Discover what AI consulting services involve, how they drive ROI, and how they help organizations overcome adoption barriers.

In brief:

• What goes into AI consulting services includes aligning AI initiatives with business objectives, building data and technology foundations, and preparing teams culturally for adoption, bridging the gap between executive vision and practical implementation.
• Most AI struggles stem from inadequate data infrastructure, with 60-70 percent of AI growing pains caused by ill-prepared data pipelines, making data modernization and governance a critical first step in successful AI consulting engagements.
• Effective AI consulting prevents common adoption failures by designing for enterprise scale from the start, ensuring pilots translate into sustainable deployments through proper governance models, workflows, and ownership structures.
• AI consultants help organizations move from experimentation to integration by assessing AI maturity, creating phased roadmaps with high-value use cases, and delivering change management strategies that reduce resistance and build workforce confidence.

Nearly two-thirds of respondents in a McKinsey 2025 survey say they’re experimenting with AI, but only seven percent have fully deployed and integrated AI across their entire organization.

The problem isn’t the tools. It’s knowing what to use them for and how to make the changes stick.

AI consulting helps leaders turn ideas into practical, measurable progress.

What Does AI Consulting Actually Involve?

While traditional IT or analytics consulting often focuses on tooling or project delivery, AI consulting builds connective tissue between business priorities and intelligent systems.

The best AI consultants work with organizations to turn complex business challenges into practical, AI-enabled solutions. That requires thinking beyond models and into how data is used, how teams make decisions, and how workflows evolve. It links executive goals with data maturity, platforms with automation, and governance with cultural readiness.

Aligning AI to Clear Business Strategies

Every successful AI initiative begins with clarity, and AI consulting engagements should:

1. Help leadership teams align AI efforts with real business objectives, whether that’s accelerating product delivery, unlocking customer insights, or improving operational efficiency.
2. Assess current capabilities using AI maturity models. These models help determine how prepared the organization is for intelligent systems.
3. Create a tailored roadmap that outlines high-value use cases, governance needs, and phased implementation.

Our approach to AI strategy development goes beyond simply experimenting with new technology to identify the root of problems and aims to build solutions with measurable outcomes. We align vision with execution to help organizations turn AI ambition into lasting business impact.

Building the Data and Technology Foundation for AI Integration

According to a 2025 Forbes article, 60 percent to 70 percent of AI growing pains are because of an ill-prepared data infrastructure.

That’s why AI consulting efforts often begin with modernizing data pipelines and introducing governance practices that prepare systems and processes for AI involvement. Consultants should guide decisions around cloud architecture, model deployment, and platform selection.

We support these efforts as a Microsoft Cloud partner, helping clients unify their analytics, data engineering, and machine learning into a single environment. We also offer Salesforce AI consulting and Microsoft Copilot consulting to embed intelligence into processes with minimal disruption.

Using a phased rollout helped a past culinary client strategically implement AI across multiple aspects of their business to better understand customer trends, buying behavior, and even automate purchase order submissions.

We work with clients to evaluate when to build custom AI models and when to adopt proven tools. We’ll make sure every technology investment supports your broader business strategy.

Preparing Teams and Culture for AI Adoption

AI tools require people who are prepared to adopt them. That’s why workforce enablement and change management are central to any successful AI consulting engagement.

At Centric, we help clients embed AI fluency across their entire organization, from executive teams to frontline staff. This includes upskilling, role-based training, and collaborative change strategies that reduce resistance and build momentum.

This human-first approach prepares organizations to be technically prepared and culturally ready to integrate AI into daily work.

How Consulting Helps Overcome Common Barriers to AI Adoption

Taking a human-first approach is only part of how to mitigate AI adoption challenges.

Other ways that AI consulting supports adoption include:

Assessing Data Quality and Improving Existing Workflows

Poor data quality, fragmented systems, or outdated pipelines can quietly sabotage even the most well-intentioned AI projects. Consulting teams help evaluate your current data landscape, identify sources of friction, and recommend improvements that make AI models more effective from the start.

This includes establishing governed data architectures, aligning data to key use cases, and helping teams understand what “AI-ready” data really looks like in the context of their operations.

Aligning Executive Expectations with Realistic Outcomes

AI transformation depends on cross-functional clarity. One of the most valuable roles consultants play is helping leadership teams align around what AI can realistically achieve, within what timeframe, and with what level of investment.

Through road mapping, stakeholder workshops, and early wins, consultants help organizations move forward with confidence, not confusion.

Equipping Teams to Confidently Adopt AI

Adoption often slows when employees feel overwhelmed or unsure about what’s changing. Consulting services bring structure to change management, creating a path where teams feel supported rather than disrupted.

This includes tailored training plans, communication strategies, and building cultural alignment across departments so that teams not only accept new tools but also trust them.

Designing for Scale from the Start

Successful pilots often fail to translate into long-term impact because they were never built with scale in mind. Consultants help design the governance models, workflows, and ownership structures needed to move from a proof of concept to enterprise-wide deployment.

The things that you learn during the pilot phase will affect governance, will affect security, and will tell you in a more real-world setting if you will actually achieve the KPIs you’re looking for.

Thinking beyond the pilot phase from the outset helps organizations reduce rework, improve accountability, and lay the foundation for sustainable AI growth.

How We Help Organizations Become AI-first

We help organizations become AI-first through an integrated, full-stack approach that aligns strategy, technology, and people. We focus on embedding AI across business vision, systems, and culture, as well as the implementation of tools or models.

In one case, we helped a regional bank move from zero automation to giving 67 percent of its customers a fully automated end-to-end experience through a steady alignment of culture, process and tech.

Our teams develop scalable AI capabilities, including agent development, advanced data platforms, and governance frameworks that promote the responsible and effective use of AI. We work within your existing ecosystems, using partnerships with Microsoft, Salesforce, and other enterprise platforms to accelerate adoption and deliver measurable results.

Becoming an AI-first organization is an ongoing evolution of:

• Understanding your current state
• Identifying where AI can create value
• Preparing teams and platforms for sustained transformation

Whether the starting point is targeted pilots, governance models, or workforce readiness, we ensure AI investments are strategic, scalable and sustainable.

Start Your AI Journey with Confidence

Whether you’re building your first roadmap or scaling enterprisewide transformation, working with experienced AI consultants helps you avoid missteps and move faster.

Our AI consulting services combine clear strategy, trusted platforms, and people-centered transformation to help organizations thrive in an AI-powered future.

[cta bg="purple" button="Read the Story" link=" https://centricconsulting.com/client-stories/writing-a-recipe-for-ai-success-at-what-chefs-want_ai/"]We help companies maintain their competitive edge by partnering with them on their AI journey. Our recent work with a wholesale food delivery company shows how.[/cta]

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