Stop Wondering Where to Start with AI

    Strategic guidance to move your organization from AI curiosity to confident implementation

    Ready to implement AI but need strategic guidance before diving into execution?

    Our advisory services help you assess readiness, prioritize opportunities, build executable roadmaps, and prepare your organization for successful AI adoption.

    Whether you need comprehensive transformation planning or focused strategic sessions, we bring 27 years of digital transformation experience to guide your AI journey.

    Strategic AI Advisory Services

    AI Business Strategy

    Define your AI vision and align technology investments with business objectives. We help leadership teams understand AI’s strategic implications and develop clear direction for organizational transformation.

    AI Readiness Assessment

    Evaluate your organization’s current capabilities, identify gaps in leadership, governance, processes and data, and determine what foundations need strengthening before implementation begins.

    AI Roadmap Planning & Prioritization

    Transform scattered AI ideas into prioritized, executable initiatives. We help you identify high-impact opportunities, sequence projects strategically, and build realistic timelines with clear success metrics.

    AI Change Management

    Prepare your organization for AI adoption with strategies that address cultural resistance, skill gaps, and process changes. We help you navigate the human side of transformation.

    Advisory Engagement Models

    How We Work With You:

    1. Strategic Whiteboarding Session: Single 90-120 minute session for focused roadmap development. Perfect for organizations ready to move from curiosity to action.
    2. AI Readiness Assessment & Roadmap: Comprehensive multi-session engagement including process documentation, capability assessment, and detailed implementation planning.
    3. Ongoing Strategic Advisory: Monthly or quarterly strategic guidance as you implement AI initiatives. We provide continuous support, course correction, and expertise as your AI transformation unfolds.

    AI Whiteboarding Session

    Our most popular advisory service is our focused Strategic Whiteboarding Session, where we compress strategic planning into a highly effective 90-minute format:

    Your Strategic AI Starting Point – From Confusion to Clear Action

    Our 90-180 minute strategic whiteboarding sessions aim to transform AI curiosity into actionable roadmaps. We work together to move from uncertainty to clear implementation plans.

    Ideal For:

    • Organizations ready to implement AI but seeking strategic guidance
    • Organizations with AI budget allocated but unclear on priorities
    • Leadership teams needing stakeholder alignment on AI initiatives
    • Companies who’ve attended AI training but need practical next steps

    What You Receive: Your Complete AI Implementation Blueprint

    After your session, you’ll receive a comprehensive AI Implementation Roadmap that becomes your organization’s AI playbook. This isn’t generic advice; it’s a custom blueprint built specifically for your business, complete with:

    • Prioritized Project Portfolio – Every AI opportunity ranked by effort/impact, with clear rationale for sequencing
    • Detailed Implementation Specifications – Baseline technical requirements, success metrics, and resource needs for each initiative, written so any qualified vendor can bid accurately
    • Phase-by-Phase Timeline – Realistic 3-phase roadmap (0-3 months, 3-6 months, 6+ months) with dependencies mapped and key milestones defined
    • Budget Planning Framework – Cost estimates and ROI projections for initial project(s), helping you secure internal funding and set realistic expectations
    • Vendor-Neutral Requirements – Technical specifications that prevent vendor lock-in and enable competitive bidding
    • Risk Assessment & Mitigation – Potential challenges identified upfront with recommended strategies to overcome them
    • AI Readiness & Change management – Recommendations on follow on actives related to change management and AI readiness included in all our assessments

    Our Collaborative Process

    Our 7-step process takes you from scattered AI ideas to a clear implementation roadmap in 90+ minutes. 

    We start by aligning your team and identifying your specific business goals, then systematically discover opportunities across every department in your organization.

    We then break out AI applications you may have dismissed as too complex, creating a phased roadmap with realistic timelines, and help you decide whether to start small with a pilot or go big with transformation. You’ll leave with complete clarity on where to focus first and a concrete plan that any qualified vendor can execute.

