From POCs to Production: Ship AI That Sticks

Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM 👉 Full Show Notes https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/780 Discover how organisations can move beyond AI hype to real business value. In this episode, Jim Spignardo shares practical strategies for AI adoption, building digital literacy, and creating a culture where technology empowers every team. Learn how to start small, measure impact, and set up the right governance for sustainable, responsible AI transformation. 🎙️ What you’ll learn   Identify business problems that AI can solve, not just technology for its own sake Build cross-functional teams and secure executive sponsorship for AI initiatives Develop practical use cases and measure real outcomes from AI adoption Establish effective governance, data risk analysis, and usage policies Foster digital and AI literacy across all levels of the organisation ✅ Highlights “If you can't inventory those challenges and struggles, then all the AI and all the technology in the world is really not going to get you off the dime.” “Start with something small. Don’t try to boil the ocean.” “We have to have executive sponsorship and buy-in.” “It’s not an IT initiative. If all we're doing is talking to the folks in IT, we pretty much know that's going to most likely fail.” “We run them through a data risk analysis with their M365 data state.” “We build a centre of excellence in SharePoint and fill it up with all types of educational materials.” “We also work with them to develop a good AI usage policy.” “Train them on how to measure the impact and keep things moving, developing a champion programme.” “Shadow AI is real and we can't just pretend it doesn't exist.” “Experimentation is critically important in a safe environment where they can fail and be comfortable with it.”  🧰 Mentioned Microsoft 365 Copilot: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365-copilot  ProArch: https://www.proarch.com/  Microsoft Fabric: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-fabric  SharePoint: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/sharepoint/collaboration M365 admin centre: https://admin.microsoft.com/AdminPortal/Home✅Keywords ai adoption, digital literacy, executive sponsorship, governance, data risk analysis, copilot, centre of excellence, use cases, champion programme, shadow ai, business transformation, responsible ai Microsoft 365 Copilot Adoption is a Microsoft Press book for leaders and consultants. It shows how to identify high-value use cases, set guardrails, enable champions, and measure impact, so Copilot sticks. Practical frameworks, checklists, and metrics you can use this month. Get the book: https://bit.ly/CopilotAdoptionSupport the showIf you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith