, adoption is strong, unit economics improve with volume, and the capability can be reused elsewhere.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Pause when data or readiness gaps\u00a0emerge, adoption is lower, or the ROI assumptions truly require re-evaluation before investing\u00a0additional\u00a0capital.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Stop\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\">when the business case no longer holds, risk outweighs value, the use case structurally\u00a0can&#8217;t\u00a0scale, or a better alternative has\u00a0emerged.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Deciding these criteria in advance, before the initiative is funded, is what separates a portfolio decision from a sunk-cost decision made under pressure six months later.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"what-is-the-difference-between-ai-investment-vs-ai-stocks\"><strong><span class=\"TextRun SCXW99090709 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW99090709 BCX8\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"heading 2\">What is the Difference Between AI Investment vs. AI Stocks?<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP Selected SCXW99090709 BCX8\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:360,&quot;335559739&quot;:80}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n<table data-tablestyle=\"MsoNormalTable\" data-tablelook=\"1696\" aria-rowcount=\"8\" aria-colcount=\"3\">\n<tbody>\n<tr aria-rowindex=\"1\">\n<td data-celllook=\"69905\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Aspect<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335551550&quot;:2,&quot;335551620&quot;:2,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"69905\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Investing in AI for Business<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335551550&quot;:2,&quot;335551620&quot;:2,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"69905\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Investing in AI Stocks<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335551550&quot;:2,&quot;335551620&quot;:2,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr aria-rowindex=\"2\">\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Meaning<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Allocating company resources to build AI capabilities<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Buying shares of AI-related companies<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr aria-rowindex=\"3\">\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Focus<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Enterprise growth, efficiency, innovation, and transformation<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Financial returns from equity investments<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr aria-rowindex=\"4\">\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Examples<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">AI platforms, data infrastructure, talent, automation, governance<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">AI-related companies such as Microsoft, Nvidia, or Google<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr aria-rowindex=\"5\">\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Decision-makers<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">CEOs, CFOs, CIOs, CTOs, and business leaders<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Individual or institutional investors<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr aria-rowindex=\"6\">\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Key criteria<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Business value, ROI, readiness, risk, scalability, and time to value<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Valuation, financial performance, market conditions, and growth potential<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr aria-rowindex=\"7\">\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Search intent<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u201cInvesting in AI,\u201d \u201cAI investment strategy,\u201d \u201centerprise AI investment\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u201cAI stocks,\u201d \u201ctop AI companies to invest in,\u201d \u201cAI stocks list\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr aria-rowindex=\"8\">\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Goal<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Build capabilities that create measurable business value<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td data-celllook=\"4369\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Generate financial returns<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2 id=\"what-12-month-ai-investment-plan\"><strong><span class=\"TextRun SCXW9895061 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW9895061 BCX8\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"heading 2\">What 12-Month AI Investment Plan<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP Selected SCXW9895061 BCX8\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:360,&quot;335559739&quot;:80}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW41690243 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW41690243 BCX8\">Successful AI investments should be developed in stages, not through enterprise-wide transformations. CEOs can follow a 12-month roadmap from discovery to proof and finally to scale.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Months 1\u20133: Diagnose<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Initiate by outlining AI strategy and potential business value, carry out an\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/ai-readiness-assessment\/\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">AI readiness assessment<\/span><\/b><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">,\u00a0identify\u00a0high-impact use cases and prioritise initiatives by business value, feasibility,\u00a0risk\u00a0and expected ROI.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Months 4\u20136: Prove<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Move selected opportunities into pilot projects. Consider high-value use cases, measure baseline metrics, and define controls and risks. Ideally, test whether business value can be realised before scaling up efforts.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Months 7\u20139: Scale<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Take successful pilots into production. This phase should\u00a0comprise\u00a0process redesign, technology implementation, employee adoption, as well as infrastructure upgrades to support an in-place deployment long-term.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Months 10\u201312:\u00a0Optimize<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Review portfolio performance and return on investment. Scale initiatives that provide value and put on hold initiatives that do not, or where should you look for your next best AI investment.