Scaling AI adoption: how a superannuation leader grew AI engagement by 1100%

The situation

When we first partnered with a leading superannuation organisation, they were in the early stages of exploring AI capabilities. While they had initiated promising discovery learning and exploratory PoC tooling with enthusiastic early adopters, there was no clear vision for scaling AI across the business. Leadership recognised AI’s potential and aimed to position the organisation as an early adopter, but a structured approach was missing. Their strategy focused on gradually increasing AI literacy across the workforce, empowering teams to identify AI-driven opportunities. Additionally, there were concerns about AI’s impact on roles and responsibilities, making change management and clear communication essential.

The challenge

The organisation had already demonstrated tangible benefits from its initial AI use case, achieving notable time savings and skill amplification. However, without a structured adoption roadmap, they risked fragmented AI implementation. The General Manager of Technology urged leadership to create a clear path for onboarding staff to the AI platform, ensuring hands-on learning and supporting business-wide adoption. Despite strong thought leadership on AI, the lack of a cohesive strategy threatened to slow momentum and limit the organisation’s ability to harness AI’s full potential.

The process

To guide the client’s AI adoption journey, we facilitated a structured, iterative process that balanced leadership vision with practical implementation. Our approach included:

• Defining commitment levels, identifying executive sponsors, and establishing a realistic timeline for the roadmap.
• Tailoring an interactive workshop series, conducted in a series of 30-minute sessions, running 3-4 times a week over several weeks, totalling about 4 hours, to ensure high engagement and alignment.
• Embedding an iterative feedback loop that allowed leadership and key stakeholders to validate progress, ensuring engagement and a quick turnaround.
• Collaborating closely with the client’s teams, fostering cross-functional engagement, and ensuring alignment with change management strategies.

The solution

We implemented an iterative AI adoption roadmap, designed to scale sustainably across the organisation. Key elements included:

• A clearly defined AI adoption journey, rollout strategy, and structured support mechanisms.
• Success metrics and learning activities tailored to different teams and maturity levels.
• A phased approach to workforce onboarding, acknowledging that different teams would progress at different speeds.
• A focus on change facilitation and strategic communication to mitigate resistance and build organisational buy-in.

The Results

Our structured approach led to transformative outcomes:

• A 1100% growth in AI platform adoption, increasing users to over 500.
• Full staff engagement, with AI adoption champions identified across the organisation.
• Establishment of a Community of Practice (CoP), fostering collaboration and continuous learning.
• Identification of a dozen new business use cases, with several approved through a tech lean canvas process.
• Three AI use cases implemented within six months, supported by newly dedicated tech resources.
• A published AI policy, ensuring alignment with governance and strategic goals.

Final thoughts

This project underscores the importance of a structured yet flexible approach to AI adoption. By balancing leadership vision with practical execution, we enabled the organisation to accelerate its AI maturity, enhance collaboration, and unlock tangible business benefits. Our iterative, stakeholder-driven process not only delivered immediate results but also set the foundation for future AI initiatives and long-term success.

Ready to accelerate your AI adoption journey? Contact us to discover how we can help your organisation navigate AI complexity and drive impactful results.

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