AI Intelligent Business Layer - Design & Build

Through this engagement, we design and build an intelligent business layer that adds the missing operational context to AI. This layer enables you to connect, orchestrate and scale multiple AI automations and agents, configured around your processes, your systems and the way your organisation operates.

The result is measurable operational and financial impact rather than isolated experiments. This service helps you move from fragmented AI initiatives to a scalable, governed and value-driven AI operating model across your core business processes.

The offer

Columbus offers a structured engagement to design, build and scale an AI-ready Business Context Layer for organisations using Microsoft business applications and cloud platforms, helping you to:

• Get more measurable business value from AI agents and automation across finance, supply chain, operations, sales and service processes;
• Design a business-ready AI layer that connects multiple agents, systems and data sources into one coordinated, enterprise-grade interface;
• Integrate industry knowledge, compliance requirements and governance into your AI setup from the start;
• Establish a scalable model for continuous automation, where early results fund and guide the next phase of AI adoption.

Facts in short

The service can be delivered globally, remotely or on-site, and is tailored to your industry and Microsoft landscape. Engagements typically involve business leaders, process owners and IT stakeholders. The service is designed for organisations using Microsoft Dynamics 365 applications such as Dynamics 365 Finance, Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management, Dynamics 365 Sales, Dynamics 365 Customer Service and Dynamics 365 Customer Insights, together with Microsoft 365, Azure and related Power Platform technologies.

The outcome is a built Business Context Layer aligned with Microsoft’s AI stack and configured around your processes, your systems and the way your organisation operates. It also includes a prioritised pipeline of AI use cases and a phased roadmap for piloting, scaling and governing AI across your organisation.

Industries typically supported include manufacturing, retail, distribution, food and beverage, and project-centric organisations.

Service in detail

Stage 1. Business context and maturity assessment

Understand your current AI maturity, core business priorities, data readiness and system landscape. This stage aligns AI ambition with real operational and financial objectives.

Stage 2. Process and value discovery

Map critical business processes and identify where automation breaks down today. Focus on bottlenecks, manual handovers, compliance risks and integration gaps that limit the impact of generic AI tools.

Stage 3. Business layer design

Design the AI-ready Business Context Layer: how multiple AI agents, Microsoft platforms and business systems work together in a coordinated, governed and reusable model. Define roles, governance, security and compliance requirements.

Stage 4. Pilot and scale roadmap

Prioritise high-impact use cases and define a phased delivery plan, from focused pilots to multi-agent scenarios across departments. Each phase is designed to demonstrate value early and support long-term adoption.

What you get as the result

• A built Business Context Layer adjusted to your business reality and context;
• A clear model for turning generic AI into a business-ready digital colleague aligned with your industry and operations;
• A prioritised pipeline of AI use cases linked to measurable business value and ROI;
• A scalable architecture aligned with Microsoft’s AI and cloud ecosystem;
• A practical roadmap for moving from pilots to enterprise-wide AI adoption with governance and compliance built in;
• A foundation for continuous automation that evolves with your business, not just your technology.