Consulting that ends in working software
The market is full of AI strategy decks. They are cheap to produce, impossible to falsify, and rarely survive contact with the first real implementation. We do not sell them.
Every consulting engagement ends with a working prototype running against your actual data. It might be rough, but it proves or disproves the core assumption before you commit a real budget. The prototype is worth more than the document, and it is the part clients actually use to get internal buy-in.
- Feasibility assessed against your real data, not a hypothetical
- Working prototype delivered as part of the engagement
- Build-vs-buy analysis for every component in scope
- Costed 90-day roadmap with owners and success metrics
- Honest recommendations, including "do not build this"
What we assess
Data readiness first, because it is the most common blocker and the one most often discovered late. Then opportunity sizing across candidate workflows, ranked by return and implementation risk. Then build-versus-buy for each component, because a surprising amount of what agencies build should have been a subscription.
Finally compliance and risk — what regulatory constraints apply, what data can leave your infrastructure, and what governance the deployment will need.
- Data readiness audit with a remediation plan
- Opportunity ranking by expected return and delivery risk
- Build-vs-buy analysis per component
- Vendor and model selection benchmarked on your data
- Compliance review across SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR and the EU AI Act
When to bring us in
Usefully early: when leadership has mandated an AI initiative but nobody has scoped it, when a pilot has stalled and it is unclear why, when you are comparing vendors and want an independent technical read, or when a board deadline exists and the plan does not.
We are equally willing to tell you the initiative should be deferred. An unfavourable answer delivered in week two is far cheaper than the same answer discovered in month eight.
What you receive
- Working prototype running on your real data
- Data readiness assessment with remediation plan
- Ranked opportunity map with effort and return estimates
- Costed 90-day roadmap with owners and metrics
- Compliance and risk review
Technologies we use
AI Consulting Services — frequently asked questions
What does an AI consulting engagement cost?
A focused feasibility assessment with a prototype typically runs $8K to $18K over three to four weeks. A full organisational AI roadmap covering multiple departments ranges from $25K to $50K. The prototype is included rather than billed separately.
How long does a consulting engagement take?
Three to four weeks for a single-workflow feasibility assessment. Six to ten weeks for a multi-department roadmap, most of which is spent on data assessment and stakeholder interviews rather than writing the document.
Do we have to build with you afterwards?
No, and there is no obligation in the contract. You own the roadmap, the prototype and the analysis, and you are free to build in-house or with another partner. A meaningful share of our consulting clients do exactly that, and some return later for delivery.
Will you tell us not to build something?
Regularly. The most common honest recommendations are that a deterministic system would solve the problem more cheaply, that the data foundation needs work before anything is built on it, or that an off-the-shelf product already covers the requirement.
Who do you work with on our side?
Typically a sponsor from leadership, a technical lead who understands the systems, and two or three people who actually do the work being considered for automation. That last group matters most — they know where the real friction is.
Talk through your ai consulting services project
A free 30-minute call with an engineer — not a salesperson. You leave with a scope, a cost range and an honest view of the risks.
Book a free strategy call
