Most businesses measure AI like automation.
That’s why they miss the point.
Measuring AI adoption is hard enough — linking it to real outcomes feels like chasing a unicorn.
Most frameworks stop at usage or “time saved,” missing the human and cultural shifts that actually drive performance.
This model connects all three: how people change, how work changes, and where the business truly moves.
The Holy Trinity of Uplift
Human Uplift
People get better. Work gets smarter.
- Confidence rises
- Thinking sharpens
- Creativity grows
Organisational Uplift
Teams align faster. Intelligence flows.
- Knowledge flows
- Teams collaborate
- Culture shifts
Business Uplift
Quality improves. Differentiation accelerates.
- Cycles shorten
- Outputs clarify
- Customers benefit
AI Impact measurement framework
Real AI value shows up first in people, then in workflows, and only then in the numbers.
This model helps you track all three — clearly, practically, and without the corporate bollocks.
1. In-platform signals
The early signs of adoption — usage, depth, behaviours.
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2. Where it shows up
How people feel and work differently day-to-day.
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3. Business outcomes
The improvements leaders can see and feel in the organisation.
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4. How to measure it
The practical, real-world indicators that prove it’s working.
How this looks like in practice?
Stage
Experimenters
Early exploration
What you can measure (in-platform)
- Logins and usage frequency
- First attempts and simple tasks
- Completion of basic training
Where it shows up
- People trying AI tentatively
- Faster early drafts
- Reduced hesitation and “blank page” anxiety
Business outcomes
- Slight uplift in day-to-day clarity
- Reduced micro-friction
- Faster admin turnaround
How to measure it
- Track time-to-first-draft
- Use a short 2–3 question confidence pulse
- Count reduced internal requests for basic help
Stage
Hackers
Quick wins
What you can measure (in-platform)
- Time saved on repetitive tasks
- Increase in content generation
- Use of shortcuts and templates
- Early agent adoption
Where it shows up
- Faster turnaround on everyday tasks
- More frequent content updates
- Better messaging clarity
Business outcomes
- Higher internal throughput
- Fewer review cycles for simple outputs
- Faster marketing and content refresh rates
How to measure it
- Compare before and after task timings
- Measure content output volume weekly
- Track review rounds per document or email
Stage
Evolvers
Real workflow impact
What you can measure (in-platform)
- Multi-step workflow usage
- Team agent adoption
- Reduced partner or agency dependency
- Depth of reasoning
Where it shows up
- Consistent quality across teams
- Better thinking and structure
- More brand-consistent output
- Clearer workflows
Business outcomes
- Higher-quality outputs
- Faster launches and campaigns
- Improved UX, site and content performance
- Reduced rework
How to measure it
- Use a simple quality scoring framework
- Track time-to-launch
- Monitor SEO, CX and UX performance
- Track reduction in review and rework cycles
Stage
Revolutionaries
Rebuilding how work happens
What you can measure (in-platform)
- Workflow reinvention
- Agent ecosystems forming
- Shared intelligence across teams
- Cross-functional collaboration patterns
Where it shows up
- Processes redesigned at source
- More strategic clarity
- Higher creativity and exploration
- Stronger partner collaboration
Business outcomes
- Higher launch success rates
- Faster product and feature cycles
- Improved customer experience signals
- Stronger differentiation
How to measure it
- Track time-to-market
- Count innovation throughput and routes explored
- Monitor NPS, CSAT and CX quality signals
- Use partner and agency performance feedback
Stage
Icons
Embedded and amplifying
What you can measure (in-platform)
- Organisation-wide agent networks
- Leadership usage patterns
- Cultural adoption
- Capability uplift across roles
Where it shows up
- AI fluency everywhere
- Internal coaching and capability rising
- Consistent strategic narrative
- Continuous reinvention
Business outcomes
- More new products and services launched
- Higher profitability and margin
- Faster growth cycles
- Category leadership
How to measure it
- Attribute uplift in the P&L
- Track innovation pipeline throughput
- Follow talent progression and promotion data
- Monitor market, brand and partner ecosystem metrics
| Experimenters Early exploration |
Hackers Quick wins |
Evolvers Real workflow impact |
Revolutionaries Rebuilding how work happens |
Icons Embedded and amplifying |
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| How to measure it |
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