For Australian heavy industry contractors

AI is here. So are the rules. Make both work for you.

I help Australian heavy industry contractors stay compliant with the new AI rules — and get real value from the AI they use. Primes — a supply chain that holds up under audit. Subs — winning work, repeat work, and AI tools that actually earn their keep.

Pick the one that fits — the page below shows the version for you

Book a 20-minute scoping call
Check where your business needs to comply.

3 Questions - 2 Mins with instant report - No Email

For Tier 2/3 Sub-Contractors

The pre-qual paperwork is the start. The work you do for it is the asset.

Yes, your head contractor is asking five new questions on pre-qual. Yes, some subbies are being marked down because they cannot prove the answer. We can fix that in five days. But there's something else in this for you that most consultants won't mention. The data, the systems, and the records you put in place to govern AI properly — those become the foundation that lets you actually use AI to run a better business. Passing the gate is the start. Getting noticed is what you do with it.

The must-do

Pass pre-qual in five days, not five months

Fixed-scope sprint. We audit your last three pre-qual responses, identify the AI governance gaps, and deliver the documentation and tender language to close them. Your team reviews and approves — they don't have to write it.

  • Five-day sprint, AUD $6,500 + GST, with a qualified refund if an eligible bid is rejected solely on AI governance grounds
  • Audit-ready document pack — under 15 pages, version-controlled
  • Copy-paste-ready tender language for the five evidence pillars assessors score
  • One named accountable executive, one AI Use Policy, one register that works

The upside

The foundation to put AI to work

Most subbies treat governance as a cost. It can also become the paperwork, data and controls you need to use AI safely on quoting, scheduling, claims and variations. Once your AI register, data classification, and access controls are in place, you have the starting point for tools that save time and protect margin — in a way your head contractor approves.

  • Time back on tenders — the same evidence pack serves every bid
  • Margin protection — AI tools you can use on quoting, scheduling, claims and variations
  • Smarter site reporting — the data you classified for governance powers better insight
  • A position primes notice — subbies who govern AI well get more repeat work

This is not a tick-box exercise.

It is a chance to build a foundation primes can see — and it is solvable in five days.

View the $6,500 compliance package Check where you need to comply

Trusted by leaders from

The challenge — Tier 2/3 Sub-Contractors

The National AI Plan is already showing up in tenders.

The deadline is not theoretical. Tenders for next year’s projects are already asking how you use AI, who approves it, what data it touches and how you prove control. The risk is doing too little and failing pre-qual, or doing too much and building a system your team will not maintain.

Get compliant

Pre-qual is becoming a real gate, not a paperwork exercise

Head contractors are asking clearer questions about AI tools, data, approvals and accountability. A short, audit-ready evidence pack beats a long policy nobody uses.

  • Know what the National AI Plan means for your business
  • Keep the evidence pack simple enough for your team to maintain
Keep AI useful

Right-sized compliance helps your AI program, not hinders it

The point is not to stop your team using AI. It is to know what is being used, where the risks are, and what controls let you keep using AI safely for tenders, admin, claims, scheduling and reporting.

  • A baseline you can defend in tenders and improve over time
  • Controls matched to your maturity, not enterprise theatre
Services — Tier 2/3 Sub-Contractors

Three practical ways to get compliant without building enterprise theatre.

Pick the level of help that matches where you are. If you have done nothing yet, start with the audit. If the system is partly built, move to the fixed-price compliance package. If a tender is already live, get the response right first.

For Tier 2/3 Sub-Contractors
Baseline first

National AI Plan Readiness Audit

For businesses that have not yet prepared for the National AI Plan or put basic AI governance around the tools their team already uses. This gives you a clear baseline before you spend money fixing the wrong things.

$3,750 + GST
  • Audit of current AI tools, uses, data exposure and approval habits
  • Gap check against likely tender, pre-qual and audit questions
  • Plain-English priority list so you can move forward in the right order
  • Practical recommendation on whether you need the full compliance package next

Best first step if you are not sure what is already happening in the business or what the head contractor is really asking for.

Book a readiness audit
Fixed-price system

National AI Plan Compliance System

A five-day, fixed-price package that turns your existing setup into a client-ready AI compliance pack for pre-qualification, tender response and post-shortlist audit.

$6,500 + GST
  • AI use policy, privacy update and accountable AI Officer requirements
  • Use case register, vendor register, training log and incident log
  • Tender response inputs included in the scope
  • Assumes your AI system is already structured, being implemented, or documented well enough to complete the pack

Five days is the delivery headline. The setup period depends on how mature your existing information is before we start.

View package details
Live tender support

Tender AI Response

When a tender is already on the street and the AI questions need an answer, we build the response around the system you have, the gaps you need to close and the Prime’s flow-down requirements.

$2,750 + GST

$2,750 where a compliant system already exists. $5,000 where a readiness audit is required, including gap analysis and a pre-audit strategy to address gaps.

  • AI governance section drafted for your tender submission
  • Evidence list mapped to the specific tender questions
  • Gap strategy for anything likely to be tested before award
  • Plain-English response that does not overpromise what your system can prove
Discuss your tender
How I Work

Govern it. Measure it. Prove it.

Most AI programs stall because the governance, business case and proof of value sit in different conversations. My work connects them in a simple three-stage model.

