A fast, executive diagnostic and decision accelerator.
A half-day workshop that gives your leadership team an honest baseline across the six dimensions that matter - and a prioritised list of what to do about it.
Most leadership teams have a view on AI. They just don't have the same view.
Some people think the business is well on its way. Others think it's barely started. Most sit somewhere in the middle and aren't sure what the others think. That's a problem, because every decision from here - which tools to buy, which roles to fund, which policies to write - depends on a shared starting line.
The AI Strategy & Capability Baseline Workshop builds that starting line. You walk out with a clear view of where the business stands across six dimensions, a prioritised list of 25 to 35 opportunities rated on effort and impact, and a phased roadmap for the next 18 months.
Every dimension rated on evidence, not encouragement.
Each dimension is rated Foundation Work Needed, Building Capability, or Well Positioned.
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01
Strategy & Leadership Alignment
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02
People, Capability & Change
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03
Data & Information Management
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04
Systems & Technology
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05
Processes & Operations
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06
Governance, Risk & Compliance
Five tangible outputs.
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The Baseline Report
A full written report covering where the business stands across the six dimensions, a full opportunity landscape rated on effort and impact, a phased Now/Next/Later roadmap, and specific recommendations for the next 60 days and beyond.
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The Baseline Briefing
A condensed companion covering the headline findings, top opportunities, and the roadmap at a glance. A faster read that stands alone - and pairs with the full Report when deeper context is useful.
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A Readiness Score
Across six dimensions. Each dimension is rated Foundation Work Needed, Building Capability, or Well Positioned - based on evidence from the workshop, not encouragement.
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A Prioritised Opportunity Landscape
Covering the next 18 months. Every opportunity carries an effort rating and an impact rating, sequenced into Now (0–60 days), Next (3–12 months), or Later (12–18 months).
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Alignment Across Your Leadership Team
Often the most valuable outcome. Everyone in the room has worked through the same framework, seen the same evidence, and agreed on the same priorities. The conversation afterwards is measurably different.
Three steps.
- STEP 01
The Workshop
Half day, in-person
4 to 6 hours with your leadership team, facilitated on-site or at a Christchurch venue. We work through each of the six dimensions, using structured discussion and assessment prompts. No slides-at-you. No generic AI overview. We come prepared - research on your business is done before we walk in, so the session opens at depth.
- STEP 02
Analysis & Write-Up
2 weeks
After the workshop, we synthesise everything discussed, apply the scoring framework, map the opportunity landscape, and write both the Report and the Briefing. You review drafts before anything is final.
- STEP 03
Delivery
60 min, virtual or in-person
We walk the leadership team through the findings, priorities, and roadmap. Questions answered. Suggested next steps clear.
$4,500 + GST. Flat fee, all-inclusive.
Half-day workshop, written Report, written Briefing, delivery session.
The Guarantee
If your leadership team doesn't walk away with meaningful strategic clarity, you don't pay.
Independent advice. No vendor agendas.
Binary Refinery is an independent AI strategy consultancy based in Christchurch. Founded by Kat Mac - 20 years in technology, former GM at a nationwide NZ financial services organisation, MBA, board-level governance experience.
We don't sell tools. We don't take vendor referral fees. We have no allegiance to any AI platform, model, or software provider. That independence is what lets us tell you what's actually true about your business, not what helps us sell you something.
We work with NZ professional services firms of 20 to 200 staff. We understand the Canterbury business market, the NZ regulatory environment, and the specific pressures of running an owner-operated or professionally managed firm that doesn't have a CIO.
Critical success factor
Full engagement.
A successful workshop is built on focused attention and active contribution from every person in the room. To get the most value, we need one thing above all else: your full engagement.
- Leaves laptops and phones aside.
- Stays engaged for the full session - even when the conversation shifts between different parts of the business.
- Shares their knowledge openly - the insights we need are already inside your organisation.
The brains trust is in the room.
Common questions.
Who from our leadership team needs to be in the room?
Ideally: CEO / Managing Director, someone who owns data/technology, someone who owns people/operations, someone who owns marketing/sales, finance, and any leader responsible for customer experience or risk. You don't need a large group - you need the right decision-makers and the people who understand how work actually happens.
