# AI Use Case Prioritisation Framework

> A free AI use case prioritisation framework for CIOs: start from the numbers on your board deck, pick two or three domains, redesign the process, then score use cases with ICE. Worksheets and a worked example included.

Source: https://kowalah.com/resources/templates/ai-use-case-prioritization-framework

## Overview

- **Who it's for:** CIOs, executive sponsors, programme leads and AI operations leads deciding where AI investment goes first
- **When to use it:** Before you commit budget to a first release, when a long list of AI ideas needs cutting down, or at the start of each quarter's planning
- **What you get:** A short, defensible list of use cases tied to the numbers the board already tracks, grouped so they share data, users and change effort

## How to Use This Framework

1. **Copy the worksheets, or run it in Claude.** Use the 'Copy page' button and paste into your own document, or install the Kowalah Plugin and work through the steps in Claude against your operating model
2. **Work top down with your leadership team.** Fill in steps 1 to 4 in one session with the executive sponsor and domain owners, before anyone lists use cases
3. **Redesign with the people in the process.** Run steps 5 and 6 with the team who does the work today; our discovery interview template gives you the questions
4. **Score, sequence and review each quarter.** Score use cases with ICE, pick the first release, and re-score the backlog as each release teaches you something

***NOTE**: To use this framework, copy the content using the "Copy page" button above,
then fill in the worksheets for your organisation.*

# AI use case prioritisation framework

The default way to start an AI programme is from the bottom: a spreadsheet of ideas collected from across
the business, scored, and turned into a string of pilots. Individuals get faster, and the
numbers on the board deck don't move.

This framework starts from the top. You begin with the goals your board already tracks,
pick the two or three domains that move them, redesign how work flows in each domain,
and only then score the use cases that bring the new process to life.

It draws on two books we recommend to every CxO leading an AI programme: McKinsey's
*Rewired* (second edition), which sets out how to choose domains, and Andy Grove's *High
Output Management*, which explains why redesigning a process beats speeding up its parts.
For the thinking behind each step, read
[How to pick the right processes to reinvent with AI](/insights/how-to-pick-the-right-processes-to-reinvent-with-ai)
and [Rebuilding your processes with High Output Management](/insights/rebuilding-your-processes-with-high-output-management).

**The prioritisation ladder**

| Level | The question | What you produce |
|---|---|---|
| Value drivers | What creates value in our industry? | Two or three industry value drivers |
| Business strategy | Where do we play, and how do we win? | Your strategic choices |
| Goals | Which numbers are on the first slides of the board deck? | Five to eight board metrics |
| Domains | Which top-level processes move those numbers most? | Two or three domains |
| Value levers | Which metric in each domain drives its output? | Levers with baseline and target |
| Process redesign | How should this domain work with AI? | A redesigned process |
| Solutions | What capability would move each lever? | Two to four solutions per domain |
| Use cases | Which agents or workflows deliver each solution? | A scored use case backlog |

---

# Step 1: value drivers and business strategy

Every industry has two or three drivers of value that apply to any company in it: risk
calculation in insurance, supply chain in retail, utilisation in professional services.
You don't choose these, but you need to name them.

Then write down your business strategy. We use the *Playing to Win* framework from A.G.
Lafley and Roger Martin's book of the same name:

- **Where to play:** which markets, segments and parts of the value chain you compete in.
- **How to win:** what you uniquely bring to win there.

AI opens new where-to-play and how-to-win combinations. You still don't have an AI
strategy: you have a business strategy enabled by AI.

| Industry value drivers | Where we play | How we win |
|---|---|---|
| | | |

---

# Step 2: the goals on your board deck

List the handful of numbers on the first slides of your board pack. Call them OKRs, KPIs
or metrics; what matters is that the board already reviews them.

| Board metric | Current value | Target and date | Executive owner |
|---|---|---|---|
| | | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |

---

# Step 3: pick two or three domains

*Rewired* calls an end-to-end area of the business a **domain**. You might call it a
value chain, a customer journey or a top-level process. A company runs on 15 to 20 of
them; pick the two or three that most affect the goals in step 2.

To list your domains, start from the
[APQC Process Classification Framework](https://www.apqc.org/process-frameworks). It groups
every organisation's work into six **operating processes** (from developing vision and
strategy to managing customer service) and seven **management and support processes**
(HR, IT, finance, risk and others). Run the support processes well, but look for the
biggest opportunities in the operating processes: they're the ones tied to the board
numbers.

| Domain | Board metric it moves | Size of the effect (1-5) | Owner's appetite (1-5) | Data readiness (1-5) | Score (multiply the three) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | | | |
| | | | | | |
| | | | | | |
| | | | | | |

**Choose the two or three with the highest scores, and name a business owner for each.**
If you're mapping this in Claude, the Kowalah Plugin has the APQC framework built in; see
[Build your AI operating model, starting from nothing](/resources/templates/map-your-ai-operating-model).

