A practical brief for your first AI project
Use these questions to turn an open-ended AI idea into a conversation a consultant can scope.
By Find AI Consultants · 18 October 2026
The work today
Name the process and the people who use it. Include one realistic example, the systems involved, the volume and the current time or cost. Explain the exceptions as well as the usual path.
- Process owner and decision-maker
- Current inputs, outputs and systems
- Volume, baseline and common failure cases
The result we need
Describe the outcome in ordinary language. State the metric you will use, who will judge success and what would make you stop. Include deadlines and the consequences of an incorrect result.
The access and constraints
List the approved tools and integration access available. Describe sensitive data, permission boundaries, retention requirements and tasks that require human approval. Get specialist advice where the use case needs it.
The first deliverable
Ask for a bounded proposal with deliverables, exclusions, responsibilities, a timeline and a decision point. Clarify ownership and handover before work begins.
Use this brief alongside the directory’s service filters to find providers with relevant published evidence.