Overview

Project Scope

The project established a structured decision framework for the systematic evaluation, prioritization, and scaling of AI initiatives. Strategic value drivers, organizational prerequisites, and governance mechanisms were defined to embed AI sustainably in the core business.

Key Strategic Questions

1

Where does AI create the greatest material business impact?

2

How should AI initiatives be prioritized against competing investments?

3

What capabilities and operating model are required to scale beyond pilot projects?

4

How can future initiatives be steered efficiently through clear guardrails and governance?

Project Phases

Outcome

Marc O'Polo is a premium fashion and lifestyle brand, founded in Stockholm in 1967. As part of its strategic ambition to become the leading modern-casual and sustainable lifestyle brand in the global premium segment, the company defined data and AI as a central strategic pillar - making the leap from initial experiments to a coherent, prioritized, and actionable AI program.

Fashion Retail & AI

AI is rapidly becoming a baseline capability in fashion retail: the quality of execution determines competitive advantage. Growing demands around personalization, sustainability, and speed exceed what manual processes and simple automation can deliver.

Challenge

Starting PointOur ApproachWhy it Matters

Starting Point

Marc O'Polo had already launched initial AI initiatives and begun centralizing AI governance. The next step was to establish a structured framework to systematically prioritize initiatives, enable enterprise-wide steering, and scale value creation across the organization. At the leadership level, several strategic questions were on the table: Where does AI create the greatest material business value? How should initiatives be prioritized against competing investments? What capabilities and operating model are needed to move beyond pilots? And how can future AI initiatives be accelerated through shared standards and clear guardrails?

"At Marc O'Polo, we see artificial intelligence as a central building block for our future value creation. Together with Perelyn, we succeeded in translating the diverse AI initiatives across the company into a clearly structured, value-oriented framework. We were particularly convinced by Perelyn's pragmatic yet strategic approach, which enabled us to prioritize concrete use cases while simultaneously laying the foundation for a scalable AI organization. This marks an important step in unlocking the potential of AI sustainably for our business."

- Dominik Terme-Colmorgen, Director Data & Information Technology, Marc O’Polo SE

Our Approach

Marc O’Polo und Perelyn führten gemeinsam ein vierstufiges KI-Strategie-Programm durch. Verbunden wurde dabei eine Outside-In-Perspektive auf Branche und Kunden mit einer Inside-Out-Analyse von Unternehmensstrategie und KI-Reife. Das Programm umfasste die Definition der KI-Ambition, Use-Case-Ideation und Priorisierung, eine Machbarkeits und Readiness-Bewertungeine Machbarkeits- und Readiness-Bewertung sowie den Entwurf eines Umsetzungsplans für die Skalierung von KI in der gesamten Organisation.

Why it Matters

Translating AI potential into scaled impact requires more than individual use cases - it requires a system. By treating AI as an actively managed portfolio with clear strategic direction, decision logic, and an execution model, Marc O'Polo creates the conditions for sustainable, cumulative value creation - rather than isolated point solutions.

According to industry analyses, the global market for AI in fashion is expected to reach USD 4.4 billion by 2027, with annual growth rates of 29% to 37%.

Project Phases

Sprint 1
Strategic Alignment & Guardrails

Workshops, stakeholder interviews, and combined outside-in and inside-out analyses established the strategic direction and decision logic. A maturity assessment across the dimensions of data, technology, organization, talent, governance, and culture complemented the analysis.

Sprint 2
Use-Case-Discovery

In full-day workshops with ten business units, the team identified concrete AI opportunities along operational realities and structured them according to strategic value drivers.

Sprint 3
Prioritization & Shortlist

The identified use cases were systematically evaluated and consolidated into a management-ready shortlist, focusing on business impact, feasibility, and scalability.

Sprint 4
Feasibxility & Execution Blueprint

The prioritized use cases were analyzed from business, data, IT, and legal perspectives. The result was a phased implementation roadmap along with concrete 90-day pilot plans and clear governance decisions.

Sprint 1
Strategische Ausrichtung & Leitplanken

Workshops, Stakeholder-Interviews sowie kombinierte Outside-in- und Inside-out-Analysen legten die strategische Zielrichtung und Entscheidungslogiken fest. Ein Reifegradassessment in den Dimensionen Daten, Technologie, Organisation, Talent, Governance und Kultur ergänzte die Analyse.

Sprint 2
Use-Case-Discovery

In ganztägigen Workshops mit zehn Business Units identifizierte das Team konkrete KI-Potenziale entlang operativer Realitäten und strukturierte sie entlang strategischer Werttreiber.

Sprint 3
Priorisierung & Shortlist

Die identifizierten Use Cases wurden strukturiert bewertet und in eine managementtaugliche Shortlist überführt. Dabei standen Business Impact, Umsetzbarkeit sowie Skalierungspotenzial im Fokus.

Sprint 4
Feasibility & Execution Blueprint

Die priorisierten Use Cases wurden aus Business-, Data-, IT- und Legal-Perspektive analysiert. Ergebnis war eine phasenbasierte Implementierungs-Roadmap sowie konkrete 90-Tage-Pilotpläne mit klaren Governance-Entscheidungen.

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Results

Project OutcomesStrategic Value

Project Outcomes

The AI strategy connects ambition, portfolio, and operating model into an integrated system. It establishes the structural foundations to prioritize, steer, and sustainably scale AI initiatives across the enterprise.

Marc O'Polo

AI Ambition

Value Portfolio

Scalable Execution

Definition of a clear AI ambition

Establishin Data &  AI as a strategic pillar

Defining guidelines for investment an prioritizton

Alignment with premium positioning and performance goals

Identification of AI opportunities across multiple business units

Systematic evaluation based on business impact and feasibiity

Prioritized Wave 1 initiatives

12-month phased implementation roadmap

Definition of a target operating model of AI

Clear governance and ownership structures

90-day pilot plans with management decision framework

Scalable implementation along dfiened value drivers

Strategic Value

Marc O'Polo now has a coordinated, enterprise-wide direction for AI and a solid foundation for scalable adoption. The key outcomes include: a shared understanding of the building blocks for increasing AI maturity and adoption, a joint vision for sustainable AI utilization, a value-based portfolio with clear priorities and sequencing, and an initial operating model defining ownership, governance, and delivery structures.

"Translating AI potential into scaled execution requires more than individual use cases. It requires a system. With Marc O'Polo, we built exactly that: a managed portfolio with clear direction, decision points, and a robust execution model."

– Marc Stiller, Head of Strategy & Value

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