AI agents: what they can and cannot do in a business process
Agents that carry out tasks independently are the promise of the moment. Where they work, where they break down, and the question you need to answer first.
AI decisions that hold up
Make the AI decisions you have to defend to your board.
I help CIOs, CDOs and AI leads decide where AI actually creates value, which vendors fit, and how to stop pilots turning into expensive side projects.
trust,
experience, impact ↓
Independent No vendor bias Senior onlyexperience, impact ↓
20+ years experience
AI in Europe
European brands already running AI in production.
Not my clients. Examples of what happens once AI moves past the pilot stage.
- Klarna
Sweden
AI customer service assistant
- Zalando
Germany
Fashion assistant for product advice
- Financial services
Investment firm
AI strategy and use-case portfolio
- Booking.com
Netherlands
AI Trip Planner for travel planning
- Siemens
Germany
Industrial Copilot for engineering
- Retail
Enterprise retailer
AI-driven vendor selection
- Spotify
Sweden
AI DJ and personalized playlists
- Mercedes-Benz
Germany
Generative voice assistant in the car
- Industrial / B2B
International manufacturer
AI roadmap and leadership
- ING
Netherlands
Generative chatbot for customer queries
- L'Oréal
France
Beauty Genius: personalized advice
- Financial services
Financial services firm
KYC accelerated with AI document analysis
- SAP
Germany
Joule: copilot in business software
- Carrefour
France
Hopla: grocery shopping assistant
- Strategy & AI
SaaS scale-up
AI readiness assessment
- Adyen
Netherlands
AI-driven payment optimization
- Philips
Netherlands
AI in medical imaging
- Proces & productivity
Professional services firm
Internal AI assistant for knowledge workers
10strategic AI engagements in 12 months
€2.1M+value realized for clients
8leadership teams supported in AI decisions
32%avg. efficiency improvement
Why independent?
Agency,
Big 4,
or me?
I don't win every row.
That's the point.
That's the point.
CriteriaIndependentAgencyBig 4
Senior does the workAlwaysSometimesRarely
SpeedHighHighLower
Software stakeNoneSometimesSometimes
ScaleLimitedHighVery high
Cost structureTransparentProject-dependentHigh
ProcurementAverageEasyEasy
How I help
Three ways to move forward.
01
AI Readiness Assessment
Where does your organization actually stand with AI? We map the opportunities, risks and prerequisites before budget gets committed.
2-3 weeks€7,000→
02 AI Strategy Sprint
From ambition to a realistic AI roadmap that fits your business, people and resources, board-ready in six weeks.
4-6 weeks€15,400 - €22,400→
03 Fractional AI Lead
Experienced AI leadership on an interim basis. I steer, build alongside your team and embed AI initiatives, without you hiring a full-time executive right away.
2, 4 or 8 daysFrom €2,600 / mo→
01
Diagnose
What are we actually trying to solve?
02
Prioritize
Which use cases earn money, time and attention?
03
Decide
Build, buy or partner, and why?
04
Ship & govern
How do we make sure it actually lands?
Recent work
Work that makes the difference.
◈Financial services
AI strategy & use-case portfolio for an investment firm
Challenge:
No clear AI priorities, and fragmented ideas without business impact.
8 priority use cases · €1.2M impact potential→
◎Retail
AI-driven vendor selection in enterprise retail
Challenge:
Choosing AI solutions on gut feel instead of value and fit.
12 vendors assessed · €1.1M saved on TCO→
↗Industrial / B2B
AI roadmap & leadership for a global manufacturer
Challenge:
No coherent AI strategy, and scattered pilots that never scaled.
Roadmap approved · 25% productivity target→
What clients say
“Dave brings structure to AI chaos. He asks the right questions and comes up with concrete, workable choices.”CFO, investment firm (Translated from Dutch)
“No thick reports, just a clear plan we could act on straight away.”COO, retail organization (Translated from Dutch)
“Finally someone who translates AI into value, not technology.”CEO, industrial company (Translated from Dutch)
My independence commitment
I don't earn more when you buy more software.
My income comes entirely from the advisory hours you pay for. No vendor pays me anything, in any form. That is why I can advise "no, don't buy this" without it costing me money.
When a project needs more hands than I have, I introduce vetted partners for execution, for development, data or training. You contract them directly. I take no margin and no commission on their work.
- No software commissions
- No affiliate deals
- No vendor kickbacks
- No margin on implementation partners
- Conflicts of interest disclosed upfront
Insights
Read before you decide.
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Use cases
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Strategy
From AI strategy to value: a 3-step plan
Most AI strategies don't fail on the strategy itself, but on translating it. Three steps that force that translation.
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Organisation
Build, buy or partner: what fits your situation?
The question is rarely "can we build this ourselves?" but "do we still want to be maintaining this in three years?" A decision framework in four questions.
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Use cases
Which AI use cases actually deliver results?
Not the most spectacular, but the most boring. Four traits the winners share, and four patterns that almost always stall.
Ready for impact?
Ready to make your AI decisions clear?
Book a no-obligation call. No pitch. Just sharp questions.
30 min., no pitch deckBook a call →