What makes Binary Refinery any good at this?
Binary Refinery specialises in executive-level, independent emerging-technology strategy - not IT implementation, not vendor selling. You get deep experience in technology, governance, risk, and organisational change, a proprietary assessment system built for New Zealand organisations, and an adviser who translates complexity into clear, practical, business-first decisions.
At what point will we see a return on investment?
ROI typically appears through avoided spend and missteps, efficiency and time savings, clearer faster decisions, reduced risk across data security governance and compliance, and targeted investment in opportunities that actually matter. Many organisations see value immediately through avoided cost, quick wins, or tighter alignment.
So we have a Baseline Report - now what?
Two options: use it internally as your direction-setter for decision-making, capability building, and investment; or move into the AI Opportunity Mapping Workshop where strategy turns into a ranked, prioritised roadmap of value-creating initiatives. Either way, you now have shared language, clarity, and direction that prevents scattered experiments.
How much of our time is required?
Most leadership teams spend 4–6 hours total. Binary Refinery does the heavy lifting - you simply show up ready to think, discuss, and decide. No homework unless requested.
Do we need technical staff present?
No. These sessions are designed for strategic decision-makers, not IT teams or data scientists. If you'd like your technology leaders present, they're absolutely welcome - but not required.
Is this suitable for small or mid-sized organisations?
Yes. The frameworks scale up or down. Small and mid-sized organisations often see faster ROI because decisions are quicker and alignment is easier.
What if we already have internal AI initiatives underway?
Great - the workshop will pressure-test your current direction, confirm priorities, expose blind spots or duplication, and tighten sequencing and focus. You don't lose momentum, you sharpen it.
How does this work if we already have an IT provider or internal tech team?
Binary Refinery works alongside your existing partners. We remain independent - no commissions, no preferred vendors. Your IT provider is welcome to participate, and the resulting roadmap will make their role clearer and more effective.
Will the roadmap take our existing tech stack into account?
Absolutely - and this is a core value point. A good AI roadmap doesn't just look for new tools. It identifies untapped value in the systems you already pay for, including AI functionality or integrations inside platforms like Microsoft 365, CRMs, ERPs, ticketing systems, and analytics tools. Many organisations get faster ROI by fully using what they already own.
Kat Mac, founder of Binary Refinery.
Part strategist, part translator, Kat specialises in helping leaders cut through complexity, understand what emerging technology really means for their organisations, and make clear, commercially grounded decisions.
She brings experience across technology leadership, digital transformation, marketing, governance, and organisational strategy - supported by an MBA from the University of Canterbury and years advising senior leadership teams across New Zealand.
Her workshops are practical, engaging, and built around one goal: helping New Zealand organisations modernise with confidence, clarity, and control.
Strategy that turned into results.
Case studies from New Zealand organisations who improved efficiency, accuracy, and confidence with Binary Refinery by their side.
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Chemsafety: finding clarity before making the first move on AI
An established NZ compliance consultancy knew AI was relevant to the business. The team were already using it informally. The leadership team kept circling the same questions. A single half-day workshop gave them the structure to move.
Read more -
Transforming AI capability across a nationwide financial advisory
A practical transformation that strengthened governance, improved productivity, and equipped more than 160 people to use AI with confidence, clarity and responsibility.
Read more -
Scaling a direct-to-consumer brand using AI as a commercial multiplier
Scaling growth required a smarter operating model - one that could accelerate content creation, product ideation, marketing execution and brand consistency without inflating headcount or overhead.
Read more -
Building a simple, secure, future-ready technology foundation for a growing trades business
They needed technology that simply worked - without fuss, complexity, or ongoing management overhead. Tighter security, lower cost, and a platform that grows with the business.
Read more
Ready to get started? Let's get you a clear baseline.
Book your AI Strategy & Capability Baseline Workshop and get the clarity your organisation needs to move forward with confidence.
"The AI Strategy & Capability Baseline Workshop was engaging and accessible, with a strong focus on the practical realities of integrating AI into the business. It was a genuinely valuable conversation for the whole team."