Polaris: the digital AI adoption companion for executive teams
AI adoption, structured and at your pace. AI brings the speed, your team brings the judgement. Our partners join where strategic clarity matters most.
- 5 phasesproven methodology
- Self-pacedyour pace, your rules
- Partner momentswhen it really matters
- Start nowno IT setup needed
Without structure, SMEs lose time and money with AI
Most SME AI initiatives stall not for lack of technology but for lack of a strategic compass. Polaris closes that gap.
Without structure
- AI projects stall without a clear goal
- Traditional consulting is expensive, with no ROI guarantee
- The executive team lacks a shared AI vision
- Activity replaces strategic clarity
With Polaris
- A clear North Star shows why AI and what comes first
- Partner guidance exactly where it is needed
- Your executive team develops a shared AI language
- Pilot-ready in weeks, not months
From vision to scaled execution
Each phase builds on the previous one. Your team works at its own pace, with AI4Leaders at the strategically decisive moments.
Strategic orientation
Define your AI North Star and assess organisational readiness.
AI potential and landscape
Industry trends and the first opportunity areas for your company.
Prioritise use cases
Assess use cases and select the best pilot candidates.
Pilot preparation
Design, launch and learn from the first AI pilots.
Scale and governance
A scaling strategy and a sustainable AI operating rhythm.
Phases 1 to 3 are the strategic phases: your Executive Sponsor approves each one, and after Phase 3 the strategy report is the basis for the pilot decision. In Phases 4 and 5, Polaris provides the approach, success criteria and decision points, while implementation lies with your project team. Durations are guide values and depend on your starting point, complexity and available time.
Every task prepared and reviewed by AI
This is where your team works. Every task follows the same flow, so the quality of decisions does not depend on chance.
Structured input
Clear entry fields guide your team through the questions that matter in this task.
AI analysis before submitting
An AI analysis prepares the task: context, pointers and open questions before you record your answers.
AI review after submitting
A review report checks your input for gaps, contradictions and risks and shows what to clarify before the next task.
What your executive team gains in the first 5 to 8 weeks
A clear North Star and an honest readiness picture
The strategic why, stated clearly enough that every board member can repeat it. Plus a sober view of where your organisation stands today.
The most promising AI opportunities
Areas where AI concretely strengthens your differentiation and priorities. Your business model as the starting point, the market as context.
Prioritised use cases with a roadmap
Not a use case catalogue, but a well-founded direction the CEO can take to the board with confidence.
Six elements that work together
Guided 5-phase journey
A reliable framework for leadership and core team, step by step. You set the pace.
AI analysis before and after each task
Inconsistencies, risks and blind spots become visible before they get expensive.
Integrated AI coach
A strategic sparring partner around the clock that knows your context.
Status report on demand
Progress, decisions and next steps for sponsor and strategy lead, without a status meeting.
Strategic report after phase 3
Your decision document for piloting, ready for the board discussion.
Multiple pilot and scale tracks
From the first pilot to parallel scaling, all within one engagement.
Who takes part, and when a partner joins
Everyone involved starts with a joint two-hour onboarding. After that, your core team works at its own pace, and Polaris shows for every task who is needed.
Executive Sponsor
Approves the strategic phases, decides on pilots and scaling, and can generate a status report at any time.
Strategy Lead
Completes most of the tasks, coordinates the process and brings in specialists where their knowledge is needed.
Executive team
Finance, operations, HR and other functions contribute their perspective to specific tasks, for example the make-or-buy decision.
Pilot owners
From Phase 4, they prepare the concrete pilots and accompany their implementation.
Stars show when a partner is worthwhile
- Blue star: recommended
An outside view or experience from comparable projects noticeably raises quality. The task also works without it.
- Gold star: strongly recommended
Moments where the strategic direction is set, ideally before the next phase.
Your partner sees your progress and can be reached at any time, even without a star. A short message is usually enough.
Your mix of autonomy and partner guidance
Every Polaris engagement is set up personally by an AI4Leaders partner. The package determines how often that partner reviews your progress and challenges your decisions. For most Swiss SMEs, Guided is the best starting point.