---

# Step 4: value levers, with baseline and target

A value lever is the metric at the top of a domain that determines its output. For each
chosen domain, pick two to four levers and record where they are today.

| Domain | Value lever | Baseline | Target | How it's measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | | |
| | | | | |

If you can't state the baseline, measure it before you build anything. It's the number
your day-90 board report will compare against.

---

# Step 5: redesign the process, not the tasks

Andy Grove describes every team as a production line: inputs go in, labour is applied,
outputs come out. The leader's job is the highest output, at the required quality, for
the lowest effective cost.

The tempting move is to give each role inside the process an AI tool: an email prompt
for SDRs, a forecasting dashboard for managers. Each step gets faster and the output of
the whole process stays the same. That is why individual productivity gains don't show
up at company level.

Instead, the domain owner redesigns the process:

1. **Define the inputs and outputs.** What comes in from other teams and processes, what
   goes out, at what quality and cost today.
2. **Redesign with AI in mind.** Work with someone who knows what current models and
   agents can do. Look for chances to:

- [ ] Reduce the number of steps
- [ ] Remove whole parts of the process
- [ ] Run steps in parallel
- [ ] Combine steps
- [ ] Cut the waiting time between steps
- [ ] Reduce the number of human roles required

| Domain | Inputs | Outputs today (volume, quality, cost) | Redesigned process in one sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| | | | |

This is not an IT project. The business leader owns and redefines the process.

---

# Step 6: solutions and use cases

For each value lever, list the **solutions** that would move it, then the **use cases**
(individual agents or workflows) that deliver each solution. Build this list with the
people who work in the domain; our
[use case discovery interview template](/resources/templates/ai-use-case-discovery)
gives you the questions.

Write each use case as a hypothesis:

> We believe that **[agent or workflow]** will **[change to the value lever]** for **[the people who use it]**.

Keeping use cases grouped under one solution in one domain pays three ways:

1. **Shared data.** The agents use the same sources, so you connect them once.
2. **Compounding output.** Each agent hands its work to the next, so the gains stack.
3. **Focused change.** The same group of people use them, so enablement is targeted.

---

# Step 7: score with ICE

Score every use case from 1 to 10 on three dimensions and multiply them for a score out of
1,000: Impact × Confidence × Ease. Multiplying, rather than adding, means a use case that
scores badly on any one dimension can't hide behind the other two.

| Domain | Solution | Use case | Hypothesis | Impact (1-10) | Confidence (1-10) | Ease (1-10) | ICE score | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |

**Scoring guidelines**

| Score | Impact | Confidence | Ease |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Transforms a board metric | Proven in a similar context, data ready | Buildable now with existing resources |
| 7-9 | Moves a value lever measurably | Strong evidence, good data | Moderate effort, few integrations |
| 4-6 | Improves efficiency within the domain | Reasonable hypothesis, some data gaps | Significant effort, achievable with planning |
| 1-3 | Minor, limited scope | Speculative, major data gaps | Complex, many dependencies |

Before ranking, check each high scorer against three questions: does it share data with
the other use cases in its solution, does it hand work to them, and does it serve the
same people? Where two use cases tie, pick the one that does.

---

# Step 8: sequence into a roadmap

Pick the first release: one solution, in one domain, with a measurable effect on one
value lever. Keep the first release small enough to be live in six to eight weeks.

| Release | Domain | Solution | Use cases | Value lever and target | Business owner | Target date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | | | | | |
| 2 | | | | | | |
| 3 | | | | | | |

To take the first release for approval, use our
[AI business case template](/resources/templates/ai-business-case-template). For the
week-by-week plan from there, use our
[Claude Enterprise first 90 days checklist](/resources/templates/claude-enterprise-first-90-days).

---

# Run this framework in Claude

The worksheets work on paper. They work better against a live record of how your
organisation runs, which is what the [Kowalah Plugin](/platform/plugin) gives Claude: your
operating model, its processes and the opportunities already raised, in the conversation
where you're working. You don't need a Kowalah engagement to start. Sign in with your work
email and you get your own organisation to map from empty.

| Framework step | In Claude with the plugin |
|---|---|
| 1-2. Strategy and board goals | Claude reads your AI vision and success measures, so later steps are tested against them. Setting them is done in a Vision Map Workshop or in the Kowalah Platform |
| 3. Pick your domains | Map your units and the processes they own (the APQC framework is built in), then run `/programme-review` to see coverage and where constraints concentrate |
| 4. Value levers | Record timings and measures against each process; say in the conversation which metric each domain is accountable for |
| 5. Redesign the process | `/process-diagnostic` shows where cycle time goes and what has never been measured; `/process-redesign` proposes a to-be process beside the original |
| 6. Solutions and use cases | `/spot-opportunities` works through a team's real friction and checks what already exists |
| 7. Score with ICE | `/raise-opportunity` tests an idea against your vision, scores it and adds it to your backlog |
| 8. Sequence into a roadmap | `/programme-review` checks whether the work in flight is aimed at the gaps that matter |

To start from nothing, follow
[Build your AI operating model, starting from nothing](/resources/templates/map-your-ai-operating-model),
which takes one function from an empty model to mapped processes in an afternoon.

