Cairn Advisory CAIRN ADVISORY

Markers for leaders crossing new ground.

AI Strategy and Stewardship for Organizations.

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"By some estimates, more than 80 percent of AI projects fail. This is twice the already-high rate of failure in corporate information technology (IT) projects that do not involve AI."

— RAND Corporation

We turn AI from a broad, organizational imperative into practical, usable, and useful workflows ready to pilot and implement.

A stone cairn marking a trail, representing Cairn Advisory's guidance for AI strategy

"What is a Cairn? A pile of stones placed in wild places so the next person following can find their way. We approach our work with the same view, to intentionally share expertise to help the next leader and organization travel with greater confidence and purpose."

— Founder's Vision

The Approach

I come alongside leaders and walk with them to understand, communicate, and navigate decisions incorporating AI and how it is changing work.

Advisory Engagements

Direct, measured, specific expertise for organizations adopting AI.

The Engagement

AI Workflow Optimization Sprint

Most organizations feel pressure to "do AI," but the real question is: Where can AI safely reduce operational friction in ways your teams will actually adopt?

This four-week engagement identifies your best first AI use case, designs the workflow, and prepares you to pilot it—with clear ROI and practical guardrails built in.

What Happens

  • Week 1: Map high-friction administrative processes across your operations where AI could safely reduce burden
  • Week 2: Prioritize the best first opportunity and design the workflow (current-state and future-state)
  • Week 3: Model ROI impact and identify the guardrails (privacy, quality, human oversight)
  • Week 4: Deliver your pilot roadmap and a scaling plan for what comes after
Timeline: 4 weeks Your time: ~15 hours

What You Get

A Practical Roadmap for Your First AI Workflow

In four weeks, your team receives:

The Analysis

  • A prioritized map of AI opportunities across your operations
  • Current-state and future-state workflow maps for your top opportunity
  • ROI estimate tied to staffing, throughput, access, or revenue impact

The Pilot Plan

  • One recommended workflow to pilot first (your highest-impact, most-adoptable use case)
  • 90-day pilot roadmap with clear milestones and success metrics
  • Practical guardrails for privacy, quality, and human oversight

The Scaling Strategy

  • A plan for expanding what works across additional teams or locations
  • Clear decision criteria for when to move beyond the pilot
The Goal: Not to "do AI" for the sake of it. To reduce operational drag in ways your teams will actually adopt—and to know, after 90 days, whether it's working.

Start the Conversation

Reach out to discuss your organization's trajectory and how we can contribute to your journey.

Cairn Advisory holds client information in confidence. We do not sell it, share it with third parties, or use it to train external systems. We protect it with the same discipline we recommend.