Managed AI Support & Retainers

Paid Pilot Engagements

This is the formal, priced version of a real trial run, a scoped, fixed-fee pilot for one specific automation or AI workflow, tested against a success metric you sign off on before any work starts. It exists for teams who've been burned by open-ended AI vendor conversations that never produce a straight answer, and who want a contained, honest test of whether AI actually moves a number that matters to them. Because it's paid rather than a free discovery call, the pilot gets real engineering time against your actual data and systems, not a canned demo. At the end you get a plain-numbers readout of what happened and a clear decision point (scale it, adjust it, or walk away) with no obligation to sign anything further.

This is a capability we deliver for you as a service, not a role we’re hiring for.

How We’d Approach This

A clear, staged plan, not a black box

These are the service-specific steps inside our six-step process.

1
Diagnose the single highest-value workflow worth testing and lock a success metric and fixed fee in writing before work starts
2
Build the pilot against your real data and systems, scoped tightly enough to finish inside the agreed time box
3
Run the pilot live or in shadow mode long enough to generate an honest read on the agreed metric, not a cherry-picked snapshot
4
Review the results together in plain numbers and hand over a clear go/no-go recommendation for scaling into a retainer

What You Get

Deliverables from this engagement

A working pilot system built and tested against your real data for one specific workflow
A written success-metric agreement signed before work began
A plain-numbers pilot results report with a go/no-go recommendation
A fixed, capped invoice with no auto-enrollment into further work

Six Ways We Could Architect This

Different engagement, different build, pick the shape that fits

There’s more than one way to deliver on this service. Browse a few of the ways we’d structure the work, depending on your speed, budget, and integration needs.

Read all 6 architectures as text

Lean Fast-Start Architecture

Scoping

Client Diagnosis Call
Highest Value Workflow Identified
Success Metric Locked in Writing

Pilot Build

Fixed Fee Agreement Signed
Pilot Built Against Real Data

Pilot Run

Live or Shadow Mode Run
Metric Data Collected

Readout

Plain Numbers Results Review
Go No Go Recommendation
Capped Invoice Issued
Decision to Scale or Walk Away
Handoff to Retainer if Scaling

Cloud-Native / Managed Services Architecture

Managed Pilot Workspace

Shared Project Tracker
Cloud Sandbox Environment
Client Data Connection

Pilot Build Layer

Managed Workflow Automation Tool
Pilot System Deployed in Sandbox

Metric Tracking Layer

Managed Metric Dashboard
Automated Data Collection

Review Layer

Shared Results Dashboard
Stakeholder Review Session
Go No Go Decision Logged
Sandbox Teardown or Promotion
Managed Backup of Pilot Artifacts

Event-Driven & Automation-First Architecture

Triggers

Pilot Kickoff Event
Automated Status Workflow Started
Milestone Date Reached
Auto Status Update Sent

Automation Layer

Metric Tracking Pipeline Auto Updates
Milestone Target Met

Alert Gate

Risk Alert to Project Lead
Progress Confirmed

Automated Reporting

Corrective Action Logged
Auto Generated Readout Draft
Final Readout Sent to Client
Go No Go Meeting Scheduled

Enterprise-Grade & Compliance-Ready Architecture

Governance Layer

Signed Scope of Work
Data Handling Compliance Review
Access Control for Pilot Duration

Secure Pilot Layer

Access Controlled Client Systems
Redundant Data Backup During Pilot
Isolated Sandbox Environment

Auditable Pilot Run

Every Pilot Activity Logged
Metric Collection Audit Trail
Secure Sandbox Teardown

Compliance Output

Compliance Sign Off
Certified Pilot Results Report
Data Deletion Confirmation

AI-Augmented, Human-in-the-Loop Architecture

Diagnosis Input

Client Systems and Process Data
AI Workflow Value Diagnosis

AI Diagnosis Layer

AI Drafted Highest Value Workflow
AI Drafted Success Metric Proposal
Stakeholder Sign Off Needed

Human in the Loop

Client Stakeholder Review Session
Metric and Scope Approved
Scope Revision Requested
Human Approved Pilot Scope

Delivery

AI Built Pilot System
Human Review of Pilot Output
Go No Go Decision Delivered

Integration-Heavy / Ecosystem-Connected Architecture

Client Systems

Client CRM
Client ERP
Existing Ticketing System

Pilot Core

Live Data Connection Layer
Pilot Workflow Engine
Two Way Data Flow During Pilot

Two Way Sync Layer

Client System Updates Back
Pilot Issue Tickets Logged
Client Operations Team
Support Escalation Path

Handoff Layer

Joint Scaling Decision
Handoff to Retainer Tooling

Ready to get started?

Tell us what you’re trying to get done and we’ll help you find the highest-leverage place to start, scoped small enough to prove itself before you commit to anything bigger.

Talk to us about Paid Pilot Engagements

Most engagements like this start as a $500–$2,500 pilot, see full pricing.