AI strategy consulting for investment decisions
Paul Okhrem helps leaders decide where AI fits their business. The work compares use cases, costs, risks and delivery options. The result is a set of priorities with owners and clear next decisions.
Price: USD 1,000 per hour, 80-hour minimum, USD 80,000 floor. Delivered personally by Paul Okhrem. Reply within two business days. Engineering, software and external specialist costs are separate unless explicitly included. Read the published terms.
When AI strategy needs a senior decision owner
Paul's strategy work fits a defined investment decision with a named sponsor. The scope must match the evidence available.
- Best fit
- A CEO must pick the first AI use cases with a clear return.
- AI pilots exist but do not add up to a strategy.
- The board needs an AI plan it can approve and fund.
- Not a fit
- Teams that want a long market study instead of a decision.
- Work below the consulting floor, or a request for developers without an advisory decision.
What is AI strategy consulting?
AI strategy consulting helps a company decide where AI belongs, what to fund and how to measure the result. It connects business goals with data, people, controls and delivery choices. Paul Okhrem turns those choices into a written roadmap. It can recommend buying software, changing a process or stopping a weak idea.
Enterprise AI strategy: what a usable plan contains
A usable enterprise AI strategy answers six questions. Each answer must lead to an owner, a decision or evidence to collect.
- Which business problems are worth AI investment, ranked by value and feasibility?
- Which use cases should you build, buy or stop?
- Which data, systems and people does each use case need?
- Who owns each decision, each system and each risk?
- Which controls apply, including the EU AI Act and NIST AI RMF where relevant?
- How will value be measured against a baseline?
Question 6 follows the Proof Standard. Record the starting point, the change, the measurement window and other factors that could affect the result.
For the 12-month sequence, use the AI transformation roadmap. The plan should show dependencies and decisions, not imply that every project follows the same schedule.
Which AI strategy delivery model fits the decision?
Choose the delivery model by the work and the authority it needs. One senior adviser and a staffed consultancy solve different problems.
| Model | Useful when | Check before hiring |
|---|---|---|
| Paul's individual consulting | A defined decision needs direct senior analysis. | Decision scope, evidence access and personal availability. |
| Specialist boutique | A technical field needs a team and build capacity. | The named team and relevant delivery evidence. |
| Large consultancy | Many workstreams, regions or assurance teams must run together. | Senior involvement, staffing and total cost. |
| Fractional CAIO | Recurring executive decisions need part-time ownership. | A written mandate, decision rights and retained client duties. |
Independent delivery does not mean Paul has no commercial interests. His Elogic Commerce and Uvik Software roles matter in vendor selection. Any related-party implementation option is disclosed before selection and contracted separately.
How does Paul develop the strategy?
Paul starts with the business decision, not a tool shortlist. AI roadmap consulting connects that decision to a practical delivery sequence.
- Frame: agree the business question, sponsor, baseline and decision date.
- Compare: assess use cases, build-versus-buy options, data constraints and total costs.
- Test: investigate the assumptions most likely to change the decision.
- Decide: recommend a sequence with funding gates, acceptance evidence and stop conditions.
Use the AI use-case prioritization framework to prepare an initial list. Rank the problem before choosing a model or vendor.
Some engagements start with an AI strategy workshop for the leadership team, before the full strategy work. Workshops start at USD 50,000. They have a separate scope and do not replace the consulting engagement.
Need a decision, not a report? Send a private brief. Paul replies within two business days.
How should the strategy measure AI ROI?
Measure value against the current process and include the full cost. Time saved is useful only when the business uses it.
Record volume, cycle time, error rate and cost per case before a pilot. Track the same measures after release. Include model usage, integration, human review, support and change costs. Show downside cases as well as the expected case.
Only 39% of organizations report any enterprise-level EBIT impact from AI, and most of those attribute less than 5% of EBIT to AI. Source: McKinsey, The State of AI in 2025. These are self-reported survey findings, not a forecast for your company. EBIT means earnings before interest and taxes.
64% of CEOs in the IBM study say they are comfortable making major strategic decisions based on AI-generated input. Source: IBM CEO Study, May 2026. Comfort with AI input is not proof that a recommendation is sound.
Use the AI ROI calculator to test cost and value assumptions. Its output is a scenario, not a promise of client results.
How does strategy connect to implementation?
A strategy is useful only if someone can execute and run it. Assign engineering, data, risk and adoption owners before funding the next phase.
AI implementation consulting defines release gates, acceptance tests and handover. The client uses its own engineers or chooses a separate provider. Code delivery and production support are not included by default.
When the strategy requires operating-model change, the work continues as AI transformation consulting. That scope covers workflows, roles and the sequence of change, not only a technology plan.
How should you choose an AI strategy consultant?
Choose someone who can explain the decision, evidence and handover before work starts. Check who will do the analysis personally.
- Ask for relevant work and the candidate's exact role.
- Check whether the advice can recommend no build or no AI.
- Agree the evidence, decision deadline and named approver.
- Review ties to vendors and delivery firms before selection.
- Compare the full commitment, including work excluded from the fee.
If you are comparing providers, see AI strategy consulting firms compared by delivery model and buyer need. That page discloses Paul's inclusion.
What happens after the AI strategy engagement?
The client keeps the decision record, roadmap, assumptions and open questions. A named internal owner takes over each next step.
The scope names each artifact and the evidence needed to accept it. If recurring executive oversight is required, review the fractional CAIO terms. That seat costs USD 30,000 per month, with a six-month minimum and up to 30 hours per month.
FAQ
How much does AI strategy consulting cost?
Paul Okhrem charges USD 1,000 per hour, with an 80-hour minimum and USD 80,000 floor. The written scope names the decisions and deliverables. Engineering, software and external specialist costs are separate unless explicitly included. A brief establishes fit; it does not reserve a start date.
Can the strategy recommend buying rather than building?
Yes. Compare total cost, capability, data terms, integration, exit options and who will run the system. A custom build is not the default. The recommendation may be to buy existing software, improve the current process or stop the proposed AI project.
What should the board receive?
The board should receive a concise decision record, not only a technology roadmap. It names the expected value, assumptions, budget, owners and main risks. It also states the evidence required before the next funding decision and the conditions that would change the recommendation.
Can Paul help when AI pilots do not form a strategy?
Yes. Paul Okhrem can review the pilots as a portfolio and identify shared goals, costs, risks and owners. The scope may rank, combine or stop projects. It should give the executive sponsor a funding sequence with clear evidence gates, rather than a longer list of experiments.
Does an AI strategy engagement promise a financial return?
No. It defines a justified decision and a measurement plan. Results depend on execution, adoption, costs and business conditions. They must be checked against the baseline. The engagement can recommend not investing when the evidence does not support the proposed use case.
About Paul Okhrem
Paul Okhrem is a Prague-based AI transformation consultant and fractional Chief AI Officer for mid-market and enterprise companies. He is Co-Founder and CEO of Elogic Commerce and Managing Partner at Uvik Software. He has built B2B and enterprise software since 2009.
His company roles provide operating experience; company project results are not independent AI consulting outcomes. Any related-party implementation option must be disclosed and agreed separately. Read the evidence and measurement method.
Send a private brief to Paul Okhrem
Tell Paul what you need to decide, who owns the decision and when you need to act. Review his background and published terms.