Questions business leaders ask us
Answers to the questions we’re asked most. Can’t find yours? Email us at hello@insertspace.co.uk.
Most asked
Which level is right for my business?
Impact is the level we recommend for most businesses: a tailored, in-depth review for organisations already using AI across several teams, surfacing the hidden gaps between them. Essentials gives you a clear overview of where you stand with AI and where to focus first. Advantage is designed entirely around you, for in-depth work or a specific strategic question. If you’re not sure, we’ll help you decide.
How long does it take, and how much of my team’s time?
Very little. The survey takes your people less than 15 minutes to complete. Input from your leadership team is kept to a minimum, and we’re on hand for further conversations if they’d be useful. We handle all the analysis. Timings depend on the level you choose and the size of your business, and we agree a clear timeline with you before we start.
Is it confidential?
Yes. People are far more likely to give honest answers when they know their responses are anonymous, and that neither their team nor their leadership can find out what they said. Individual responses are never shared, and results from smaller teams are combined with others so no one can be identified. Findings come to you first, in confidence, and any benchmarking uses anonymised, combined data only.
How much does it cost?
The survey and the collation of results are a fixed fee, based on the number of employees taking part, so you know the cost before we start. Anything beyond that, such as additional interviews or bespoke research, is agreed with you upfront, so there are no surprises. Advantage is scoped and priced around your specific needs. Send us a message and we’ll talk you through the options.
What happens after the review?
You receive an executive brief: a report with clear measurements across the eight pillars of SpaceFrame™, an overview of your strengths and risks, quick wins to act on now and prioritised next steps. We then bring in trusted, vetted delivery partners to put your priorities into practice. The natural next step is a quarterly engagement, which re-measures all eight pillars against your original baseline, so you can track your progress in clear metrics, quarter by quarter.
Getting started
Is this right for a business at our stage?
Yes, whether you’re planning, implementing or scaling AI. If you’re early on, the review shows where AI could help most and what needs to be in place first. If AI is already in use, it shows what’s working, what isn’t and what’s getting in the way.
We already use AI. Is this still useful?
Yes, and often this is when it’s most valuable. Once AI is in use across several teams, it becomes harder to see what’s really happening, what it’s delivering and where risk is building. Our Impact level is designed for exactly this.
Do we need technical expertise or clean data before we start?
No. You don’t need a technical team, and your data doesn’t need to be perfect. We look at your data and systems through the experience of the people who use them every day: where they help, where they get in the way and how confident people feel using them. That’s different from a technical audit, and if you need one, we can introduce a trusted specialist.
Do you work with businesses in our industry?
We work with businesses of 100 or more employees across the UK and Europe, in a wide range of sectors. SpaceFrame™ looks at strategy, people, data, governance and results rather than specific software, so it applies whatever your industry, and we add sector context through our research.
Do we need training, a consultant or a Chief AI Officer?
It depends on what’s really happening in your business, which is why we start with evidence. The review shows whether your priority is skills, leadership, governance, data or something else. You then know exactly what kind of support to invest in, and we can introduce trusted specialists where needed.
How do we get started?
Start with our checklist, the 8 questions every business leader should be able to answer about AI. Or book a free, no-obligation 20-minute conversation with us to talk through where to begin.
Working with us
What will we receive?
Your executive brief: a plain-English report presenting your findings as clear instructions. It includes measurements across the eight pillars of SpaceFrame™, showing your strengths, risk exposure and return potential, with quick wins and prioritised next steps. Impact and Advantage go further, with a tailored action plan or a medium- to long-term AI strategy.
How are you different from other AI consultancies?
Most start with tools or training. We start with evidence: input from across your business, set against your leadership priorities and the latest research. You get an independent, confidential view of AI across your whole business, and clear direction on what to do next.
Do you sell AI tools or software?
No. We don’t sell AI tools or software, so our recommendations are based only on what’s right for your business. Where specialist help is needed, we introduce trusted partners, and you choose whether to work with them. We may receive a referral fee from a partner, but it never influences what we recommend.
Are we committed to more work afterwards?
No, every engagement stands on its own. We do recommend a quarterly engagement, because AI use changes quickly, and regular measurement shows whether your actions are working.
How will we know it’s been worth it?
You’ll have a clear, evidence-based picture of where AI is helping, where it isn’t and where risk sits, with priorities you can act on straight away. As part of every engagement, we show you how to track the value of AI in your business, through our Measurement & Impact pillar. For ongoing proof of progress, we recommend a quarterly engagement that re-measures all eight pillars against your baseline.
Who is behind Insert Space?
Insert Space was founded by Claire Bown, an AI strategy and adoption specialist and C-suite AI advisor. Claire’s career spans advertising, research and AI strategy, with more than 25 years helping organisations understand people, make better decisions and adapt to change. She is also an executive AI coach and mentor, the founder of GapMap.ai and co-founder of Brighton AI, and speaks on AI and the future of work, and on women in tech and leadership.
What business leaders are often in the dark about
What is shadow AI, and will you find it?
Shadow AI is when people use AI tools that haven’t been approved, usually with good intentions, to save time or work smarter. It’s common: 31% of UK workers using AI use tools their employer doesn’t know about (Deloitte, 2026). Because our survey is anonymous, people describe how they really use AI, so you see the full picture without anyone being singled out.
