# AI Strategy Paper

> The reference work for AI strategy in the enterprise: methods, checklists, and templates from maturity assessment to ongoing operations.

Freely accessible reference work for organizations that develop or implement an AI strategy. It covers the whole journey: assess maturity, prioritize use cases, build the target architecture and operating model, measure, secure, roll out. Each step comes with methods, templates, checklists and decision trees. The EU AI Act is covered including the changes made by the Digital Omnibus. Every chapter can be read on its own; the work is updated continuously.

- Author: Aaron Kreis (https://aaron.de/), [About Me](https://ki-strategiepapier.de/en/about-me/)
- Audiences: Consultants, Executive management (CEO), Technology leadership (CTO), AI experts

## Contents

### [A. Orientation](https://ki-strategiepapier.de/en/a-orientierung/)

Getting oriented: why an AI strategy is needed, foundational terms, the maturity assessment, and reading paths by role.

- [A1. Why an AI Strategy](https://ki-strategiepapier.de/en/a-orientierung/a1-warum-eine-ki-strategie/): Why companies need an AI strategy: the cost of having no strategy, from shadow AI to failed PoCs, and the purpose of this work. (Roles: Executive management (CEO), Technology leadership (CTO), Consultant, Expert)
- [A2. Foundations and Terminology](https://ki-strategiepapier.de/en/a-orientierung/a2-grundlagen-und-begriffe/): A shared language for AI strategy: AI, ML, and GenAI, prompting, RAG, and fine-tuning, AI agents, operating disciplines, and a glossary. (Roles: Executive management (CEO), Technology leadership (CTO), Consultant, Expert)
- [A3. Maturity Assessment](https://ki-strategiepapier.de/en/a-orientierung/a3-reifegradanalyse/): Maturity assessment in five steps: seven dimensions, five maturity levels, a self-assessment scorecard, and bottleneck identification. (Roles: Executive management (CEO), Technology leadership (CTO), Consultant, Expert)
- [A4. Reading Paths](https://ki-strategiepapier.de/en/a-orientierung/a4-lesepfade-nach-rolle/): Chapter overview and recommended reading paths for CEOs, CTOs, consultants, and AI experts, plus entry points by starting question. (Roles: Executive management (CEO), Technology leadership (CTO), Consultant, Expert)

### [B. Strategy](https://ki-strategiepapier.de/en/b-strategie/)

The content building blocks of an AI strategy: from vision and use cases through architecture and operating model to regulation, security, ethics, and change management.

- [B1. Vision and Strategic Embedding](https://ki-strategiepapier.de/en/b-strategie/b1-vision-und-strategische-einbettung/): Vision and strategic embedding: alignment with corporate strategy, ambition level, and the long-term AI vision. (Roles: Executive management (CEO), Technology leadership (CTO), Consultant)
- [B2. Identifying and Prioritizing Use Cases](https://ki-strategiepapier.de/en/b-strategie/b2-anwendungsfaelle-identifizieren-und-priorisieren/): Identifying and prioritizing use cases: use-case canvas, evaluation scorecard, value-feasibility matrix, and business case. (Roles: Technology leadership (CTO), Consultant, Expert)
- [B3. Build, Buy, or Partner](https://ki-strategiepapier.de/en/b-strategie/b3-build-buy-oder-partner/): Build, buy, or partner: a decision-criteria matrix and a vendor questionnaire with eleven categories for structured selection. (Roles: Technology leadership (CTO), Consultant, Expert)
- [B4. Data Strategy](https://ki-strategiepapier.de/en/b-strategie/b4-datenstrategie/): Data strategy as the foundation: six dimensions of data quality, data access, and data governance with a data-source inventory. (Roles: Technology leadership (CTO), Expert)
- [B5. Target Architecture](https://ki-strategiepapier.de/en/b-strategie/b5-zielbild-architektur/): Target architecture for AI: reference building blocks along the data path, the generative and agentic layer, and cloud, on-premises, or hybrid. (Roles: Technology leadership (CTO), Expert)
- [B6. Operating Model and Organization](https://ki-strategiepapier.de/en/b-strategie/b6-betriebsmodell-und-organisation/): Operating model and organization: centralized, federated, or hybrid, the AI competence center, intake process, and lifecycle management. (Roles: Technology leadership (CTO), Expert)
- [B7. Roles and Responsibilities](https://ki-strategiepapier.de/en/b-strategie/b7-rollen-und-verantwortlichkeiten/): Roles and responsibilities for AI in the enterprise: RACI matrix, role profiles, and decision rights. (Roles: Technology leadership (CTO), Consultant, Expert)
- [B8. Regulation and Compliance](https://ki-strategiepapier.de/en/b-strategie/b8-regulatorik-und-compliance/): The EU AI Act and Digital Omnibus explained: risk classes, decision tree, deadlines, high-risk obligations, GDPR, and financial supervision. (Roles: Executive management (CEO), Consultant, Expert)
- [B9. Security for AI](https://ki-strategiepapier.de/en/b-strategie/b9-sicherheit-fuer-ki/): Security for AI systems: the OWASP Top 10 for LLM applications, prompt injection, protection architecture, and a security checklist. (Roles: Technology leadership (CTO), Expert)
- [B10. Ethics and Responsible AI](https://ki-strategiepapier.de/en/b-strategie/b10-ethik-und-responsible-ai/): Ethics and responsible AI: five core principles, a two-stage ethics review, fairness metrics, and human oversight. (Roles: Executive management (CEO), Consultant, Expert)
- [B11. Change Management and Enablement](https://ki-strategiepapier.de/en/b-strategie/b11-change-management-und-befaehigung/): Change management and enablement: change roles and sponsorship, stakeholder map, change curve, communication plan, talent strategy, and reinforcement. (Roles: Executive management (CEO), Consultant)