---

# Worked example: marketing and sales

The example below is illustrative; the scores show how the method works, not a benchmark.

**Value levers for the marketing and sales domain**

| Value lever | What it measures |
|---|---|
| Average deal size | Revenue per closed deal |
| Close ratio | Share of qualified opportunities won |
| Sales cycle length | Time from qualified lead to signed contract |

**Solutions:** a lead scoring engine, a proposal automation platform, and a deal
acceleration system.

**Use cases for the lead scoring engine**

| Use case | Hypothesis | Impact | Confidence | Ease | ICE score | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lead triage agent | We believe a triage agent will route every inbound lead within minutes, shortening the sales cycle for inbound buyers | 7 | 8 | 8 | 448 | 1 |
| Lead scoring agent | We believe a scoring agent will focus sellers on the leads most likely to close, raising the close ratio | 8 | 6 | 6 | 288 | 2 |
| Lead contact agent | We believe a contact agent will book first meetings with qualified leads the same day, shortening the sales cycle | 7 | 6 | 5 | 210 | 3 |

The three agents share the same CRM data, hand work to each other in order, and serve
the same sales team, so they belong in one release.

---

# Implementation notes

- **Do steps 1 to 4 before anyone lists a use case.** Ideas collected first anchor the
  conversation on tasks, not on the numbers that matter.
- **The domain owner decides.** IT and the AI team advise on what's possible; the owner
  of the process owns the redesign and the metric.
- **Score as a group.** One person's ICE scores reflect their bias. Score together and
  discuss the widest gaps.
- **Re-score every quarter.** Each release changes what you know about your data and
  your people.
- **Keep it in one place.** The domains, levers, redesigned processes and backlog belong
  in your AI Operating Model, so the next quarter starts from the record rather than a
  blank spreadsheet.

---

*APQC Process Classification Framework (PCF) is an open standard developed by APQC, a nonprofit that promotes benchmarking and best practices worldwide. The PCF is intended to facilitate organizational improvement through process management and benchmarking, regardless of industry, size, or geography. To download the full PCF or industry-specific versions of the PCF, as well as associated measures and benchmarking, please visit www.apqc.org/pcf.*

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What is an AI use case prioritisation framework?

A repeatable way to decide which AI use cases to build first. This one works top down: it starts from your industry's value drivers and the goals on your board deck, narrows to the two or three domains that move those goals, redesigns the process in each domain, and only then scores individual use cases with ICE (impact, confidence and ease).

### Why start from domains rather than a list of use cases?

A list of ideas from across the business produces scattered pilots that don't move a business number. Grouping use cases inside one domain means they share data sources, hand work to each other and serve the same people, so integration, compounding benefit and change enablement all come cheaper. The approach follows McKinsey's Rewired (second edition).

### How many domains should we pick?

Two or three. A company runs on 15 to 20 top-level domains; the goal is to find the few that most affect the numbers on your board deck. Starting with more spreads budget, data work and change effort too thin to show a result.

### What is ICE scoring?

ICE scores each use case from 1 to 10 on Impact (how much it moves the value lever), Confidence (how sure you are it will work, given your data and evidence) and Ease (how easily it can be built and adopted). Multiply the three for a score out of 1,000, so a use case that is weak on any one dimension falls down the list. The framework was popularised by Sean Ellis in Hacking Growth.

### Who should own prioritisation, IT or the business?

The business leader who owns the domain. IT and the AI team bring knowledge of what models and agents can do, but the owner of the process decides how it should work in future and owns the business metric. Treating it as an IT project is how programmes end up automating tasks without changing results.

### What is the APQC Process Classification Framework?

An open reference list of the processes found in any organisation, maintained by APQC. It groups them into six operating processes (from developing vision and strategy to managing customer service) and seven management and support processes (such as HR, IT and finance). It gives you a ready-made list of domains to start from instead of a blank page.

### How does this fit with use case discovery?

Discovery finds ideas; prioritisation decides which ones matter. Use our discovery interview template in step 6, with the people who work in the domains you chose, then score what you find with ICE.

### How often should we re-score?

Every quarter, and after every release. Each live agent tells you something about your data, your people and what adoption looks like, which changes the confidence and ease scores of what's left in the backlog.

---

Free and ungated, from Kowalah, a UK Anthropic implementation specialist. More templates and skills: https://kowalah.com/resources/templates. Talk to us: https://kowalah.com/contact