TL;DR: how to crowdsource AI use cases from your team
Looking for practical AI use cases tailored to your business? Start with your own employees. In this post, we show you how to run an internal workshop using our AI strategy framework to uncover high-impact AI opportunities.
You’ll focus on three key steps:
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Define core business objectives
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Map your current business model
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Identify AI use cases based on internal pain points and opportunities
This approach helps surface real-world AI ideas from people closest to the work—creating a stronger foundation for your AI roadmap.
Download the AI strategy canvas or book a free AI strategy call to get started. Includes tips, templates, and internal links to help you go from strategy to execution.
Why the best AI use cases often come from within
If you’re searching for high-impact AI use cases, don’t just look outside or rely on consultants. Start with the people who know your business best: your employees.
Employees experience the inefficiencies, bottlenecks, and decision friction that AI is best suited to improve. By running a structured internal workshop, you can crowdsource AI use cases that are rooted in your actual workflows and align them to your business goals.
This approach works best when paired with a structured framework. That’s why we use the AI strategy canvas, a practical tool designed for fast alignment and use case discovery.
When to use this framework
Not every AI initiative starts the same way. This framework is designed for exploration and alignment—not implementation. It’s ideal when you need to take a step back and look at the big picture before diving into tools or technologies.
So when is it the right fit?
Use this framework when:
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You’re at the early or exploratory stage of your AI journey.
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There’s interest across the business, but no shared language or direction.
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You want to understand where AI could create value, before committing to specific solutions.
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You’re under pressure to act, but want to ensure your efforts are aligned with business goals.
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You need a cross-functional conversation about how the business operates and where pain points or opportunities lie.
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You’re planning a broader AI strategy, transformation, or innovation initiative.
What kind of businesses benefit most?
This workshop is well-suited for:
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Mid-sized to large organisations with multiple departments or customer touchpoints.
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Digital or hybrid businesses with internal data, processes, or service delivery models.
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Teams with a mix of product, operations, marketing, or innovation leads.
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Companies building their first AI roadmap or refreshing an outdated one.
Run an AI use case workshop using our strategy framework
To make internal crowdsourcing meaningful (and not just sticky-note chaos), structure your workshop around 3 steps from our full AI strategy framework:
Super tip to keep the workshops engaging:
To keep the process efficient and inclusive, focus on a step at a time, and for each step focus at a section at a time. Give participants 3 to 5 minutes to ideate individually and post their ideas directly onto the Miro board.
After each section, pause to review the contributions as a group. Invite participants to briefly explain their point (pain points, ideas, …) if they wish. This helps clarify concepts, fosters collaboration, and encourages more introverted team members to share and engage in the discussion.
Step 1: Define core business objectives
According to McKinsey’s 2024 State of AI report, companies that tie AI initiatives to business outcomes are 3.5x more likely to see significant value.
That’s exactly why before diving into ideas, aligning your teams around key business priorities is essential. Common examples:
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Reducing manual operational tasks
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Improving speed-to-market for content
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Enhancing personalisation at scale
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Unlocking underutilised data
Set the tone with this reminder:
“We’re not here to brainstorm AI for the sake of it. We’re here to find AI use cases that move the needle.”
Step 2: Map your current business model
We use a simplified business model mapping board, part of our free AI strategy canvas, to make this visual and collaborative.
- Guide your team to sketch how your business currently creates value.
Keep it simple! The goal is to capture the essentials, not create a perfect diagram. - Most importantly, use this step to identify and map pain points across each component of your business model. These pain points will later help you think strategically about where AI can deliver the most meaningful improvements.
- If AI is already being used to address any of these pain points, or if AI tools are already empowering parts of your business model, make sure to log that down as well. Recognising what’s already in place will help you identify where to expand, optimise, or scale existing AI efforts.
Inspired by the Business Model Canvas, this adapted version is tailored to expose areas where AI can deliver real ROI.