### [C. Approach](https://ki-strategiepapier.de/en/c-vorgehen/)

How to execute: a phase model with gates, a prioritized roadmap, and the path from pilot to production.

- [C1. Process Model](https://ki-strategiepapier.de/en/c-vorgehen/c1-vorgehensmodell/): The process model in five phases: Assess, Strategize, Pilot, Scale, and Operate, with decision gates and anti-patterns. (Roles: Technology leadership (CTO), Consultant, Expert)
- [C2. Roadmap and Rollout](https://ki-strategiepapier.de/en/c-vorgehen/c2-roadmap-und-einfuehrung/): Roadmap and rollout: quick wins vs. strategic bets, wave planning with an enablement track, and capacity limits. (Roles: Executive management (CEO), Technology leadership (CTO), Consultant)
- [C3. From Pilot to Production](https://ki-strategiepapier.de/en/c-vorgehen/c3-vom-piloten-zur-produktion/): From pilot to production: why PoCs fail, scaling criteria, the go/no-go checklist, and rollout strategies. (Roles: Technology leadership (CTO), Consultant, Expert)

### [D. Measurement](https://ki-strategiepapier.de/en/d-messung-und-steuerung/)

Measurement and steering: metrics and evaluation, cost and FinOps, risk management, and stakeholder reporting.

- [D1. Metrics and Evaluation](https://ki-strategiepapier.de/en/d-messung-und-steuerung/d1-metriken-und-evaluierung/): Metrics and evaluation: four metric categories, measures for generative AI and agents, thresholds, and evaluation methods. (Roles: Executive management (CEO), Technology leadership (CTO), Expert)
- [D2. Cost and FinOps](https://ki-strategiepapier.de/en/d-messung-und-steuerung/d2-kosten-und-finops/): Cost and FinOps for AI: eight cost fields, token and inference costs, unit economics, cost levers, and ongoing cost steering. (Roles: Executive management (CEO), Technology leadership (CTO))
- [D3. Risk Management](https://ki-strategiepapier.de/en/d-messung-und-steuerung/d3-risikomanagement/): Risk management for AI as a cycle: identify, assess, treat, and monitor risks, with a risk register, risk appetite, and leading indicators. (Roles: Executive management (CEO), Consultant, Expert)
- [D4. Reporting and Stakeholder Communication](https://ki-strategiepapier.de/en/d-messung-und-steuerung/d4-reporting-und-stakeholder-kommunikation/): Reporting and stakeholder communication: audiences and their information needs, three dashboard levels, reporting cadences, board report, and external transparency. (Roles: Executive management (CEO), Consultant)

### [E. Toolkit](https://ki-strategiepapier.de/en/e-werkzeugkasten/)

The toolkit: all templates and checklists in one index, plus sources and currency notes.

- [E1. Templates and Checklists](https://ki-strategiepapier.de/en/e-werkzeugkasten/e1-vorlagen-und-checklisten/): An index of all templates and checklists in the strategy paper, generated automatically and linked by chapter. (Roles: Executive management (CEO), Technology leadership (CTO), Consultant, Expert)
- [E2. Sources and Currency](https://ki-strategiepapier.de/en/e-werkzeugkasten/e2-quellen-und-aktualitaet/): Further sources and currency notes: reference frameworks, update cadence, and the currency of the content. (Roles: Consultant, Expert)

## Further pages

- [About Me](https://ki-strategiepapier.de/en/about-me/): About the author of the AI strategy paper.
- [Imprint](https://ki-strategiepapier.de/en/imprint/)
- [Privacy Policy](https://ki-strategiepapier.de/en/privacy-policy/)

## Other languages

- [Deutsch: KI-Strategiepapier](https://ki-strategiepapier.de/llms.txt)