Generative AI Program Management at a Global Software Company
Problem
A global software company, engaged in the rapid development of generative AI applications with third-party partners, identified a critical need to enhance its risk assessment process of AI use cases. Recognizing the accelerated pace of AI advancements, the company sought to maintain and strengthen its processes and guardrails. To achieve this, they required program management and business process optimization support to efficiently manage risk assessments across multiple AI workstreams.
Approach
Following a thorough analysis of existing processes to understand both current and desired future states, and the definition of workstreams and deliverables, Excelerate transitioned from discovery to planning. This required defining the team’s RACI matrix and establishing the necessary tools, documentation, templates, and materials. Planning quickly shifted to implementation and execution, with Excelerate partnering with cross-functional stakeholders to begin building cohesive process flows. Excelerate provided comprehensive program management and guidance, ensuring initiatives remained on schedule and within defined parameters. This involved collaborating with team leaders to resolve issues and escalations as needed. Maintaining close communication with project team leadership and reporting directly to the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), Excelerate provided strategic direction to stakeholders while actively managing project issues and risks. Furthermore, as new members joined the team, Excelerate facilitated their onboarding through education, training, and assistance in acclimating to the security review process.
The project deliverables, spanning from discovery to execution, encompassed: stakeholder interviews and findings, project dashboards, SmartSheets, documentation templates, requirements documentation, risk matrices, communication plans, process mapping, and ultimately standing up a new intake tool.
Results
Excelerate effectively addressed a significant gap in the client’s AI risk assessment processes. Prior to this intervention, third-party integrations with AI components underwent incomplete security vetting. Excelerate helped standardize and fortify this process, essentially re-building and optimizing it from the ground up. This has enabled our client to address third-party risks significantly earlier in the onboarding process. Since implementation, the process was streamlined further as new AI threats were better understood and accounted for. By rectifying this previously unaddressed gap in the client’s AI risk assessment framework, Excelerate successfully reduced risk and uncertainty through meticulous process optimization and program management.