01

Govern It

Put the minimum viable controls in place so AI use is approved, recorded, risk-rated and ready for tender or audit scrutiny.

02

Measure It

Connect AI activity to the measures contractors already care about: tender speed, admin time, rework, margin protection and work won.

03

Prove It

Turn the evidence into board-ready and client-ready proof, so your AI position survives scrutiny when the tender or audit lands.

About James

I speak your language. I've sat in your chair.

I've spent three decades directing major projects and leading business development across Oil & Gas, Defence, Energy, and Infrastructure for FTSE 100 and ASX-listed contractors. From architecting $2B+ defence bids to pioneering energy transition strategies across Asia Pacific — I bring the strategic discipline of a corporate VP directly to your leadership team.

I combine that operational experience with targeted AI implementation. No innovation theatre. No tech for tech's sake. Only AI that protects margin, wins work, and survives a site audit.

Bid Director — Australia's largest naval shipbuilding programme ($2B+ Defence EPC)
VP Strategy & Development, Asia Pacific — Wood PLC (FTSE 100), 7 business units, 4 countries
Energy Transition architect — pivoting O&G portfolios to low-carbon markets
Alliance model pioneer — reduced Defence ship upgrade cycles from 4 years to 18 months
MBA · University of New England Certified Master Project Director · AIPM AI Fluency Professional · USyd Certified AI Lead Partner · Mindhive
James Clements

Heavy industry strategy, project delivery and AI governance — translated into actions contractors can use.

Delivered through

Partnered delivery where it adds capability.

AI That Works

The delivery vehicle. Fixed-price AI pilots and readiness programs for heavy industry.

Kipanga

Engineering partner for AI transformation at scale. ISO 27001 certified, secure Australian hosting.

Mindhive

Collective intelligence platform. Certified Lead Partner for strategic collaborative engagements.

What clients say

Trusted by industry leaders

★★★★★

"James provides fractional support as both the Lead Account Partner and GTM Focal Point. We have a global mandate and James brings the strategic clarity and industry depth to operate at that level."

CEO
Accenture engagement
★★★★★

"He led our AsiaPac Strategy process, focused on growth and diversification. Thanks to his unique knowledge across the region and industry, he was invaluable — delivering exactly what we needed."

Paul McCarthy
Regional Director, EnerMech
★★★★★

"Working alongside James, I was always impressed by his tenacity in getting after opportunities and his rigorous approach to ensuring outcomes were achieved."

Chief Operating Officer
Heavy industry contractor
★★★★★

"We knew little about AI previously, except we were falling behind. The pilot process was easy, we learned a lot, and the AI agent has everyone excited. We are now developing our AI Scaling Strategy with James."

Free tools & resources

Find out where you stand — before someone else does

Built specifically for Australian heavy industry. No login. No cost.

Interactive map

Australia's AI Regulatory Map

Click through every active AI regulation that applies to heavy industry contractors — Privacy Act, DTA Policy, National Assurance Framework, SOCI Act. See status, deadlines, and what it means for your business in plain English.

Open Regulatory Map →
Quick Compliance Check

3 Yes/No Questions to Understand Your Governance Grouping

Based on the business sectors you work in or plan to work in, 3 Yes/No questions can determine what your broad Governance requirements will be under the National AI Plan. 2 Minutes, Instant Briefing, No Email.

Find Out Now
Insights

Straight talk on AI governance for heavy industry

Practical, no-hype guidance for boards, prime contractors, and supply chain businesses navigating Australia's AI regulatory landscape.

Beyond compliance

When Stage 1 is complete, the foundation is built. Here’s what it unlocks.

02
Measure It

Governed AI Performance Advisory

Your governance registers are structured from the start to also capture the context that determines whether your AI is delivering real value — not just productivity metrics, but the board-level outcomes your AI was supposed to move. Win rate at target margin. Rework cost. Bid resource efficiency relative to conversion. The variables your AI system can’t see but that determine whether an output was actually good.

  • Board-level outcome metrics defined before AI deployment, not after
  • Context variables — relationship origin, competitor position, programme factors — built into governance register
  • 90-day measurement baseline established
  • Connects compliance infrastructure to performance evidence

Available to clients who have completed a Stage 1 governance engagement. Can be scoped as a standalone advisory for organisations with existing governance frameworks.

Ask about Stage 2
03
Prove It

AI ROI Review & Board Reporting

Periodic review of what your AI is actually producing at the board level. Before-and-after analysis in commercial language — not dashboards, not task completion rates. The governed audit trail becomes the evidence base. Anomalies are identified: where AI looks like it’s working but the board number says otherwise. This is the conversation your board is starting to ask for — and that most AI vendors cannot facilitate because they only measure their own system.

  • Board-level AI performance report in commercial language
  • Anomaly identification — metrics that look good but mask a business problem
  • ROI evidence structured for board and investment decision-making
  • Redeployment or discontinuation recommendations where warranted

Requires Stage 2 measurement baseline. Delivered as a structured advisory engagement at 90-day or 6-month intervals.

Ask about Stage 3

Primary pathways: Prime Contractor · Sub-Contractor. Asset Owner facilitation is handled on a separate page. Read the Asset Owner note.