Consolidate to Gemini and remove other AI Tools.
Google has officially merged Gemini into Google Workspace, making Google’s advanced AI Tools a standard part of your Workspace subscription. This shift follows the broader trend we’ve seen with Microsoft’s Copilot, which is now bundled with O365. Now that the best of Google AI is included, IT Admins can explore a potential “AI takeout program” and try to consolidate their organization to Google’s AI tools.
But is Gemini the best choice for every task? Not necessarily. Some teams might prefer more specialized tools, even general all-purpose LLMs like ChatGPT or Claude for certain use cases. Still, Gemini covers around 80% of tasks well enough that buying addiitional AI tools may not be necessary. In this post, we’ll outline a practical, four-phase “AI Takeout Program” to help you standardize your company on Gemini —while providing room for special exceptions where needed.
4 Phases: Your AI Takeout Program
Phase 1: Assess
Phase 2: Secure Sponsor
Phase 3: Change Strategy
Phase 4: Execute
Phase 1: Assess Your Current AI Tool Stack
1a) Partner with Finance to pull total spend across AI productivity tools.
- Pull company credit card statements and reimbursement data to uncover any AI subscriptions currently in use.
- Identify areas of “shadow IT” where teams may have purchased tools independently.
1b) Analyze what tools are in use and ask why.
- Work with finance and IT to create a list of all the different AI licenses.
- Prioritize which tools are easily replaced by Gemini vs. tools that require deeper evaluation.
By taking this crucial first step, you’ll establish a clear view of your organization’s existing AI spend. This helps avoid redundant costs and sets the stage for a smoother consolidation process.
Phase 2: Secure your Executive Sponsors
2a) Engage key stakeholders about your plan.
- You’ll likely already have the head of finance on board for cost-saving reasons and IT leadership for eliminating shadow IT. Speak with them to confirm they’re supportive
- Find at least one additional executive who can champion the initiative within their department.
2b) Sell the benefits of a company wide AI solution.
- Emphasize reduced spending and simplified user experience.
- Highlight the improved security and compliance from having a centralized AI tool.
Securing executive buy-in is critical for ensuring your “AI Takeout Program” isn’t just another initiative that stalls in the pipeline. A trifecta of finance, IT, and one more influential executive can help push the plan all the way to the CEO or board.
Phase 3: Create a Clear Change Management Strategy
3a) Develop your communication and training plan.
- Explain why Gemini is now included in Google Workspace and how it meets most AI needs.
- Share timelines, milestones, and expectations. Aim for a 60-day window to give teams time to adapt.
- Coordinate training sessions on how to best use Gemini for Workspace. Invite team members or direct them to self-service learning paths.
3b) Establish an exception approval process.
- Allow VP-level or above to grant exceptions for specialized AI requirements.
- Document these requests to keep track of any departmental needs that Gemini can’t cover.
A well-defined change management strategy reduces resistance and confusion. Providing teams with an escalation path for specialized tools ensures the organization stays agile and innovative.
Phase 4: Execute & Communicate
4a) Centralize resources for users to easily access.
- Create a dedicated Google Site explaining the consolidation decision.
- Provide an FAQ, a timeline, and a general mailbox for questions or concerns.
4b) Monitor and review your work.
- Anticipate some pushback—change always sparks debate.
- Gather feedback and present updates to the executive team regularly.
This final stage transforms your plan into action. By actively communicating the “why” behind the transition to Gemini, you build transparency and trust, both of which help mitigate friction.
Conclusion: Embrace a “Clean Slate” with Gemini
Organizations that standardize their AI productivity tools now will save themselves considerable expense and complexity later. As AI becomes deeply embedded in everyday workflows—from entry-level tasks to management-level decisions—having a standardized (but flexible) tool suite prevents chaos down the road. For more information about Gemini at work, check out the Admin’s Guide to Gemini for Google Workspace.
Since Gemini is already baked into your Google Workspace subscription, this is a prime opportunity to consolidate and reduce external licensing costs. For the handful of teams that truly need specialized AI applications, having an exception pathway ensures they can still get the tools they need.
