Want to use AI, but not sure where to start?

Most organisations know AI matters. Fewer know which use cases are worth pursuing, or whether their data can support them. Our AI strategy workshop works that out with you, before you spend anything on tools.

A free, one-day workshop. Practical first steps, grounded in the state of your data.

Why we start with data

You have heard the pitch. AI will change how your organisation works, and your competitors are already moving. Perhaps your board has asked for an AI story. Perhaps your teams are experimenting with tools of their own. What is missing is a clear answer to the plain question: where do we actually begin?

AI is only as useful as the data behind it. A good idea built on data that is scattered, out of date, poorly described or hard to reach will disappoint, however good the tool. So before we talk about use cases, we look at whether your data can support them. VLDB Solutions has built, run and protected data platforms since 2008. We start with the data because that is where AI projects succeed or stall, and it is the part we know best.

This page is for you if:

✓You are being asked for an AI plan, and do not yet have one.
✓You have a long list of ideas, and no way to tell which are realistic.
✓You have tried a pilot that stalled, and want to understand why.
✓You are not sure whether your data is in a fit state to support any of it.

Looking for an AI story, but don't know how to start?

The AI strategy workshop is a free, one-day working session between your team and ours. We sit down with the people who know your organisation and work out what is worth doing. You then receive a written report setting out your AI project options.

What we do together:

01

Identify potential use cases

We explore where AI could help your organisation, from the obvious to the ones nobody has suggested yet.

02

Test each one against your data

For every idea, we ask what data it needs, where that data lives and whether it is ready.

03

Agree practical first steps

You leave knowing what to do first, what to leave for later and what to fix before anything else.

What you leave with

A written report setting out the AI project options for your organisation. For each option it shows what data the project would need, how ready that data is today, and the practical first steps to take.

Length
One day
Cost
Free
Open to
All organisations, VLDB customer or not

The kind of ideas we explore

AI projects come in many shapes. These are examples of what the workshop could bring up, not a fixed menu.

✓Asking questions of your own data in plain English, instead of waiting for a report
✓Assistants that help customer service or support teams find answers faster
✓Searching and summarising large volumes of documents, contracts or case notes
✓Forecasting demand, stock or capacity
✓Spotting fraud, errors or unusual activity
✓Predicting when equipment or systems will need attention
✓Personalising offers and recommendations for customers
✓Automating routine reporting and data checks

The same questions apply everywhere

What data do we have, and is it ready? That question holds regardless of industry.

Financial services
Healthcare
Public sector
Manufacturing
Logistics
Education
Professional services
Retail

Is your data ready for AI?

Every AI idea rests on data. Before you commit time and budget, it helps to ask a handful of plain questions.

Do you know what data you have?

Is it catalogued and described, or does it live in systems that only a few people understand?

Can you get to it?

Is it spread across systems that do not talk to each other, or held somewhere hard to reach?

Can you trust it?

Is it accurate, complete and consistent, or does the same figure change depending on who you ask?

Is it current?

Does it arrive when the use case needs it, or is it weeks behind?

Is it under control?

Do you know who can see it, where it is held and what rules apply to it?

Is it protected and recoverable?

If something goes wrong, can you restore it?

If the honest answer to several of these is "not sure", that is a normal place to be. It is also the most useful thing to find out before building anything on top. The workshop looks at these questions for each use case you shortlist, so the plan reflects what your data can support today, and what needs to happen first.

From first conversation to a plan you can act on

01

Get in touch

Tell us where you are with AI and what prompted the enquiry. We will talk it through with you.

02

Agree the day

We confirm who should be in the room and what you want out of it.

03

Run the workshop

Over one day, we work with your team to identify use cases and test each against your data.

04

Receive your report

You get a written report with your AI project options and a practical order of work, based on what your data can support.

The workshop stands on its own

Where it shows that data needs attention first, we can help with that too. There is no obligation to take any of these on - the workshop is useful whichever way you go.

Data Services →

To get your data ready: integration, quality, platforms and pipelines.

DBAsk →

To put AI on top of your database without exposing the data itself. It uses metadata only, and every query is approved by a person before it runs.

SovereignDB →

To keep your data under your own control.

DBAaaS →

To have us run and look after the platform.

Frequently asked questions

Do we need to know what we want to do with AI before we come to you?

No. The workshop is for organisations that are not sure where to begin. Bring your questions and any ideas you already have.

What if our data is not in good shape?

That is common, and it is exactly what the workshop is for. Knowing where the gaps are, before you invest in AI, saves time and money.

Do we have to be a VLDB Solutions customer?

No. The workshop is open to organisations whether or not they already work with us.

How long does the workshop take, and what does it cost?

It takes one day, and it is free. Get in touch and we will arrange a date.

Who from our side should attend?

It helps to have someone who owns the business problem and someone who understands your data in the room. We will agree the right attendees with you when we schedule the day.

Will you recommend specific AI tools or suppliers?

Our focus is on the use cases worth pursuing and whether your data can support them. Where a particular approach or platform makes sense, including VLDB's own services, we will say so - the workshop is not tied to selling a specific tool.

Does our data have to leave our environment?

That depends on the use cases we explore together and what you are comfortable sharing. We agree the detail with you before the day, so there are no surprises.

Ready to find out where AI fits, and whether your data is ready for it?

Tell us where you are. In one free day, we will help you work out the use cases worth pursuing and the first steps to take.