Many companies have heard of AI workshops. Some have even attended one and received a presentation that has since remained unread in SharePoint. What actually makes an AI workshop useful? And what happens when we arrive at a company?
This article provides insight into how a typical workshop day at LEAN-CODERS unfolds, and what the preparation and follow-up look like. The goal is clear:
After the workshop, our clients will know exactly in which areas of the company AI can be applied individually: From personal assistance to process automation.
AI Workshop Preparation: What Happens Before the First Appointment
Of course, the actual workshop day is the heart of it all - but it is embedded in a support process: It starts with a 30-minute initial conversation, where we check if the format is a good fit. Here we capture initial expectations and target groups for the workshop, and transparently outline what results our clients can expect from it. If everyone agrees that we can proceed, the process continues.
If the workshop content doesn't fit, it becomes clear immediately and can be adjusted. If the conversation reveals that the workshop is not a fit at all, we leave it at the call and are happy to have met you 😃 This ensures that exactly the right content reaches our clients.
Then we move on to a more detailed preparation round, usually via video call. This is where we get into the nitty-gritty, as we want to understand exactly:
- What expectations does the company have for the AI workshop, what are the desired outcomes?
- What foundational AI knowledge is already in place?
- What processes are repeated daily in the company?
- What systems are in use (ERP, CRM, SCM)?
- Where are the biggest operational friction points?
- What has the company already tried regarding AI, what worked well, and what didn't?
Armed with this information, we put together a customized workshop program and select the team. Depending on the focus (e.g., business, production, sales, organization), we have specific content that we can address regarding AI.
AI Consulting in Workshop Format: Showtime!
The one-day workshop lasts between four to eight hours, depending on your preference. The mode is individually planable: Either on-site, at our office, or remote/hybrid.
We prepare a clear red thread, which is tailored individually based on requirements and prior analysis.
What is the same in every workshop: The methodology. What differs: The results, because each company brings different processes, data situations, and priorities.
Step 1: Arrival and Goal Setting — 30 Minutes
We don't start with slides. We start with a question: What should be on the table at the end of this day for you to say it was worth it?
The answers are enlightening. Sometimes management wants a decision-making basis for the next budget discussion. IT wants to know if AI threatens or complements their existing systems. The department head simply wants to know where to start with AI. Having all three in the same room is rare. And that is often the first value of the workshop: everyone hears simultaneously what the others really want.
Step 2: AI Fundamentals in a Nutshell — 45 Minutes
A brief review and building of one's own AI knowledge is the prerequisite for identifying potential applications for AI in the company.
We explain the three types of AI that are actually relevant in an industrial context — rule-based systems, machine learning, generative AI. We particularly focus on generative AI because ChatGPT, Claude & Co. have become standard tools just like the calculator used to be. What is generative AI? What can it do? What can't it do?
What AI cannot do is just as important as what it can do. Starting a project with false expectations can lead to an expensive non-result six months later.
Stefan Wöhrer - CEO of LEAN-CODERS
By the end of this block, everyone in the room has a shared vocabulary. This may sound trivial, but it is often the first moment when management and IT mean the same thing when talking about AI.
Step 3: Processes Under Review — 60 Minutes
This is the core of the workshop. And the part that most providers skip.
Each participant names two to three tasks they repeat daily or weekly. Not hypothetically, but concretely from their work routine. These are evaluated together: Is the task rule-based and automatable? Does it rely on data that can be analyzed? Does it require AI, or is classic automation sufficient?
The result is a structured process map mapped to relevant categories: CRM, ERP, SCM, reporting, communication, production. This is followed by prioritization: a 2×2 matrix of effort and benefit. What lands in the top left - high benefit, low effort - are the quick wins. What lands in the bottom right is temporarily discarded.
What regularly happens in this block: Processes that the company has considered unchangeable for years are suddenly recognized as automatable. And processes that everyone suspected had AI potential turn out to be rule-based automation tasks, without AI, but immediately implementable.
Step 4: Technical Reality Check — 45 Minutes
Good use cases are useless without the technical foundation. Therefore, we next look at what is actually available: What data exists in what quality? What systems are in use? What can be integrated, and what needs to be migrated?
Three questions structure this block:
- Make or Buy: When is a ready-made tool like Copilot sufficient, and when is individual development necessary? Data Quality: Is there a usable data basis, or is building the data the actual first step? Security & Compliance: Which
- AI services are
- GDPR compliant and which data can these services actually process? What often emerges in this block: Companies have more usable data than they thought in ERP systems, email histories, Excel spreadsheets. And the technical hurdle for the first use case is usually lower than feared.How this looks in practice is demonstrated by our project with a US fintech company: Making financial data analyzable by AI at the push of a button
Step 5: AI Strategy Consulting: Roadmap and Next Steps — 60 Minutes
In the last working block, the results of the previous hours are brought together.
