By Kris Merz, Partner, Columbus Consulting
Artificial intelligence is no longer a future trend—it’s here, reshaping industries from retail to manufacturing. But rushing to implement AI without preparation is like building a skyscraper on sand: the foundation matters. AI readiness is about ensuring your organization has the capabilities, processes, and mindset to successfully adopt and scale AI.
Organizational Readiness starts with leadership commitment and cross-department alignment. AI initiatives can’t live in silos—they need champions, clear ownership, and a culture open to data-driven decision-making.
Ethics & Governance is non-negotiable. Customers, regulators, and employees expect AI to be transparent, fair, and compliant with privacy laws. This means having policies for responsible AI use, processes to audit decisions, and safeguards against bias.
Without Business Use Case Clarity, AI risks becoming a costly experiment. The most successful projects start with clearly defined problems, measurable KPIs, and a realistic ROI forecast. AI is not a magic fix—it’s a tool to solve specific, high-value challenges.
Talent & Skills gaps can derail even the best plans. Whether through hiring, partnerships, or upskilling, organizations need people who can build, interpret, and act on AI insights—and leaders who understand its strategic value.
Data Readiness is the fuel. AI thrives on clean, accurate, and well-labeled data. That means investing in data governance, integration, and the ability to draw from both internal and external sources.
Finally, Technology & Infrastructure must be able to handle the workload. Scalable cloud platforms, API-driven integration, and secure storage are essential to run AI efficiently and safely.
AI readiness isn’t about saying “yes” or “no” to AI—it’s about understanding where you stand today so you can move forward with confidence tomorrow.
Learn more about AI and how Columbus Consulting can help you get AI ready: https://www.columbusconsulting.com/generative-ai-at-a-glance/
ABOUT COLUMBUS CONSULTING
Columbus Consulting delivers solutions that drive true value and have been transforming the retail and CPG industries for over two decades. We are a retail consulting company of industry experts. Our approach is simple, if you do it, we do it. We are more than consultants; we are experienced practitioners who actually sat in our clients’ seats. We understand the challenges, know what questions to ask and deliver the right solutions. Columbus offers a unique, consumer-centric approach with an end-to-end perspective that bridges functional & organization silos from strategy to execution. OUR SPECIALTIES include: unified commerce, merchandising & category management, planning & inventory management, sourcing & supply chain, data & analytics, accounting, finance & operations, people & organization and information technology. Let us know how we can help you. To learn more, visit COLUMBUSCONSULTING.COM.