Step 3: Identify AI use cases based on that model
Now it’s time to generate ideas. This is the most exciting part.
The business model map becomes your lens to spot:
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Repetitive manual tasks
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Decision bottlenecks
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High-volume content or data workflows
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Time-consuming service interactions
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Customer drop-off or delay points
Take each section of the business model and encourage participants to first reframe the problems, then explore how AI could help address them. To promote holistic thinking around solutions, invite participants to consider three types of AI initiatives: automation, insight, and engagement.
To make this even more intuitive, use three different post-it colours to visually distinguish between the types of AI applications during the session.
Examples:
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“We manually tag all incoming support tickets → AI can auto-categorise based on message content.”
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“We spend hours formatting analytics reports → Use AI to summarise data trends for internal briefings.”
For inspiration, see our post: How we built AI agents in just 4 weeks
Tips for a high-impact workshop
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Get two facilitators when possible
Depending on the size of your group, having two facilitators can significantly improve the flow. One person can lead the session and manage the discussion, while the other reorganises and sorts post-its on the board as you progress. This keeps the session smooth, captures ideas accurately, and frees the main facilitator to focus on engagement and momentum. - Break into cross-functional groups
If you’re working with a large organisation, don’t hesitate to split participants into cross-functional groups. This reduces noise, fosters engagement, and ensures more diverse insights. - Set the tone for transparency and bold thinking
Before diving into the details, encourage participants to be transparent, bold, and open-minded — but always anchor the conversation around real business problems, not abstract ideas. - Inspire before you ideate
If you’re unsure whether everyone fully understands the potential of AI in your industry or operational context, start the session with examples of real-world AI use cases. Inspiring examples help participants think bigger and spark more targeted ideas. - Keep engagement high with strategic prompts:
Throughout the workshop, maintain energy and depth by asking thought-provoking questions such as:
“Where are we wasting time?”
“Where do we make manual decisions repeatedly?”
“What do we wish we had more time for?”
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Need support running your AI strategy workshop?
If you’re uncertain about how to run these sessions and keep them engaging, our team can help.
As part of our workshop facilitation package, we:
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Help you plan and structure the session
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Prepare interactive ice-breakers to set the right tone
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Curate examples of AI use cases tailored to your industry
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Deliver a short, practical training on different AI applications to inspire participants
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Facilitate ideation using proven prompts and methods to spark deeper thinking
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Keep energy high and participants engaged throughout the session
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By the end of the session, you’ll walk away with:
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A mapped view of your business model and pain points
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A curated list of AI opportunities aligned with your business goals
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A prioritisation matrix ready for next steps
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Greater internal alignment and engagement around your AI journey
We’ve run countless workshops and understand how important it is to create an environment where people feel empowered to share their thoughts openly and participate actively. Our sessions are designed for action, not theory. Every step is structured to move you closer to tangible next steps for your AI roadmap.
If you want expert guidance to make your AI Strategy Workshop a success, contact us to learn more or if you want support from our team, or book a free 45-min strategy call to explore how this framework can enable your organisation’s AI Strategy.
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What happens after you crowdsource AI use cases?
Turn AI use cases into results
Once your team surfaces solid ideas, you’ll want to move into evaluation and prioritisation. They are the steps 5 and 6 in our full framework! Make sure to keep the momentum and do this as soon as possible.
Download our AI strategy canvas to get the full framework.
Curious how this plays out in real life? Read: From AI strategy to AI results: why agentic AI is the smartest way to start
Final thought: empower, don’t overwhelm
AI shouldn’t be confined to executives or IT teams — it needs to be business-driven from the ground up.
As Harvard Business Review has highlighted in multiple papers, the success of AI initiatives often hinges less on technology itself and more on the clarity of the business context behind them.
By opening up the discovery process, you’re not only identifying stronger, more relevant AI use cases — you’re building a culture of smart, empowered experimentation across your organization.
And the best part? You don’t need a three-month strategy project to get started.