    Using our effective ‘Effort vs. Complexity Matrix’ methodology, we plot each opportunity to reveal your “quick wins”: high-impact projects that are easy to implement.

    The green box in the upper right is where the magic happens, your “Sweet Spot” of high-impact, easy-to-implement AI opportunities. 

    Most companies focus on the flashy, complex projects (upper left) or get stuck on low-impact busy work (lower right). Our matrix reveals the hidden gems: AI solutions that can transform your business without the typical complexity and cost. Projects in the Sweet Spot often deliver quicker ROIs and build compounding momentum towards your bigger initiatives. We help you avoid the “resource drains” in the lower left projects that consume time and budget with minimal return and strategically sequence everything else for maximum impact.

    AI Strategy & Consulting

    When You Need to Go Deeper – Comprehensive Organizational Analysis

    For businesses where whiteboarding sessions reveal complex challenges or significant transformation opportunities, our consulting services provide thorough strategic guidance.

    When Consulting Makes Sense

    • Whiteboarding identified multiple competing priorities requiring deeper analysis
    • Complex organizational structures need comprehensive assessment
    • Significant digital transformation initiatives beyond initial AI implementation
    • Multiple departments and stakeholders require extensive interviews and planning

    Our Comprehensive Approach

    • Deep Organizational Analysis: Extensive interviews across departments to understand workflows, challenges, and hidden opportunities
    • Multi-Phase Strategic Planning: Beyond initial roadmaps to create detailed transformation strategies
    • Integration & Implementation Support: Seamless connection of AI solutions into existing systems and processes
    • Ongoing Strategic Partnership: Monthly sessions, continuous optimization, and adaptive planning as your needs evolve

    We Have Passionate Customers Who Have Benefited From Our Partnership

    • Fountain City has been very good at providing the desired results without a lot of hand-holding.

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      Eric Vaugen
      IT Manager, Mitchell Industrial Tire Co., Inc.
    • Danae Redhawk

      They always have our best interests at heart and come to the table with excellent suggestions based on their experience.

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      Danae Redhawk
      Operations Mangement, Vital Leaf

    • They are organized, deliver and have great communication.

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      James Fellman
      Group Account Director, CMD

    • Their knowledge, level of care and concern is outstanding.

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      Carrie Mapes
      Co-founder, Hello Again

    • Fountain City offers an excellent personal touch and is very approachable while being very professional still.

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      Viki Rivkin
      Outreach and Education Legal Liaison, SHALVA

    • They’re able to help with anything I throw at them and focus on hitting our goals.

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      Jayson Sevison
      Marketing Director, The Wiseman Group

    • They are incredibly honest and have resources who do great work.

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      Eric Wheeler
      President, Linux Global

    • Fountain City’s results, honesty and attention to detail stand out. They’re very realistic as well.

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      Ian Richer
      VP Digital Experiences, RGD-One

    • I’m always confident they’ll take the lead to ensure that the project runs smoothly and in the manner that I expected.

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      Jocelyn Graff
      Owner, Proficia

    • Results and relationships matter to this team, and it makes for a pleasant and productive experience.

      Read full review
      Lisa Colton
      Founder and President, Darim Online

    Why Businesses Choose Fountain City

    Working alongside Fountain City brings specific, validated benefits:

    We identify high-impact opportunities and create customized implementation plans with expert tool guidance tailored to your unique needs and budget

    Connect AI tools into your existing workflows while building future-proof solutions that adapt and grow with your changing business goals

    Focus on practical outcomes with clear ROI in 6 months or less through our structured, conservative approach that de-risks your investment

    Implement AI-powered solutions like 24/7 chatbots and personalization tools that help you compete effectively against larger players

    Use your data with AI to understand customer behavior and market trends while automating repetitive tasks to free your team for innovation

    Work with a dedicated team that focuses on augmentation, not replacement, serving as an extension of your team with your best interests at heart

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Our whiteboarding sessions are focused 90+ minute strategic planning sessions that deliver immediate clarity and a concrete roadmap. Comprehensive advisory services involve deeper assessment over multiple sessions, including process documentation, stakeholder interviews, detailed capability analysis, and ongoing strategic support. We can help you determine which approach fits your current needs.

