GenAI Use Case Prioritization Matrix

The four scoring dimensions — detailed rubric

Composite score formula: (Value × 2) + Feasibility + Risk + Time-to-Impact

Do Now (Score ≥ 18): Start immediately, clear ROI, achievable. Typically 2–3 per year.
Plan (Score 14–18): Queue for next 6 months. Needs some work but high probability of success.
Watch (Score 10–14): Monitor. Revisit quarterly. May become viable as data or capability improves.
Park (Score < 10): Defer explicitly. Prevents endless re-pitching of bad ideas.

Scoring methodology — how to run this accurately

Scoring is collaborative. Do it wrong (in a spreadsheet alone) and you'll get gaming and politics. Done right (in a room with business + technology + risk), it forces clarity and builds consensus.

Common scoring mistakes to avoid:

• Overscoring value. Be conservative. If you don't have a business sponsor with a signed business case, score it 2–3 max.
• Underscoring risk. Regulatory ambiguity is a risk. If you're unsure, ask your CRO — don't guess.
• Gaming feasibility. If the data exists but is in 5 different systems and terrible quality, that's not feasibility 5. Be honest.
• Conflating time-to-impact with implementation time. A 12-month project that delivers value in week 1 of production should score Time-to-Impact 4–5.

Worked example portfolio

The table below comes pre-loaded with 8 illustrative FS use cases. Edit any cell to recalculate live, or add your own.

Implementation guide — how to run this in your institution

This isn't a one-off exercise. Treat it as a living portfolio that guides your AI roadmap quarterly.

Phase 1: Intake (Week 1)

Every business unit and technology team submits GenAI ideas using a standardised template. No idea too small or too big. Cast a wide net.

• Template should require: Use case title, business problem, proposed solution, estimated impact (revenue/cost/risk), data sources needed, regulatory considerations, estimated timeline, business owner, technology owner.
• Target: 15–30 ideas from a mid-to-large institution. More is noise, fewer means you're missing opportunities.
• Expect: 30% will be duplicate ideas. Consolidate them. 20% will be regulation-blocked. Screen those out.

Phase 2: Pre-screening (Week 2)

Technical and compliance pre-screening. Eliminate obvious blockers without the full room.

• Hard blockers: Regulator has said "no" → kill it. Data doesn't exist and can't be acquired → kill it. Violates vendor ToS → kill it.
• Fixable gaps: Data exists but in poor quality → move forward. Regulation is unsettled → move forward, flag for discussion.
• Output: Curated list of 10–20 ideas ready for scoring.

Phase 3: Scoring session (Week 3, 90 minutes)

The room: CFO/CRO, CTO/CDO, head of AI/CoE, business heads for major lines. Walk through each use case and score on the four dimensions.

• Format: 2-min pitch per use case, 3–5 min discussion, lock scores. Don't belabor.
• Facilitator: Someone neutral (often external advisor) keeps pace and prevents rabbit holes.
• Output: Ranked portfolio with clear "Do Now," "Plan," "Watch," "Park" buckets.

Phase 4: Decision & communication (Week 4)

Lock the top 5–7 "Do Now" and "Plan" initiatives for the next 6 months. Explicitly defer the rest.

• Why explicitly defer? Prevents "why isn't my idea getting funded?" conversations every week. You have a framework, you applied it, here's the result.
• Create a portfolio charter: One page showing the 5–7 selected use cases, owners, timelines, expected outcomes.
• Publish the deferred list: "Park" ideas for 6–12 months. Conditions for re-evaluation (e.g. if data quality improves, or regulation clarifies).
• Board communication: CEO/board should know top 3 initiatives and why.

Phase 5: Quarterly review (Ongoing)

Every quarter, re-score in a 60-minute session. Usually scores don't change much, but new info (better data, regulatory clarity, competitive moves) does emerge.

• Also track: Have your "Do Now" initiatives actually delivered? If not, why? Kill underperformers ruthlessly.
• Portfolio health check: Do you have a good balance across value/risk/time-to-impact? Or are you chasing only quick wins?
• Output: Quarterly portfolio update to AI Steering Committee, board reporting if needed.

Identifying quick wins — where to find early momentum

Organizations often struggle to build credibility on AI. Quick wins (6-month projects with clear ROI) are how you build the credibility to attempt harder things.

Three types of quick wins

Pro tip: Run 2–3 quick wins in parallel, not sequentially. You want early proof points across different problem types. Pick one each from Type 1, 2, and 3. By month 6, you'll have built organizational confidence to tackle harder, higher-impact initiatives.

Portfolio optimization — thinking beyond individual use cases

Once you have 10+ use cases scored, optimize the portfolio as a whole, not just individual ROI.

Five portfolio health checks

1. Balance across value drivers. Do you have use cases across all four value dimensions (revenue, cost, risk, capital)? If you're only doing cost-reduction, you'll miss revenue opportunities. If you're only doing revenue, you'll ignore critical risk.
2. Sequence by dependency. Some use cases enable others. (E.g. customer intelligence enables cross-sell. Surveillance enables market data product.) Build your roadmap to execute dependencies first.
3. Spread risk across time. If all your initiatives are 12-month slogs with uncertain outcomes, you're building fragility. Portfolio should be: 40% quick wins (3–6 months), 40% medium-term (6–12 months), 20% strategic (12+ months).
4. Check for vendor concentration. If all your use cases depend on a single vendor (e.g. Salesforce Einstein, OpenAI), you're creating risk. Aim for 2–3 vendor options. Specifically, don't put all eggs in frontier model APIs.
5. Reality-check capacity. Can your team realistically execute 5–7 initiatives in parallel? If your AI CoE is 2 people, the answer is no. Be conservative on sequencing. Better to do fewer things really well than many things poorly.