The Foundation

The Así Methodology

Architecture & Systems Before Intelligence

"Intelligence doesn't fix the system.
The system determines what intelligence can do."

This is the core insight behind Así. Before asking "How do we implement AI?", organisations must ask "Can our structure and systems support intelligence?"

The Three Layers

A — S — I

Each layer must be sound before the next can deliver value. Skip a layer, and intelligence compounds problems rather than solving them.

A

Architecture

Layer 1

Can your structure support intelligence?

Architecture is the static structure of your organisation — the boundaries, ownership, and decision rights that exist regardless of day-to-day activity.

Poor architecture means unclear decision rights, fragmented ownership, and structural dependencies that create bottlenecks before any work begins.

What We Examine
  • Structural integrity
  • Domain boundaries
  • Single points of failure
  • Hidden dependencies

Diego measures via: D + O

S

Systems

Layer 2

Do your dynamic behaviours enable or smother intelligence?

Systems are the dynamic behaviours — how work actually flows, how decisions propagate, and how knowledge moves (or doesn't) across your organisation.

Chaotic systems mean high coordination friction, slow feedback loops, and tribal knowledge that can't be transferred or automated.

What We Examine
  • Rate of change
  • Feedback loops
  • Complexity accumulation
  • Coordination friction
  • Tacit knowledge concentration

Diego measures via: E + G + I

I

Intelligence

Layer 3

Only then can AI deliver compounding value

When Architecture and Systems are sound, intelligence can finally do what it promises: automate reliably, execute independently, and compound value.

This is where AI agents can actually work, where automation sticks, and where intelligence flows freely through your organisation.

What Becomes Possible
  • Agents that execute reliably
  • Automation that compounds
  • Intelligence that flows freely

Diego reveals: Readiness

Case Study

A Legal Firm Scored 44 on Systems

A top-tier law firm invested £2M in AI document processing. Six months later, lawyers were spending more time on documents, not less.

The problem wasn't the AI. It was the underlying systems: undocumented processes, tribal knowledge about exceptions, and feedback loops that took months to close.

The AI amplified the chaos. Every edge case became a crisis. Every automation created new manual workarounds.

Before: Systems Score 44

£2M AI investment amplified chaos

  • • 40% more time spent on document review
  • • 3x increase in escalations
  • • 12 new manual workarounds created

After: Systems Score 72

Fixed systems, then redeployed AI

  • • 60% reduction in document review time
  • • 80% fewer escalations
  • • AI handling 70% of routine documents

The Evidence

Research Foundation

The Así framework and Diego metric are built on analysis of productivity patterns across industries — from professional services to technology to manufacturing.

The research consistently shows a pattern: organisations that invest in AI without addressing underlying structural and systemic issues see temporary productivity gains followed by plateaus or reversals.

Those that fix Architecture and Systems first see compounding returns from intelligence investments — often 3-5x better outcomes per pound spent.

Apply Así to Your Organisation

Discover where your Architecture and Systems stand — and what you need to fix before investing in intelligence.

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