AI is firmly on the business agenda. The harder question is what happens next.
For many organisations, the challenge is no longer convincing stakeholders that AI matters. It’s moving from experimentation and ambition to adoption that delivers meaningful business value.
That requires more than choosing the right AI tools. Organisations need to understand whether the information underpinning those tools is ready, where the most valuable opportunities lie, how risk will be managed and how to build support for change across the business.
This is where the gap between AI ambition and AI readiness starts to become clear.
On Monday, 30 November, Cloud Essentials will bring together experts from Microsoft, Cloud Essentials and international food business Pret a Manger for a practical panel discussion exploring what organisations can do to close that gap.
What are AI-ready organisations doing differently?
Successful AI adoption needs strong foundations.
Information needs to be understood, appropriately protected and governed throughout its life cycle. Without this, organisations risk trying to accelerate AI adoption before addressing some of the fundamental information challenges that could hold it back.
But becoming AI-ready doesn’t mean everything has to be perfect before you start.
There are practical steps organisations can take now to identify opportunities, improve their information foundations and demonstrate early value. Those early successes can also help build stakeholder confidence and create momentum for a broader AI programme.
The challenge is knowing where to start and what to prioritise.
Moving from ambition to action
During the upcoming webinar, the panel will explore some of the questions organisations are facing as they plan the next stage of their AI journey.
The discussion will cover:
- Why AI initiatives stall and how to assess whether your organisation is ready to move forward.
- What AI-ready organisations are doing differently, including insight from Microsoft and the wider market.
- Why data quality, protection, governance and life cycle management are critical to successful AI adoption.
- Where organisations can find achievable early wins and demonstrate value.
- How to build a stronger business case and gain stakeholder support.
- How to translate priorities into a realistic, phased roadmap for the year ahead.
Rather than treating AI readiness as a purely technical exercise, the discussion will look at the combination of information, technology, governance, business priorities and people needed to make adoption work in practice.
Start building momentum
AI adoption doesn’t need to begin with a large-scale transformation programme.
Understanding your current position, identifying the information and governance gaps that matter most and focusing on achievable opportunities can provide a much more practical place to start.
Join Microsoft, Cloud Essentials and Pret a Manger for a practical conversation about moving beyond AI ambition and creating the foundations for meaningful adoption.
Cloud Essentials Webinar: AI ambition is easy. AI adoption is hard. Monday, 30 November 2026 | 2pm-3pm
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