    Absolutely not. Our approach is completely vendor-neutral. You’ll receive a comprehensive roadmap with technical specifications that any qualified vendor can implement. Many clients use our roadmap to get competitive bids from multiple providers. Our goal is to give you complete strategic ownership of your AI future, regardless of who executes it.

    Most AI consultations are sales-focused and vendor-specific. Our whiteboarding session is a structured, time-bound strategic planning process with a proven 7-step methodology. You’re not getting generic advice – you’re getting a custom implementation roadmap built through collaborative workshops with your actual team members. Plus, it’s vendor-neutral, so there’s no sales pressure.

    Perfect! That’s exactly why this service exists. The white boarding session helps you determine IF you’re ready, WHEN you should start, and WHAT makes the most sense for your organization. Many clients discover they need to fix foundational processes or data issues before implementing AI – and that’s valuable insight that saves time and money later.

    During the session, we specifically discuss your budget parameters and timeline constraints. The Effort vs. Complexity Matrix is designed to identify quick wins that fit smaller budgets, while the phased approach lets you spread investments over time. We also provide cost ranges for each initiative so you can plan accordingly.

    That’s actually common and valuable! The structured process is designed to surface disagreements and help teams reach consensus. The Effort vs. Complexity Matrix gives everyone a visual framework for discussion, and our facilitator helps navigate different perspectives. Often, the alignment achieved during the session is as valuable as the roadmap itself.

    Yes, we conduct sessions both in-person and virtually. Remote sessions work well with our collaboration tools (we have fancy screens we draw directly on), though in-person sessions sometimes generate more dynamic brainstorming. We’ll recommend the best format based on your team size and geographic distribution.

    This is very common. Many organizations realize they need better processes and systems first, and that’s fantastic news. AI is powered by the data you have or can create, which sits on top of solid processes and systems. So sometimes the initiatives that emerge from our session are actually process improvement and system integration projects, which is great! With those foundational elements in place, you’re effectively getting a double-jump: leveling up your business processes AND then powering them up with AI. Your roadmap will prioritize these foundational steps, ensuring every AI investment you make later delivers maximum impact.

    Not at all. The session is designed for business stakeholders, not technical teams. We translate everything into business terms and focus on outcomes rather than technical details. However, if you have technical team members, they’re welcome to participate and often provide valuable input on implementation feasibility.

    The roadmap includes realistic timelines for each initiative. Quick wins (Phase 1) typically show results within 30-90 days, while more complex projects may take 6-12 months. The session helps you balance immediate impact with long-term transformation based on your specific goals and constraints.

    It varies depending on the project, but we prioritize identifying projects with a clear ROI achievable in 6 months or less. Off-the-shelf AI tools allow faster time-to-value than custom solutions.

    That’s exactly why we use our collaborative white boarding process. We help teams align by working through the matrix prioritization together, evaluating each opportunity based on impact, feasibility, and your specific business goals.

    By the end of the session, everyone understands not just what to prioritize, but why. It’s about building consensus through shared understanding rather than imposing solutions.

    Yes. We prioritize secure AI practices. We can help you understand data privacy implications when implementing AI solutions, working with you to ensure solutions are set up to meet your privacy requirements.

    If appropriate to the task, we can also set up private AI environments (for example on AWS) that allow you to maintain complete privacy and security.

    We provide step-by-step adoption roadmaps and constantly adapt alongside clients. We can swap in new models and use code-driven, open-source projects to ensure solutions scale and stay relevant.

    This helps ensure solutions are designed to scale and stay relevant by adapting to your and the world’s at large changing standards and goals.

    Ready to Turn Your AI Vision Into Reality?

    Let’s start with a strategic whiteboarding session to identify your highest-impact AI opportunities and create a clear roadmap with prioritized next steps for your business.

    📞 Call Now (503) 922-0941