Client Case Study · AI Governance Pilot

Vertex — governance as mature as the work they deliver

Vertex doesn't just use AI internally — it builds AI solutions for enterprise clients. So they did what few firms their size do: put a governance program in place that covers both how they use AI and how they build it.

The Resuslts

4–6wk

To a complete governance program

2

AI surfaces governed — use & delivery

NIST

AI RMF–aligned for client due diligence

9

Deliverables — a client-ready program

The Context

A consultancy thinking ahead

Vertex isn't a typical small business. As an IT consultancy, it uses AI internally like any modern firm — but it also designs and delivers AI-enabled solutions for its own enterprise clients.

That dual role is exactly why Vertex chose to formalize its AI governance proactively, rather than wait for a client to ask the question first. They wanted a program that matched the sophistication of the work they ship — and that they could stand behind when enterprise clients ask how their AI is governed.

Most firms govern how they use AI. Vertex chose to govern how they build it, too.

About Vertex

Vertex is a digital-solutions firm founded in Austin, Texas more than 25 years ago. What began as a custom software development practice has grown into an AI-focused partner that helps businesses move from strategy to deployment — integrating AI into existing systems, building AI-powered products, and optimizing workflows with machine learning for clients across industries.

Austin, TX

Headquarters

25+ years

In business

Software → AI

Core practice

3 continents

Delivery teams

Two Surfaces, One Program

Governance built for both sides of Vertex

Surface 01

Vertex as AI user

The internal tools the team relies on day to day — now covered by clear, practical rules for handling client and project information.

Surface 02

Vertex as AI builder

The AI solutions Vertex designs and delivers to enterprise clients — now backed by clear standards for accuracy, oversight, and data handling that travel with every engagement.

Our Approach

A profile-specific assessment, not a template

1

Map both surfaces

Inventoried internal AI use and the categories of AI Vertex builds for clients, treating each as a distinct area to govern.

2

Calibrate to their profile

Applied the six-domain framework to each surface, aligned to professional standards, client-data duties, and the NIST AI RMF.

3

Govern the build, not just the use

Standards covered how Vertex evaluates, documents, and discloses AI in the solutions it delivers — not only how it uses tools.

What the Engagement Established

Governance now in place across both surfaces

Client-Data Discipline

Clear, practical rules for handling client and project information in AI tools — protecting the confidentiality at the core of consultancy work.

Build Evaluation Standard

A repeatable checklist for vetting accuracy, oversight, and disclosure in the AI solutions Vertex delivers to clients.

Human-in-the-Loop Review

Defined review steps so AI-assisted, client-facing work carries the professional accountability Vertex's clients expect.

NIST AI RMF Alignment

The program maps to the NIST AI Risk Management Framework — giving Vertex a recognized standard to point to when clients ask.

Vendor Oversight

A clear view of third-party AI dependencies and the terms that flow through into client engagements.

What Sets Vertex Apart

Governance that travels with the solution.

By governing how it builds AI — not only how it uses it — Vertex can offer enterprise clients something most consultancies can't: assurance that the AI work they receive is backed by a documented, framework-aligned governance program.

Matching the program to Vertex's actual profile — rather than a one-size-fits-all template — turned an internal exercise into a genuine credibility asset with their own clients.

The Payoff

What this means for Vertex

The engagement left Vertex with a documented, working governance program — clear rules the team actually follows, a repeatable way to vet the AI it builds, and a shared standard across the firm. Not a slide deck that sits on a shelf. Here's what that unlocks:

1

A ready answer for client due diligence. When enterprise clients ask how Vertex governs AI, there's now a documented, framework-aligned program to point to.

2

A differentiator in competitive bids. Governance that covers what Vertex builds, not just what it uses, is something most peer firms can't claim.

3

Confidence to scale AI work. Clear standards mean the team can take on more AI-enabled engagements without governance becoming the bottleneck.

4

A shared standard across the firm. Policy plus AI literacy training so the whole team works to the same bar — not just leadership.

“ Add a one- or two-sentence quote from the HG team here — ideally on the confidence to keep using AI for marketing without worrying about compliance. ”

— Name, Title, HG

Ready to govern AI like Vertex?

We build governance to fit your real profile — how you use AI and, where it applies, what you build with it. No generic templates.

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