What This Roundtable Covers
Watch the full conversation below to hear Christa, Fred, and Eben discuss what teams are learning, where AI readiness stands today, and how organizations can turn AI investments into real performance.
Earlier this year, CH Consulting Group partnered with Cloud Tech Gurus and Vertex C3 to launch an AI readiness assessment designed to help leaders prepare their operations before investing in any technology. Now that the team has completed assessments across multiple industries, Christa Heibel, Fred Stacey, and Eben Hall return to share what they have learned, what clients are discovering inside their operations, and how readiness is shaping the next phase of AI strategy heading into 2026.
The Core Message for CX and Operations Leaders
The discussion makes one theme clear. AI success is tied to operational maturity, not the tool itself. The CEOs explain that even the most enthusiastic organizations still wrestle with planning, communication, and process design, which are the conditions that determine whether AI delivers value.
Across industries, leaders are still jumping into automation before they understand their use cases, workforce structure, or measurement strategy. Many teams arrive with pilots already in motion but lack the foundational pieces needed to manage drift, avoid compliance issues, or sustain performance. During assessments, this becomes obvious to clients who begin to see the gaps in their own systems.
A consistent pattern is the early push toward bots or large language models without considering the ongoing work required to maintain them. Companies are realizing that AI is not a shortcut. It is an operational commitment. The panel emphasizes that the strongest results come from organizations that start with the basics: defined workflows, ownership of data, integrated systems, and a culture willing to adapt.
The CEOs also break down the broader market shifts. Leaders are being pressured to make fast technology decisions even though the vendor landscape is crowded and unstable. They expect more consolidation, more failed pilots, and more companies returning to fundamental operational improvements before scaling AI further.
They also point out that AI is not limited to ch AI readiness assessment for CX leaders
atbots or headcount reduction. Recruiting, training, knowledge management, and agent assist tools continue to show strong returns with lower risk. These areas improve the work environment and customer experience while laying the groundwork for more complex automation.
Looking toward 2026, the group agrees that AI strategy must be grounded in business goals, measurable value, and readiness to change. Leaders who understand their current state and build a steady path forward will see the strongest outcomes. Those who rush will continue to repeat the same failures the team is seeing across the industry.
Start With a Stronger Foundation
If your organization is ready to move beyond experimentation and into measurable results, start with an AI Readiness Assessment. Build a clear strategy, strengthen your foundation, and create the conditions for AI to deliver long term value.