Essential
CHF 1,650 per monthexcl. VAT · one-time launch CHF 900 · idle months CHF 350
- Full platform with AI analyses, AI coach, guides and templates
- Engagement set up personally by a partner
- Support throughout the journey
Guided
CHF 3,250 per monthexcl. VAT · one-time launch CHF 1,400 · idle months CHF 650
- Everything in Essential
- Monthly review with an AI4Leaders partner
- Review at every major phase transition
Executive
CHF 6,200 per monthexcl. VAT · one-time launch CHF 2,200 · idle months CHF 1,100
- Everything in Guided
- Two reviews per month with a partner
- Proactive quality checks
- Priority handling of your questions
Minimum term 3 months. An active month is a month with work on a task, AI analyses or an included partner session. In idle months you keep full access; the reduced fee applies for up to 6 months. After closure, 90 days of read-only access, then archive access from CHF 90 per month. Additional partner support in every package: review session CHF 900 (60 minutes) or CHF 1,400 (90 minutes), workshop CHF 2,200 (2 hours) or CHF 3,800 (3 hours), strategic support CHF 2,500 per half day or CHF 5,000 per day. All prices in CHF excluding VAT, as guide values, confirmed when the engagement starts.
AI4Leaders CAIO: your part-time Chief AI Officer
For SMEs ready to anchor AI strategically. An AI4Leaders partner takes on the Chief AI Officer role one day per week, integrated into your executive team, with continuity over at least six months.
The role covers
- AI strategy and roadmap
- Internal and external AI communication
- Training and capability building
- Governance and ways of working
- Sparring for CEO and executive team
Included
- Polaris Essential
- 4 CAIO days per month, on site or remote
- Access to the specialist network
- Travel costs within Switzerland
- Minimum term 6 months, no launch fee
CHF 11,500 per monthPolaris Essential and 4 CAIO days per month, excl. VAT, guide value in CHF
Questions about Polaris
What is Polaris?
Polaris is the AI4Leaders digital AI adoption companion for SME executive teams. It structures the path from AI North Star through opportunities, prioritisation and pilot design to scaling decisions, combining AI-supported analysis with guidance from senior partners.
How is Polaris different from traditional consulting?
Traditional consulting bills consultant time for analysis and documentation. With Polaris, the platform does the ongoing analytical work and our partners focus on strategic judgement at the moments that matter. Significantly more cost-efficient, with executive-level depth where it counts.
What is a typical timeline?
After 5 to 8 weeks, at the end of the three strategic phases, your executive team has a North Star, a readiness picture, the key opportunities and prioritised use cases with a roadmap. The pilot decision can follow immediately.
Do we need IT infrastructure?
No. Polaris is a web application with no integration, installation or software setup. You sign in, your partner sets up the engagement and you start.
What happens if we pause?
Dormant months are possible at a reduced fee, with full access. After completion a 90-day transition period applies, followed by optional archive access.
Is Polaris a project management tool?
No. Polaris replaces neither task planning nor an implementation team. It helps leadership and core team make the right strategic decisions and steer the AI adoption process in a structured way.
The whole path supported, with the focus on the strategic steps
Phases 1 to 3 fully carry the strategic steps 0 to 2, as our methodology does. For implementation and scaling, Polaris provides the approach, success criteria and decision points. The implementation itself lies with your project team. The steps show where your company stands; the phases are how we take you on from there.
- 0Where you standPhase 1 · Why
An honest picture of where your organisation really stands with AI.
- 1Vision and strategyPhases 1 and 2 · Why, What
Your AI North Star, industry trends and the first opportunity areas for your business.
- 2Goals, planning, fundingPhase 3 · Decide
Prioritised use cases with business cases and a first roadmap. The strategy report is your basis for the pilot decision.
- 3Implementation, testing, scalingPhases 4 and 5 · Implement, Scale
Approach, success criteria and decision points for pilots and scaling, with several tracks in one engagement.
- 4Proving impactPhase 5 · Scale
The basics for governance, metrics and a sustainable AI working rhythm.
Starting from our packages
Your executive team knows the possibilities and has decided to tackle AI. Polaris starts with Phase 1.
After the Executive Kickstart →Phase 1 is largely done, Phase 2 prepared and Phase 3 outlined. Polaris confirms and sharpens the North Star and goals and guides the prioritisation of initiatives, with analysis and in exchange with the future users.
Polaris replaces neither project management nor an implementation team. If you would like operational project responsibility, we agree it separately.
Organisations that build their AI foundation now will lead in the years ahead.
In operational performance, in strategic agility and in the competition for talent. Polaris makes that foundation solid, from the first conversation to the first scaled result.