Advisory

Sykesystem Advisory.

Sykesystem Advisory helps organizations implement AI safely and effectively in operations that have to work and have to be auditable.

The work

The practice runs the ground between generic AI strategy and code-level engineering. Current-state assessment. Integration design. Governance. Embedded delivery through a trained client team.

Twenty years of integration and program leadership across federal and international contracts, commercial operations, and consulting, updated with formal training in AI and machine learning. Don assesses an organization’s current state, understands its vision for the future, and designs integration strategies that combine business intelligence with AI as a force multiplier.

AI integration in small and midsize businesses closing capability gaps
Program governance for AI adoption in regulated or auditable environments
ERP, CMMS, and operational-system modernization with AI-integrated workflows
Multi-site or international operations where AI is part of the operating model
Executive advisory on AI adoption strategy for operations-heavy organizations

Asset accountability and property control, the subject of Don’s book, is one application of the methodology. It is not the practice.

Don presenting an AI Strategy Roadmap in a boardroom, four stages visible on screen: Discover, Design, Deploy, Optimize — The methodology in the room. Discover, Design, Deploy, Optimize, each with its own business impact forecast and use case pipeline.

Who this is for

Small and midsize businessesLooking to close resource and capability gaps and compete beyond their headcount.
Operations executives in regulated industriesWhere AI has to produce an audit trail, not just an answer.
Mid-market operations leaders in asset-heavy sectorsManufacturing, healthcare, logistics, energy.
Nonprofit operations leadersManaging fixed-asset inventories with limited technical staff.
Boards and CEOsOf operations-heavy organizations evaluating AI adoption at the enterprise level.

Engagements

Three defined engagements.

Each has a start, an end, and a named deliverable set. No open-ended retainers. Every engagement is remote-first, with limited optional on-site touch points.

01

Diagnostic

Two weeks

Baseline the current state of operations and identify where AI is and is not the right answer. Structured intake with the executive sponsor and operational leads. Review of current systems, data quality, workflows, and process documentation. Assessment of AI readiness across five dimensions: data, process, governance, change readiness, and technical infrastructure. Written diagnostic report with prioritized findings and a recommended path forward.

The client leaves with a clear-eyed picture of what a viable AI adoption program looks like for their environment, before spending money on tools or implementation.

02

Design

Six weeks

Convert the diagnostic into a concrete system design and implementation roadmap. Solution architecture for AI-integrated workflows, using the client’s existing systems where possible and recommending replacements only where necessary. Governance framework covering data handling, model use, accountability, and audit trail. Change management approach and training curriculum outline. Implementation roadmap with phased milestones, risk register, and dependency map.

The client leaves with an executable plan that internal or third-party implementation resources can carry forward, or a clean scope of work for a follow-on Deploy engagement.

03

Deploy

Three months

Embedded delivery of the designed system, with client team members carrying operational responsibility by engagement end. Standing weekly working sessions with the client team. Configuration of AI-integrated workflows in the client’s environment. Real-time coaching of client operators through initial adoption cycles. Governance rollout, SOP documentation, and initial audit-trail validation. Structured knowledge transfer to designated client team leads. A 30-day post-engagement check-in is included.

The client team owns and operates the system without ongoing dependency on outside expertise. Audit and compliance evidence is in place from day one.

The practice is deliberately narrow in a different direction than most firms. Sykesystem Advisory does not take general management consulting work, enterprise AI strategy for Fortune 100 clients, or full-time on-site engagements. Federal government property and asset management work is also excluded during Don’s current employment.

Getting started

Advisory work begins with a scoped conversation. Two ways to start. Either route reaches the same person.

Send an email

Direct route. Say what’s on your mind. Response within two business days.

hello@sykesystem.com

Complete an intake summary

Optional. Eight questions. Puts context in front of us before the first call so the call is useful rather than exploratory.

Start intake →

Larisa Sykes takes a separate slate of advisory engagements focused on inventory, property, and asset accountability. About Larisa.