7 Essential Steps to Restart Your AI Roadmap This September

7 Essential Steps to Restart Your AI Roadmap This September
Neha Nougai

Neha Nougai

Senior Marketing Consultant

LinkedIn Profile

September 10, 2025

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Back from summer holidays and ready to tackle AI? Here’s how to get your organisation’s artificial intelligence strategy back on track for the autumn term.

The summer break is over, and whilst you’ve been recharging, AI has continued its relentless march forward. If your organisation’s AI roadmap got shelved during the quieter months, September presents the perfect opportunity to dust it off and give it the attention it deserves. Recent industry discussions reveal that awarding organisations are increasingly moving AI from their “wait and watch" list to their “plan or perish" agenda.

Here are seven practical steps to reinvigorate your AI journey this autumn:

Step 1: Document Your Current Processes Before You Automate

Before diving into shiny new AI tools, take a step back. As one industry expert recently noted, “everybody wants to start flying planes before they can start walking." The most successful AI implementations begin with organisations that have clearly documented their existing processes and procedures.

Spend the first few weeks of September mapping out your current workflows, from assessment development to marking processes to customer support. This foundation work isn’t glamorous, but it’s essential. You can’t effectively automate or enhance something you haven’t properly understood first.

Step 2: Start Small with Micro AI Apps

Rather than attempting a complete digital transformation, consider the “Lego approach" to AI adoption. Micro AI apps, purpose-built tools that plug into your existing workflows, offer a low-friction entry point that minimises disruption whilst delivering quick returns on investment.

These targeted solutions allow you to identify a specific pain point, implement a focused tool to address it, measure the impact, and scale gradually. Whether you’re looking at item authoring, customer support, or administrative tasks, there’s likely a micro solution that can deliver immediate value without overhauling your entire system.

Find out more at the Excelsoft AI Resource Hub: https://www.excelsoftcorp.com/resourcehub/

Step 3: Secure Executive Sponsorship

Top-down support isn’t just helpful—it’s critical for sustainable AI adoption. Organisations with executive sponsorship for their AI initiatives consistently outperform those where enthusiasm exists only in isolated pockets.

If you haven’t already, schedule time with senior leadership this month to present your AI roadmap. Focus on practical benefits, compliance considerations, and how AI can enhance rather than replace your organisation’s core strengths.

Step 4: Invest in AI Literacy Across Your Organisation

The most successful AI implementations prioritise people first. This means starting with the basics: training staff on what AI tools can and cannot do, making education job-specific, and consistently reinforcing that AI is here to support expertise, not replace it.

Consider implementing brief, regular sessions—perhaps 30 minutes every fortnight—where team members share AI discoveries and discuss potential applications. This grassroots approach helps build confidence and identifies champions across different departments.

Step 5: Establish Clear Governance and Transparency

With regulators taking an increasingly keen interest in AI use, particularly in high-stakes assessment environments, robust governance isn’t optional. Develop clear policies around which AI tools are approved for use, what data can be shared with external platforms, and how you’ll maintain human oversight in critical processes.

Remember that transparency builds trust. The more open you are with stakeholders about why and how you’re using AI, the more positive their perceptions tend to be. Consider engaging with services like Ofqual’s Innovation Service to ensure you’re staying compliant whilst pushing boundaries.

Step 6: Prepare Your Data for AI Integration

Clean, well-organised data is the fuel that powers effective AI. Use this autumn to audit your data architecture and consider how AI tools might interact with your information systems. This preparation work positions you to take advantage of future opportunities, including the potential for training AI models on your proprietary datasets.

Pay particular attention to data governance policies, especially around what information can be shared with external AI platforms. The “safest" position may be to share no data at all, but that’s rarely practical in today’s environment.

Step 7: Build in Resilience and Human Override Capabilities

As organisations become more dependent on AI tools, the risk of over-reliance grows. Recent outages of popular AI platforms have left some organisations scrambling when their automated processes failed.

Ensure that every AI-powered process in your roadmap includes manual override capabilities and that staff maintain the skills to perform critical tasks without AI assistance. This isn’t just about business continuity, it’s about maintaining the human expertise that makes your organisation valuable.

Looking Ahead: The Agent Revolution

Whilst implementing these foundational steps, keep an eye on the emerging trend towards AI agents, semi-autonomous systems capable of handling complex, multi-step tasks with minimal human intervention. Early adopters are already seeing significant efficiency gains, but the technology requires robust governance and careful implementation.

The pace of AI development shows no signs of slowing, but organisations that focus on solid foundations, clear governance, and gradual scaling are best positioned to capitalise on future opportunities whilst maintaining the trust and compliance that the education sector demands.

Ready to Discuss Your AI Strategy?

If you’re keen to explore how micro AI apps could fit into your organisation’s roadmap, the Excelsoft team will be attending several key industry events this autumn:

These conferences provide the perfect opportunity to see practical AI implementations in action and discuss how targeted solutions might address your specific challenges.

September marks a fresh start for many organisations. By taking these seven steps, you’ll ensure your AI roadmap doesn’t just gather dust but becomes a practical blueprint for sustainable innovation.

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