Solutions · Consulting
The thinking work that should come first
Not every engagement starts with a build. Sometimes the most valuable thing we do is help a leadership team think clearly about AI for the next 12 months: where to invest, where to ignore the hype, which workflows have real leverage, which vendors are selling slideware vs. real capability.
Consulting engagements are advisory, written-up, and time-boxed. You walk away with a document you own and decisions you can act on, with or without us.
What it actually does
We run several types of consulting engagements depending on what you're trying to figure out. The most common is the operations audit: 1-2 weeks embedded with your team, mapping the current operation, identifying where AI would actually move the needle, ranking opportunities by ROI and feasibility, and writing it all up in a 10-15 page diagnostic.
Beyond that: AI architecture reviews (when you've already built something and want a second opinion before scaling), vendor evaluations (when you've shortlisted three AI platforms and need someone independent to call the trade-offs), readiness assessments (when leadership wants to know if the team is set up to use AI well), and strategic advisory (ongoing sounding-board for non-technical leaders making AI investment decisions).
Every consulting output is yours to keep. Take the document to another vendor, share it with your board, use it as the basis for an internal decision. We're paid for the thinking, not for locking you in.
How it works
The shape of a typical build. Yours will vary on the specifics, but the pattern is consistent.
Step 1
Define the question
First conversation: what are you actually trying to decide? 'Should we use AI?' is a non-question. 'Should we build a voice agent for our support queue, buy one, or wait?' is a real one.
Step 2
Embed and observe
We spend time with the team and the data, not just the leadership. Most of the signal lives below the executive layer. Shadowing matters, even if it's only a few hours.
Step 3
Benchmark against reality
We bring deployments we've shipped or seen at similar businesses to ground the analysis in what's actually working in 2026, not last year's slide deck.
Step 4
Write it up
Concrete deliverable: a 10-15 page document with findings, recommendations, ranked opportunities, ballpark costs, and a suggested first step. Plain language, not consulting fluff.
Step 5
Debrief and decide
Final session: we walk leadership through the document, take questions, and leave you with three to five concrete decisions to make in the next 30 days.
This fits if you...
- Have leadership pressure to 'do AI' and want a grounded view of where to actually invest first.
- Are evaluating AI vendors and want an independent technical assessment.
- Have already built something with AI and want a second opinion before scaling further.
- Want a written diagnostic you can share with your board, your team, or another vendor.
This isn't a fit if...
- You already know what you want to build, the spec is clear, and you just need execution. Skip consulting and go straight to a pilot build.
- You're hoping consulting will produce decisions for you. It won't; it produces clarity and options. The decisions are yours.
- You want a 60-page slide deck full of buzzwords. We don't write those. The deliverable is short, dense, and actionable, or it's nothing.
Typical build shape
Scope
Operations audit (1-2 weeks): full diagnostic, prioritised opportunities, written deliverable, in-person debrief. Or AI architecture review, vendor evaluation, readiness assessment.
Timeline
1-3 weeks depending on scope. Strategic advisory engagements run as monthly retainers with a defined hour allocation.
Indicative price
Fixed-price for audits, architecture reviews, and vendor evaluations. Strategic advisory billed as a monthly retainer. Indicative pricing on request.
All ranges in NZD ex-GST. Precise numbers come out of the operations audit. See our engagement model for the full pricing approach.