SIMA Core™ Framework

The Core Elementsof SIMA360

SIMA Core™ is the static structural foundation consisting of three core models: AI Dimensions, AI Capability Levels, and AI Tool Categories. It provides the organizing principles for effective and responsible AI maturity.

Three Core Models

SIMA Core™ consists of three interconnected models that provide the foundation for strategic AI implementation

AI Dimensions
Five AI dimensions to categorize effective and responsible AI maturity

Strategy, Governance, Data, People, and Technology AI dimensions serve as organizing principles for assessing organizational readiness.

AI Capability Levels
Five progressive levels of increasing AI maturity and capability

Initial, Exploring, Applying, Formalizing, Optimizing, and Leading levels provide a roadmap for AI advancement.

AI Tool Categories
Five categories based on autonomy and functional capabilities

Baseline, Business Assistance, Process Automation, Decision Optimization, and Autonomous Execution tools.

AI Dimensions Model

Five AI dimensions that serve as organizing principles for assessing organizational readiness and implementing AI in a scalable, ethical, and value-generating manner

Strategy AI Dimension
Ensures AI initiatives align with broader business goals
  • • Vision Alignment with strategic outcomes
  • • Prioritization based on impact and feasibility
  • • Investment Planning with long-term ROI
  • • Integration with digital transformation
  • • Evaluation with clear success metrics
Governance AI Dimension
Manages AI risks, ensures compliance, and upholds ethical standards
  • • Ethical Oversight for fairness and bias
  • • Regulatory Compliance across geographies
  • • Risk Management with proactive mitigation
  • • Documentation for auditability
  • • Communication of AI usage and responsibilities
Data AI Dimension
Encompasses data quality, access, governance, and strategy
  • • Accessibility with well-organized data
  • • Quality through cleansing and validation
  • • Integration of siloed data sources
  • • Governance with formal policies
  • • Stewardship with defined roles
People AI Dimension
Focuses on workforce readiness and cultural adoption
  • • AI Literacy across all employees
  • • Talent Strategy for hiring and training
  • • Cross-functional Teams collaboration
  • • Change Management support
  • • RAI Awareness and training
Technology AI Dimension
Infrastructure, tools, and technical practices for scalable AI
  • • Infrastructure for compute-intensive workloads
  • • Tools that are standardized and efficient
  • • Lifecycle Management with structured pipelines
  • • Security against threats and misuse
  • • Innovation supporting rapid experimentation

AI Capability Levels Model

Five progressive levels of increasing maturity and capability, each with increasing levels of AI control and growth objectives

1
Initial
All initiatives start here. AI is being considered with curious but unstructured application.

AI vision and leadership support begins. Organizations build awareness and start exploring possibilities.

2
Exploring
Structured experimentation and foundational skill development with isolated experiments.

Early AI awareness with disconnected experiments, limited awareness, and lack of strategic direction.

3
Applying
Piloting AI projects with limited scope and success, often opportunistic rather than strategic.

Foundational investments in talent, data quality, and tooling begin to emerge with growing momentum.

4
Formalizing
Standardizing governance, workflows, and initial AI applications with repeatable practices.

AI is prioritized by leadership and increasingly integrated into business processes with formal frameworks.

5
Optimizing
Refining systems with feedback loops, proactive governance, and operational AI.

AI leveraged strategically across functions with robust governance and real-time analytics.

6
Leading
Continuous AI-driven innovation and enterprise-wide integration with industry leadership.

AI is core to strategic differentiation, driving innovation and shaping industry standards.

AI Tool Categories Model

Five categories of AI tools based on autonomy and functional capabilities, from passive assistants to strategic, independent actors

Baseline
Foundational tier with passive AI tools requiring human initiation

Purpose: Learn basics, gather usage data

Examples: FAQs, internal wikis, chatbots

Characteristics: Low autonomy, high guidance, static knowledge bases

Business Assistance
Tools designed to actively enhance human productivity and decision-making

Purpose: Boost productivity and creativity

Examples: Writing assistants, coding copilots, research summarizers

Characteristics: Dynamic support, task-specific boundaries

Process Automation
AI systems handling predefined, rule-based tasks and structured workflows

Purpose: Free resources, gain efficiency

Examples: RPA bots, automated schedulers, workflow orchestrators

Characteristics: Rule-based logic, deterministic outcomes

Decision Optimization
AI-enhanced strategy and foresight tools for complex decision-making

Purpose: Find insights, adapt to dynamic input

Examples: Dynamic pricing, route optimization, scenario planners

Characteristics: Predictive modeling, evidence-based recommendations

Autonomous Execution
Most advanced AI systems operating independently across domains

Purpose: Drive autonomous execution safely

Examples: Self-managing infrastructure, autonomous vehicles, AI command centers

Characteristics: Full autonomy, continuous learning, self-regulation

Important Note

The purpose of each tool category is not to encourage the use of all tools, but to provide groupings that can be safely applied with reduced risk based on your AI Capability Level. Using complex tools at low capability levels is ill-advised.

SIMA Core™ Key Principles

Understanding the foundational principles that guide SIMA Core™ implementation

Static Foundation

SIMA Core™ is static and provides the structural foundation. SIMA Flow™ provides the dynamic application of the core models, while SIMA Kit™ provides the necessary collateral to apply the Core Models.

Progressive Maturity

The point is not to reach the highest capability, but to use the capability assessment to lay the groundwork for projects and identify areas for improvement.

Risk-Based Approach

As organizations mature, they can safely enact AI tools at higher levels with controlled risk. Starting with lower-level tools enhances learning in a less impactful environment.

Holistic Integration

The AI Dimensions work together to provide a comprehensive approach to AI maturity, ensuring all aspects of the organization are considered and aligned.

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