. We present the three prioritized use cases, each with a benefit assessment, effort framework, and risk note.
Then we separate quick wins from strategic projectsQuick Wins: Measures that can be implemented in a few weeks and deliver immediate measurable effects.
Strategic Projects: Initiatives with a duration of three to twelve months that require more preparation, budget, and resources. For each use case, we define: Who is responsible internally? What is needed technically? Can the internal team implement it, or does it require an external partner? The roadmap is formulated in a stack-agnostic way: it works whether the company implements it themselves, involves another partner, or continues working with lean-coders.:
- Step 6: Conclusion and Handover — 20 Minutes
- At the end of the workshop, there is a clear
summary
. We hand over a rough version of the AI potential analysis. The final, elaborated version follows within the next few days, in writing, as a Word or PDF document, and upon request in the form of a presentation.
Then a feedback round: What was valuable? What do the participants take away? And who will do what by when as the next step, whether with us or without. There is also atwo-day format for companies
, who want to consider multiple areas simultaneously and need a concrete pilot proposal as a result, or support in implementing AI processes. You can find the complete process
here Implementing AI in the Company: What Happens After the WorkshopWe summarize the information gained in a clear presentation, which we send to our clients. In a follow-up presentation (15-20 minutes), we present the results of the workshop, as well as concrete advice & next steps for the roadmap. Here.
our clients receive a clear roadmap
, outlining which initiatives will lead to quickly implementable, measurable added value. At the same time, there is another opportunity for questions.
Typically, we can also propose a concrete first pilot project here, within which an initial AI automation can be implemented in the company. AI Implementation: What LEAN-CODERS Does Differently Than Traditional ConsultantsThe most important difference from traditional AI consulting: We don't just leave recommendations, we also implement them.
LEAN-CODERS has been developing software and integration projects in industry and energy for over ten years. ERP connections,
legacy integrations
API development
, SCM systems, that is our core business. What emerges as strategy in the AI workshop, , can go directly into development. Either through our clients internally, through other partner companies, or directly through us.This is also why we deliberately design the workshop this way: As an independent service with added value and handover document at the end. Those who continue after the workshop without us should be able to do so easily. Those who continue with us do so because we deliver the highest quality.
What You Will Take Away from the AI Workshop At the end of the AI workshop, you will have:A written
AI potential analysis
: A structured document that captures the starting point in your company, processes, data situation, systems. Suitable as a decision-making basis for management, advisory board, or investors.
- Three prioritized use cases : Each with a benefit assessment, effort framework, and risk note. Sorted by quick wins and strategic projects.Roadmap
- with responsibilities: Who does what by when, formulated so that it is implementable internally, with your partner, or with us.Optional
- check-in after two weeks : 30 minutes remote, at no extra charge, to clarify follow-up questions.
- The result belongs to you. What you do with it, implement it yourself, implement it with your existing partner, or tackle it with us - that is your decision. No follow-up obligation, no built-in next step. Frequently Asked Questions About the AI Workshop with LEAN-CODERSWe haven't dealt with AI at all. Is the workshop still suitable?
That's actually the ideal starting point. Those who have no preconceived opinions will get the most honest results from the workshop. Preparation consists of a short questionnaire, no prior knowledge required.
How many people should participate?
Ideally three to eight people: at least someone from management, a person with process or IT responsibility, and an employee from the operational area, sales, production, or logistics. A mix beats hierarchy. Those who attended the workshop can help shape the outcome later.
What does the workshop cost?
How many people should participate?
Ideally three to eight people: at least someone from management, a person with process or IT responsibility, and an employee from operations, sales, production, or logistics. A mix beats hierarchy. Those who attended the workshop can help shape things afterward.
What does the workshop cost?
The one-day workshop costs € 2,500 net fixed price, on-site or remote. The two-day format costs € 4,500 net. We will clarify which format fits in the 30-minute initial conversation.
What if we want to continue without LEAN-CODERS afterwards?
Then you continue without us. The roadmap is designed exactly for that, technology-agnostic, implementable internally or with another partner. There is no dependency created by the document. Many clients still choose to implement with us - but that’s a decision made after the workshop, not a prerequisite for it.
Do you want to know what an AI workshop brings to your company?
In the free 30-minute initial conversation, we will clarify together whether the format fits your situation, without sales pressure, without obligation. Just fill out the form 👇👇👇, and we will get back to you within 24 hours.
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- hello@lean-coders.at