We have an AI policy. Is that enough?
A policy is an important start, but on its own it doesn’t show whether it’s being followed. In one recent survey, 98% of large organisations had AI policies, yet 47% had bypassed their own rules to get something done quickly (EY, 2026). Our Responsible Use & Governance pillar looks at how AI is actually used in your business, alongside what your policy says.
Our people say AI saves them time. Why isn’t it showing in our results?
Time saved by individuals rarely turns into business results on its own. UK workers using AI report saving around 70 minutes a week (Deloitte, 2026), but unless work and priorities change to make use of that time, the benefit stays invisible. We show where value is being created, where it’s being lost and what would help you capture it.
Do our leadership team and our people see AI the same way?
Not always, and that’s normal. Gallup found leaders use AI far more often than the people they lead (67% compared with 46%), and many employees feel leaders don’t see their day-to-day reality (Accenture, 2026). Leaders complete the same anonymous survey as everyone else, so we can show you where views match and where they differ.
How do you get honest answers if people are worried about their jobs?
By making it safe to answer. The concern is real: 64% of regular UK AI users worry their manager thinks AI could replace them (Deloitte, 2026). Our survey is anonymous, results are only shown for groups, and the questions are designed to understand experience, not judge individuals. That’s what makes the findings reliable.
Why has AI use dropped off since we rolled it out?
It happens more often than you might think, and it’s an early warning worth acting on. Use often falls when guidance is unclear, results disappoint, managers aren’t on board or people feel uneasy about what AI means for them. Our Confidence & Trust and Appetite for Change pillars show which of these is happening in your business.
What are the hidden costs of AI in our business?
They’re often things no one is tracking: duplicate subscriptions, free tools that put data at risk, people paying for tools themselves, and rework when AI output isn’t checked. UK workers spend an estimated £958 million a year of their own money on AI tools for work (Deloitte, 2026). We bring these costs into view, so you can decide what to keep, change or stop.
Why do so many AI initiatives fail to deliver?
Usually because of people and process, not technology. 63% of organisations say human factors are their biggest AI adoption challenge (Prosci, 2025), and redesigning how work gets done is the biggest driver of value (McKinsey, 2025). That’s why SpaceFrame™ looks at strategy, skills, trust, culture and governance alongside data and systems.
Who should lead AI adoption in our business?
Clear ownership at leadership level matters, but day-to-day success often depends on managers. People whose managers lead AI adoption are 8.7 times more likely to say it has transformed their work (Gallup, 2026). Our Strategy & Alignment pillar looks at who owns AI in your business and whether that’s working.
What guidance and training do our people actually need?
Usually more practical guidance than they’re getting. Half of UK workers using AI have had no formal AI training from their employer, and 65% say leadership guidance isn’t enough (Deloitte, 2026). Generic courses rarely stick. Our Skills & Capability pillar shows where the real gaps are, so training is aimed at what your people actually need.
AI and your people
How much should we invest in people compared with AI tools?
More than most businesses expect. McKinsey suggests that for every pound spent on AI technology, around five should go on people, because skills, confidence and new ways of working are what turn tools into results (2026). Our review shows where investment in people would make the biggest difference.
Could we lose our best people if we get AI wrong?
It’s a real risk. People who use AI heavily are more likely to be planning to move on, because their skills are in demand (McKinsey, 2026). Our Culture & Experience pillar looks at how your most capable people experience AI, and what would keep them engaged.
Is AI being adopted evenly across our business?
Rarely. Adoption, confidence and access often vary between teams, roles and levels, and some groups can fall behind without anyone noticing. Our survey shows these differences, and results from smaller teams are combined with others so no one can be identified.
Will AI mean we need fewer people?
Not necessarily. 95% of UK SMEs using AI report no change to the size of their workforce (British Chambers of Commerce, 2026). More often, roles and skills change. We help you understand what AI means for your teams, so you can plan with confidence and communicate clearly.
Risk and regulation
Do you cover UK and EU AI regulation?
Yes. Our Responsible Use & Governance pillar looks at how your use of AI lines up with UK data protection rules and, if you operate in the EU, the EU AI Act. We highlight where you may be exposed and recommend specialist legal support where it’s needed. We’re not a law firm.
Does the EU AI Act apply to my UK business?
It can. It applies to businesses outside the EU that offer AI systems in the EU, or whose AI outputs are used there. New transparency rules took effect in August 2026, and many high-risk obligations have been pushed back to December 2027 or later. The UK has no AI Act of its own; existing laws and regulators, including the ICO, apply instead. We’ll flag where specialist legal advice is needed.
Is our data ready for AI?
Very few businesses would say yes: only 7% of organisations describe their data as completely ready for AI (Cloudera and Harvard Business Review, 2026). You don’t need perfect data to start. Our Data & Systems Readiness pillar shows where your data is helping, where it’s holding AI back and what to fix first.
Do AI agents create new risks for us?
They can. AI agents act on their own across systems, so they need clear rules on what they can access and do. In one recent survey, 26% of large organisations couldn’t detect unauthorised AI agents (EY, 2026). Where agents are in use or being considered, we look at whether your governance has kept up.
Last updated: October 2026