Choose the right starting point
Every engagement is scoped around your business outcome, Azure constraints, and the speed at which your team wants to move.
Strategy Sprint
A focused advisory engagement to align executive stakeholders, prioritize use cases, and produce an Azure-first AI roadmap.
Best for
Teams that need fast executive alignment before investing in a pilot.
Commercial model
Fixed-scope workshop series
Included deliverables
- Leadership discovery workshops and stakeholder interviews
- Prioritized use-case backlog with ROI assumptions
- Azure AI Foundry reference architecture and governance notes
- Implementation plan with risks, milestones, and next-step recommendations
Pilot / Proof of Value
Build one production-minded workflow with measurable success criteria, secure integrations, and a clear go/no-go decision point.
Best for
Organizations validating one workflow before committing to a broader rollout.
Commercial model
Fixed-fee sprint with weekly reviews
Included deliverables
- Scoped pilot tied to one business workflow and KPI baseline
- Working agent experience deployed in an Azure test environment
- Evaluation framework, telemetry dashboard, and adoption checklist
- Readout of business impact, technical debt, and production recommendations
Production Launch
Design, build, secure, and release a production-grade agentic solution with enterprise integrations and change enablement.
Best for
Teams moving from pilot results into governed, customer-ready deployment.
Commercial model
Milestone-based delivery with architecture oversight
Included deliverables
- Production architecture, infrastructure-as-code, and security review
- Multi-agent workflows, tool integrations, and observability setup
- Human-in-the-loop checkpoints, testing playbooks, and launch support
- Enablement sessions for engineering, operations, and business owners
Fractional AI Architecture Retainer
Keep a senior Azure AI architect in your corner for roadmap reviews, design decisions, vendor evaluation, and scaling guidance.
Best for
Internal teams that can execute but need senior architecture leadership and governance.
Commercial model
Monthly retainer with flexible advisory capacity
Included deliverables
- Recurring architecture reviews and implementation guidance
- Security, compliance, and prompt/system design advisory
- Backlog grooming for upcoming agent and data initiatives
- Executive updates tied to adoption, ROI, and scale-readiness
What delivery usually looks like
Even when the commercial model changes, our execution pattern stays transparent and milestone-driven.
Discovery & Strategy
2-3 weeks
You provide
- Business goals and current-state constraints
- Stakeholder access for workshops
- Priority use cases and success metrics
We deliver
- AI opportunity map with prioritization
- ROI model and implementation plan
- Secure Azure reference architecture
Proof of Concept
4-6 weeks
You provide
- Sample data and integration endpoints
- SME feedback during sprint reviews
- Security and compliance requirements
We deliver
- Working agent prototype for priority workflow
- Performance baseline and quality metrics
- Risk, compliance, and readiness report
Production Implementation
8-16 weeks
You provide
- Access to production environments
- Change-management owner and training leads
- Integration testing support from business teams
We deliver
- Production-grade multi-agent solution
- Enterprise integrations and monitoring
- Runbooks, training, and go-live support
Optimization & Scale
Ongoing
You provide
- Operational feedback and KPI targets
- Roadmap priorities for next workflows
- Quarterly governance check-ins
We deliver
- Continuous performance tuning
- Additional agent rollouts across teams
- Quarterly value reports and optimization backlog
Differentiation matrix
Time to value
iShiftAI
4-6 weeks to pilot + production deployment
Building In-House
6-12 months hiring, tooling, and onboarding
Generic AI Consultancies
Multiple PoCs before a usable deliverable
Cost predictability
iShiftAI
Pooled Azure Foundry retainer with fixed milestones
Building In-House
Heavy upfront capital + OPEX for salaried staff
Generic AI Consultancies
Variable retainers and change-order pricing
Expertise & depth
iShiftAI
Azure AI Foundry + Semantic Kernel specialists
Building In-House
Generalist IT teams learning as they go
Generic AI Consultancies
Surface-level AI knowledge across clients
Support model
iShiftAI
Dedicated team, 24/7 observability, monthly optimizations
Building In-House
Overloaded IT staff juggling many priorities
Generic AI Consultancies
Project-based support without ongoing ownership
Security & compliance
iShiftAI
Entra ID, VNET isolation, Azure Policy backstops
Building In-House
Protracted approvals with limited guardrails
Generic AI Consultancies
Restricted access to enterprise governance controls
| Capability | iShiftAI | Building In-House | Generic AI Consultancies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time to value | 4-6 weeks to pilot + production deployment | 6-12 months hiring, tooling, and onboarding | Multiple PoCs before a usable deliverable |
| Cost predictability | Pooled Azure Foundry retainer with fixed milestones | Heavy upfront capital + OPEX for salaried staff | Variable retainers and change-order pricing |
| Expertise & depth | Azure AI Foundry + Semantic Kernel specialists | Generalist IT teams learning as they go | Surface-level AI knowledge across clients |
| Support model | Dedicated team, 24/7 observability, monthly optimizations | Overloaded IT staff juggling many priorities | Project-based support without ongoing ownership |
| Security & compliance | Entra ID, VNET isolation, Azure Policy backstops | Protracted approvals with limited guardrails | Restricted access to enterprise governance controls |
Need a custom scope?
We can tailor packages around security review, enablement, or a specific business workflow.
If you already know the workflow you want to automate, we can turn that into a concise pilot scope with explicit assumptions, milestones, and handoff expectations.
Common pricing questions
How do you price engagements?
We use a mix of fixed-fee strategy and pilot packages, milestone-based delivery for production launches, and monthly retainers for ongoing architecture support. We recommend the model that best fits your team’s level of clarity and execution capacity.
Do you offer fixed-price projects?
Yes, especially for strategy sprints and tightly scoped pilots. For broader delivery programs, we usually combine milestone pricing with clear assumptions so both scope and risk stay visible.
What is a typical budget range?
Most early engagements start between $7k and $60k depending on whether you need advisory, a pilot, or a more integrated proof of value. Larger production implementations usually scale with the number of workflows, integrations, and governance requirements involved.
How do I get started?
The easiest path is to book a strategy call or share your use case through the contact form. We will align on your goals, current architecture, and where an AI initiative can create the fastest measurable value.
What should I prepare before the first meeting?
Bring your top business goals, the workflow you want to improve, known data or integration constraints, and any security or compliance requirements. That context lets us recommend the right engagement model quickly.
What happens after the first meeting?
We summarize the opportunity, recommend the next best engagement model, and outline the technical and business milestones needed to get results. If there is a good fit, we move into a scoped sprint or pilot with explicit success criteria.