01
Requests arrive in many formats
Teams cannot compare ideas when each request uses different facts, measures and assumptions.
Give every AI decision an owner and a record.
Use these six working templates to run the AI portfolio, route approvals and prepare one clear executive review.
Six working recordsPlain field listsReady for a first cycle
AI operating model toolkit
Six records connect the decision cycle
01
Council charter and RACI
Authority02
Portfolio and risk register
Control03
Decision log and scorecard
Evidence04
Review calendar
CadenceStart with live work and improve each cycleVersion 1
- AI operating model
- An AI operating model defines who makes AI decisions, how work moves from idea to release and which records leaders use to manage the portfolio.
It connects strategy, delivery, governance, funding and adoption. The first version can fit in six working records. Add more process only when the portfolio or risk requires it.
What the kit fixes
Teams need a shared route for routine decisions.
A meeting cannot carry the full operating model. Owners need a record of what was requested, what was checked, who decided and what happens next.
02
Approvals depend on personal memory
A person knows who to ask, while the process remains unclear to everyone else.
03
Portfolio reviews repeat project updates
Leaders receive activity reports instead of value, cost, risk and decisions.
04
Changes lose their history
A new model, dataset or workflow can enter production without a clear record of the reason and tests.
The six templates
Start with these working records.
Create them in the tools the company already uses. Keep the fields stable so one record can move through the full decision cycle.
Mandate
AI council charter
Purpose, scope, members, authority, quorum, cadence, escalation route and records produced.
Authority
Decision-rights RACI
Decision, accountable owner, responsible team, required consultees and people who must be informed.
Portfolio
Portfolio register
Use case, owner, stage, value, cost, risk tier, data, vendor, next decision and review date.
Control
Risk and control record
Impact, data, autonomy, exposure, tier, required checks, evidence, approvers and open conditions.
Evidence
Decision log
Date, question, options, evidence, decision, owner, conditions, follow-up and review trigger.
Reporting
Executive scorecard
Value, spend, delivery, adoption, quality, risk, incidents and the decisions leaders must make.
Monthly review pack
Use one page to prepare the executive discussion.
Report changes and decisions. Keep detailed project information in the underlying records.
| Section | Show | Owner | Decision trigger |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portfolio | Stage, value, cost and movement since last review | CAIO or portfolio lead | Fund, pause, stop or change owner |
| Delivery | Milestones, evidence gates and blocked work | Delivery owners | Resolve dependency or change scope |
| Risk | Tier, open controls, incidents and material changes | Risk and system owners | Approve, add conditions or stop |
| Adoption | Active use, process measure and manager follow-up | Business owner | Change rollout or support |
Run the first cycle
Use the templates before you add process.
Choose a small set of live use cases. The first cycle will show which fields, owners and meetings the company needs.
01
Week 1
Name the sponsor and scope
Agree which decisions the operating model covers and which existing teams keep final authority.02
Week 2
Create the six records
Set up the templates and fill them with a small set of active use cases.03
Weeks 3–4
Run the working reviews
Use the records with business, technology and control owners. Fix missing fields and unclear handoffs.04
Month 2
Hold the executive review
Present the scorecard, record the decisions and set the next monthly and quarterly dates.Related decisions
Continue with the part you need.
These pages cover the owner, starting point and India-specific context around this guide.
Questions leaders ask
Practical answers
Which tool should hold the AI portfolio register?
Use a system the owners already open and can control. A spreadsheet, work-management tool or governed database can work for the first cycle. Access, history, required fields and a named administrator matter more than the product choice.
Who should attend the AI council?
Include the executive sponsor and the business, technology, data, security, privacy, legal, risk, finance and people leaders needed for the decisions in scope. Invite delivery specialists when their evidence is required.
How many risk tiers should we use?
Three or four tiers are enough for many organisations. The tiers should lead to different controls and approval paths. If two tiers produce the same work and decision, combine them.
How do we keep the operating model from becoming slow?
Use short paths for low-risk assistance, fixed response times, clear evidence requirements and one accountable owner per decision. Review delays each month and remove steps that do not change a decision or reduce a known risk.
Run the first cycle
Apply the kit to the live portfolio.
Gyde can set up the records, work through the first use cases and prepare the executive team to continue the cadence.