AI Strategy
AI strategy for Irish SMEs — built, not just advised.
One workflow. One team. One quarter. We find where AI earns its place, then build it — so you end the quarter with something that works, not another stack of subscriptions.
Most SMEs have been sold enterprise AI — repackaged and repriced for a different context. It doesn't fit.
AI strategy for a 20-person professional services firm is not a scaled-down version of what Microsoft or EY do. It starts from your actual operations.
The principle
One workflow. One team. One quarter.
The point is not to adopt AI everywhere at once. It is to find the one workflow where AI creates measurable value, implement it properly, and prove the model internally.
Once one workflow is working, the second is easier. The organisation learns to evaluate, implement and measure. The dependency on external consultants reduces.
The process
How an AI strategy engagement works
Diagnose
Map what you actually do. Where does time go? What gets repeated? What manual steps could be automated today with existing tools?
Prioritise
Identify the 2-3 workflows where AI creates measurable value this quarter. Not theoretically. Actually.
Implement
Build and deploy with the team who will use it. Ger runs the engagement directly — no junior consultants once the contract is signed.
Measure
Track adoption, time saved, error reduction. Report to the board where needed. Build the internal case for the next workflow.
Output
What you end up with
The priority workflow, working
Not a recommendation to build it — the thing itself, running in your environment. Built where building's right, configured from an off-the-shelf tool where that's better, and integrated with the systems you already use.
The map behind the decision
An honest view of your operations — where AI creates genuine value, where it doesn't, and which workflows are better fixed with process than software. So you know why this workflow came first, and what's worth doing next.
Build-or-buy, decided and acted on
For the priority workflow, a clear call on whether to build custom, configure existing tools, or neither — and then the doing. We've no stake in which tools you choose, so the call is only ever what's right for you.
A team that can run it without us
We build with the people who'll use it, and hand over so the workflow keeps running when we leave. No proprietary frameworks designed to create dependency — the second workflow should be easier whether or not we're involved.
Questions
Common questions
Where should an Irish SME start with AI?
Start with a workflow audit, not a tool shortlist. The most common and costly mistake Irish SMEs make is adopting AI tools before diagnosing which problems actually need solving. The right starting point is identifying where your business loses time, margin or quality — then determining whether AI addresses that specific problem.
How much does an AI strategy engagement cost for a small business?
Acuity AI Advisory's SME AI Strategy engagements are scoped based on the size and complexity of the business. A focused diagnostic-led engagement typically covers one core workflow or operational area and is designed to deliver measurable outcomes within a single quarter. We do not publish standard pricing because engagements are tailored — but we are not an enterprise consultancy and our SME work is priced accordingly. Contact us to discuss your situation.
What is the difference between an AI strategy and buying AI tools?
Buying AI tools is a purchasing decision. An AI strategy is an operational decision about where and how AI creates value in your specific business. Without a strategy, tool purchases accumulate: subscriptions that solve problems you do not have, workflows that were not designed for AI integration, and teams that lack the context to use tools effectively.
How long does an SME AI strategy engagement take?
A focused SME AI strategy engagement with Acuity AI Advisory runs over four to six weeks. The first phase is diagnostic: mapping workflows, identifying friction points and assessing current AI use. The second phase prioritises and builds — we implement the highest-value workflow, building custom or configuring an existing tool, and hand it over working. You end with something running, not just a roadmap.
AI Strategy for Irish SMEs
Fixed-fee. Direct engagement. Scoped to your actual operations.
We work with organisations of all sizes. Engagements are fixed-fee and scoped to the problem — not to the size of your balance sheet.