Lessons from failed projects
Many BI and automation projects we inherited from other vendors shared the same flaw: implementation started first, assessment came later. The result was dirty data, weak process discipline, and low user trust.
Foundational service · AI MAKER Compass™
Choose the right direction.
Move with more confidence.
Most AI projects fail not because AI is weak, but because the roadmap was never clear. AI MAKER Compass™ is the methodology dataMAKER built from real delivery work to guide assessment and AI decision-making before a single implementation dollar is spent.
AI MAKER Compass™AI MAKER Score™Process AuditHeatmap & RoadmapPhase Gate Decision
Why assess first
AI is not the scarce part — clarity is.
Many companies already tried the obvious moves: buying an AI tool, hiring someone to build an agent, or switching on Copilot. Results still disappoint because the operating foundation was never properly assessed.
- Teams do not know which workflows repeat often enough to justify automation.
- Data is fragmented and inconsistent, so AI cannot work with it reliably.
- Leaders cannot size legal and operational risk when AI makes the wrong call.
- Budgets are spread across hype instead of prioritized by measurable ROI.
After an AI assessment
Know exactly which use cases should go first, later, or not at all based on real evidence from each business unit.
Get an AI MAKER Score™ for every process so business value and implementation readiness are quantified together.
Build an AI roadmap across the data, app, and AI layers in the right order instead of fragmented bets.
Avoid wasting budget on ideas that sound exciting but do not fit the company’s operational reality.
Methodology origin
Not theory — distilled from delivery.
AI MAKER Compass™ was developed through years of data and automation delivery with Vietnamese businesses, not by lifting a foreign framework and applying it blindly.
Patterns from 50+ projects
Across more than 50 projects in distribution, manufacturing, finance, and healthcare, the same two forces kept deciding outcomes: real business value and organizational readiness.
Calibrated with Big4 & Big Tech
AI MAKER Compass™ is calibrated against methods from BCG, Deloitte, Microsoft, and Gartner, then adjusted for Vietnamese scale, operating context, and execution constraints.
Measurement toolkit
AI MAKER Score™ - Measure before you decide
This is the core scoring engine inside AI MAKER Compass™. Every process is evaluated across two independent dimensions: Business Value (is it worth investing in?) and Readiness (can we execute now?). The combined score creates a clear priority signal for each use case.
Business value · 0–5
Is this use case worth the investment?
- FTE hours saved
- Frequency of repeated work
- Pain point resolved
- Strategic value
Readiness · 0–5
Is the organization ready to implement it?
- Data quality and structure
- System integration readiness
- Compliance risk
- Operational risk (human-in-the-loop)
- Source data quality
AI MAKER Score™
0–25
High priority · Start now
Medium priority · Evaluate next
Low priority · Later phase
Do not proceed · Not feasible
AI MAKER Compass™ methodology
3 months. 12 steps. One clear roadmap.
The methodology runs through three parallel tracks designed so evidence accumulates step by step and ends in a complete Phase Gate Pack that leadership can use to decide with confidence.
Discovery & Capture
01
Baseline Data
Collect headcount, systems, and the current process baseline
02
Manager Interview
Interview BU heads to capture strategic context
03
Staff Questionnaire
Capture detailed real-world tasks from frontline staff
04
Observe
Observe the process directly on site when needed
Mapping & Extraction
05
Task Decomposition
Break each task into steps, inputs, and outputs
06
System of Record Map
Map where source data begins, moves, and lands
07
Log Specification
Write the technical brief for each promising use case
08
Data Extract (Read-only)
Verify actual system data quality through read-only inspection
Synthesis & Delivery
09
Analyse
Synthesize all collected evidence
10
Gap Register
List the gaps across data, system, and process
11
AI MAKER Score™ + Heatmap
Score all use cases and build the priority heatmap
12
Phase Gate Pack
Deliver the complete board pack that defines Phase 1
What you receive
4 deliverables - evidence for decisions
Every deliverable is designed to support an investment decision, not to sit unread in a folder.
AI MAKER Score™ Report
Every use case is scored independently across Business Value and Readiness, with evidence that leadership can defend in front of the board.
AI Heatmap Dashboard
A visual map of Business Value versus Readiness across departments, formatted so it can go directly into the board deck.
Gap Register
A detailed list of what must be prepared before Phase 1: data cleanup, system upgrades, and process standardization work.
Phase Gate Pack
The complete board pack with the Phase 1 shortlist, timeline, budget estimate, risk register, and implementation readiness brief.
Where the AI Assessment leads
The foundation for every next move.
The Phase 0 audit directly determines what Phase 1 should be and in what order it should happen.
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Next step 01
Data Warehouse & BI
If the Gap Register shows low data quality, build the data foundation before bringing AI in.
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Next step 02
M365 Business Apps
If the highest AI MAKER Score™ sits in workflow and approvals, digitize the operating layer first.
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Next step 03
AI Agent
If AI MAKER Score™ clears the priority threshold and data is ready, build the priority AI use case directly.
Ready for a clear AI roadmap?
Start with AI MAKER Compass™.
Book an AI Compass consultation → Start with AI MAKER Compass™.