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW150104805 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW150104805 BCX8\">It&#8217;s<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW150104805 BCX8\">\u00a0not to get AI everywhere in 12 months. It is to be able to have a repeatable process of being able to\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW150104805 BCX8\">identify<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW150104805 BCX8\">, get and prove and scale and optimise AI investments.<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP Selected SCXW150104805 BCX8\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-23108 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Ai_Investment_checklist_for_CEO.webp\" alt=\"12-month CEO AI investment roadmap timeline\" width=\"700\" height=\"391\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Ai_Investment_checklist_for_CEO.webp 700w, https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Ai_Investment_checklist_for_CEO-300x168.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.sphinx-solution.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Ai_Investment_checklist_for_CEO-390x218.webp 390w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"conclusion\"><strong><span class=\"TextRun SCXW17338800 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW17338800 BCX8\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"heading 2\">Conclusion<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP Selected SCXW17338800 BCX8\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:360,&quot;335559739&quot;:120}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">The CEOs getting real return from AI\u00a0aren&#8217;t\u00a0the ones spending the most; BCG&#8217;s 2025 research found only 5% of companies have become genuinely &#8220;future-built&#8221; with AI in production at scale, while 60% report generating little material value despite real investment.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">How is their approach different? Simply using AI capital allocation with the same rigour one would use for any large investment, involving: A distinct business problem; An equivalent way to score contenders; Funds wisely broken into a portfolio, rather than a single, large gamble; Stop-Loss rules determined before a nickel is spent. That discipline, not simply having a large budget, is the factor transforming AI expenditure into AI investment.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"faqs\"><strong><span class=\"TextRun SCXW229326005 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed SCXW229326005 BCX8\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"heading 2\">FAQ\u2019s<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW229326005 BCX8\" data-ccp-parastyle=\"heading 2\">:<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP Selected SCXW229326005 BCX8\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;134245418&quot;:true,&quot;134245529&quot;:true,&quot;335559738&quot;:360,&quot;335559739&quot;:80}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">What does\u00a0investing\u00a0in AI mean for a company?\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">It means\u00a0allocating\u00a0capital toward AI capabilities, use cases, data, technology, talent, and governance that are expected to produce measurable business value, evaluated with the same rigour as any other capital investment decision.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">How should CEOs evaluate AI investments?\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">By scoring proposals on business value, strategic differentiation, data readiness, and scalability against their complexity and risk, then funding the highest-scoring initiatives first rather than the loudest or most technically impressive ones.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">What are the best AI investments for enterprises?\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">There&#8217;s\u00a0no universal answer; the best investments are the specific use cases that score highest on your organisation&#8217;s own business value, feasibility, and data readiness, which is why a comparable scoring model matters more than a generic list.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">How much should companies invest in AI?\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">There&#8217;s\u00a0no correct percentage of revenue; the right budget depends on industry, AI and data maturity, and competitive pressure. The better question is what level of investment is justified by the value opportunity and your actual ability to capture it.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">How do you calculate AI ROI?\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Track financial metrics (cost savings, revenue impact) alongside operational, adoption, and AI performance metrics together, benchmarked against an internal baseline captured before launch, not against vendor benchmarks or pilot enthusiasm alone.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Should companies build or buy AI?\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Build only where the capability is genuinely differentiating and proprietary; buy or partner for commodity capabilities. Defaulting to build for everything wastes engineering capacity that should fund the differentiating part of the portfolio.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">What is the biggest mistake CEOs make when investing in AI?\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Funding technology before defining the business problem\u00a0it&#8217;s\u00a0meant to\u00a0solve, and\u00a0funding many disconnected pilots in parallel instead of a prioritised, sequenced portfolio.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">How long does it take to see ROI from AI investments?\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">It varies widely by use case and organisational readiness; what matters more than a fixed timeline is defining the expected return and time horizon before funding, so results can be evaluated against a real target rather than shifting expectations.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">What&#8217;s\u00a0the difference between investing in AI and investing in AI stocks?\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Investing in AI as a business means\u00a0allocating\u00a0corporate capital to build AI capability; investing in AI stocks means buying equity in AI-related companies. They are different decisions, made by different people, evaluated with entirely different criteria.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:0}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Key Takeaways How do CEO\u2019s\u00a0demonstrate\u00a0ROI on AI investments in the business rather than in the CIO\u2019s department\u2019s tech spend?\u00a0 Best AI investments are not those that use the most advanced&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":23105,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"ub_ctt_via":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23103","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-technology"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO 4.9.9 - aioseo.com -->\n\t<meta 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