Aligning Strategic Priorities for AI-Enabled Decision-Making: Using the AHP Tool to Evaluate Value Creation
A case study conducted with Branchout
Case Study Authors
Şeyma Tigin Doğan, (Branchout), Dr Ayşe Begüm Kilic-Ararat and Dr Arsham Atashikhoei (University of Bath)
Context
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly transforming knowledge-intensive industries by improving information processing, supporting strategic decision-making, and enhancing operational efficiency. In sectors such as mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and project finance, AI-enabled solutions have the potential to improve analytical capabilities, streamline document-intensive processes, and support more effective investment decisions. However, organisations often have different expectations regarding the outcomes they seek from these technologies, making alignment around priorities an important part of successful adoption.
To address this challenge, we developed a structured decision-making approach using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Through pairwise comparison, the tool enables participants to evaluate and prioritise business, operational, and human-centred outcomes associated with technology adoption. The approach provides a transparent mechanism for identifying areas of alignment and divergence across stakeholder groups while supporting evidence-based discussions around strategic priorities.
Objective
Branchout Türkiye is a consultancy specialising in mergers and acquisitions, project finance, and investment advisory services. At the time of the workshop, the company was developing an AI-enabled M&A and Project Finance Management Tool designed to support information management, analysis, and decision-making processes.
The objective of the workshop was to understand which outcomes decision-makers considered most important, identify how different stakeholder groups perceived the value of the technology, and explore how the AI platform could contribute to the organisation’s strategic and operational objectives.
Approach
A hybrid workshop was conducted in İstanbul, Türkiye, involving three senior decision-makers from the organisation. Two participants attended in person and one joined online. Participants represented key strategic functions within the company, including growth, M&A, and project finance.
Participants completed the AHP survey by comparing metrics relating to business performance, operational performance, and human-centred outcomes. The results were analysed for the organisation as a whole and for two stakeholder groups: strategic and technology leadership, and finance and project specialists. The findings were then visualised and discussed collectively to facilitate reflection on technology priorities and organisational objectives.
Insights
The analysis revealed that participants primarily evaluated the AI platform through a business and operational lens. Business Performance Metrics received the highest weighting, followed by Operational Metrics, while Human-Centric Metrics were assigned comparatively lower importance. The highest-ranked outcomes included project finance success rate, revenue growth, operational productivity, data-driven strategic decision-making, and investment opportunity identification, suggesting that participants viewed the AI platform primarily as a tool for improving business performance and strategic decision-making.
A notable finding was the importance assigned to document processing efficiency. Participants explained that the AI platform is expected to support the management, review, and analysis of large volumes of documentation associated with M&A and project finance activities. As a result, document-related capabilities were viewed as a key driver of operational efficiency and value creation.
The workshop also revealed differences between stakeholder groups. Strategic and technology leaders prioritised revenue growth, profitability, and long-term strategic outcomes, whereas finance and project specialists placed greater emphasis on project finance success rates, operational productivity, resource efficiency, and identifying investment opportunities. Rather than representing conflicting perspectives, these differences reflected complementary views of how organisational success is achieved, with leadership focusing on business outcomes and specialists on the operational processes that enable them.
Participants also reflected on how organisational priorities may evolve as businesses mature. They noted that profitability and revenue growth become increasingly important as organisations scale, making the exercise valuable not only for understanding current priorities but also for considering future strategic objectives.
Finally, participants recognised that operational and strategic outcomes are closely interconnected. Improvements in information processing, analytical capability, and operational efficiency were seen as enabling stronger decision-making, successful project execution, revenue growth, and competitive advantage. The findings therefore highlighted the value of evaluating AI investments through a balanced combination of operational and business performance outcomes rather than considering individual metrics in isolation.
Impact
“This workshop enabled us, as Branchout Türkiye, to evaluate our strategic priorities and KPI targets from different perspectives. It contributed to stronger alignment among decision-makers around shared objectives while helping us more clearly define the role of the M&A AI Tool we are developing within the organisation. As a result of the exercise, we gained a clearer understanding of the areas on which we should focus to improve efficiency, manage operational processes more effectively, and sustainably enhance the quality of our business outputs. The insights generated provide valuable guidance for directing our technological investments and organisational development activities in a more informed way. We would like to thank the team for their contribution and approach throughout the process and consider this workshop to be an important and valuable experience that will help guide our strategic decision-making.”
Şeyma Tigin Doğan, Managing Partner at Branchout Türkiye
For further information on this case study please contact the P-LD at P-LD@bath.ac.uk
Acknowledgement
This work was supported by the Economic and Social Research Council Impact Acceleration Account at the University of Bath ES/X004651/1.
This work was supported by the Innovate UK led Made Smarter Innovation Programme: People-Led Digitalisation Engagement and Impact Acceleration [Grant Reference UKRI1436] Centre for People-Led Digitalisation, at the University of Bath, University of Nottingham, and Loughborough University.