How we work
We come in, set it up, and train your team.
Every engagement starts small and proves itself before it grows. We learn how your business runs, put AI to work in one place first, and make sure your team can use it before we move on.
The engagement
Four steps, in the same order every time
After launch, we stay on call to keep things working and to start on the next opportunity.
Learn how you work
We spend time with the people who do the work, on site anywhere in Canada or the US, or online, and map how each process really runs.
Review your tools and processes
We review the tools, data and handoffs involved, find where the hours go, and rank where AI pays off first.
Put AI to work
We connect AI to the tools you already use, or set up new ones where they fit better, and test it on your real work.
Train your team
Hands-on sessions for each role, a written playbook and office hours, so your team can run it without us.
Before we change anything
We map how the work really happens
We follow each process end to end with the people who do it, time each step, and mark where AI helps, where a simpler fix is better, and where a person should stay in charge.
- Each step timed with the people who do it
- Bottlenecks and rework marked
- A clear note on where AI helps and where it doesn't
Pricing
Engagements and pricing
It starts with a free consultation. After that: fixed scopes and fixed prices in Canadian dollars. No hourly billing and no surprise invoices.
AI Opportunity Audit
CA$10,000
Fixed fee. 2 weeks, credited to your first project
We come in, review your tools and processes, and rank the AI opportunities, with a costed plan for the first project.
- Interviews with your team, on site or online
- Tools, process and data review
- Top three business cases
- Training needs by team
- Project-ready scope and price
Implementation project
From CA$25,000
4 to 8 weeks, fixed scope, training included
We put one workflow into everyday use, connected to your tools and adopted by your team.
- Setup in your existing tools, plus new tools where they fit
- Testing on your real work
- Side-by-side run on live work
- Hands-on training for each role
- Playbook and documentation
- Code and IP owned by you
Ongoing advisory
Monthly
Monthly retainer after your first project. Cancel with 30 days' notice
We stay on call to keep things accurate, train new people and start on the next opportunity.
- Monthly check-in with your team
- Quality reviews and adjustments
- Training for new hires
- A direct line to us
- The next project from your list
All prices are in Canadian dollars (CAD) and exclude applicable taxes. Final scope and price are confirmed in a written proposal. Audit guarantee: if the audit doesn't identify opportunities worth at least 10 times its fee (CA$100,000) in estimated annual savings or new revenue, you don't pay. Full terms are in the audit agreement.
Inside a project
What six weeks looks like
Every project has a fixed scope, a weekly check-in with your team and a go-live date agreed on day one.
- Week 1: we sit with your team, map the workflow and agree success metrics
- Weeks 2 to 4: we set it up in your tools and show you progress every week
- Week 5: your team runs it on live work while we run the first training sessions
- Week 6: we go live, finish training and hand over the playbook
Principles
How we work with you
The person you meet does the work
The person who scopes your project is the person who sets it up and trains your team. No hand-off to a junior team.
On site or online
We come to you anywhere in Canada or the US, or work online. We recommend on site for kickoff and training.
You own everything
Code, prompts, playbooks and documentation belong to you once the project is paid for.
We say no when AI isn't the answer
If a spreadsheet, a process change or an off-the-shelf tool is better, we'll tell you.
Vendor-neutral
We take no commissions from model providers or software vendors, so recommendations are based only on fit.
Measured in hours and dollars
We agree the metrics before we start and report against them after launch.
Compare
How we compare
Three common ways to bring AI into a business, and what you typically get from each.
| Compare | ottertail studio | AI software tools | Large consultancies |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you get | AI set up in your tools and workflows, and a team trained to use it | A licence to a general-purpose product | Strategy, roadmaps and large transformation programs |
| Time to first result | A costed plan in 2 weeks, in everyday use 4 to 8 weeks later | Set up in days; adoption depends on your team | Typically several months |
| Typical cost | CA$10,000 audit, then projects from CA$25,000 | Per-seat or usage fees that grow with your team | Usually six figures or more |
| Fit to your workflows | Designed around how your team already works | Your team adapts to the product | Custom, after an extended discovery phase |
| Who does the work | The senior person who scoped it, on site or online | Your own team | Mixed teams, often with a large delivery bench |
| Integration with your systems | Included in every project | Limited to built-in connectors | Often scoped as a separate project |
| Training for your staff | Hands-on sessions by role and a playbook, included | Help articles and video tutorials | Often a separate change-management program |
| Ownership | You own the code, prompts and playbooks | You rent access to the vendor's product | Varies by contract and platform |
| Commitment | Fixed scope per project, no long-term contract | Monthly or annual subscription | Multi-month statements of work |
A general comparison of typical options, not of any specific company. Individual vendors and engagements vary. Our prices are in Canadian dollars and exclude applicable taxes.
FAQ
Questions about working with us
Do you bill by the hour?
No. Audits and projects are fixed scope and fixed price, agreed in writing before work starts. Ongoing advisory is a flat monthly fee. All prices are in Canadian dollars and exclude applicable taxes.
Where are you based, and do you come on site?
We are based in Vancouver, Canada. We work on site anywhere in Canada and the US, or fully online, whichever suits your team.
Is training included?
Yes. Every implementation project includes hands-on training for each role that uses what we set up, a written playbook and 30 days of office hours. We also run AI training for teams on its own.
Do you invoice US clients in Canadian dollars?
Yes. Our prices are set in Canadian dollars for every client. Your proposal shows the exact amount in CAD.
Can you work with our IT or engineering team?
Yes. We can work alongside your internal team, follow your security and deployment standards, and hand everything over so your team can maintain it.
Which AI models and tools do you use?
Whatever fits the job. We work with models from OpenAI, Anthropic and Google, as well as open-source models. We build on the business tools you already use, and recommend new ones only when they beat what you have.
What if the first project doesn't deliver?
Each project has success metrics agreed up front and weekly check-ins, so problems surface early. If something isn't working, we change course or stop, rather than keep billing.
Start with a conversation, not a two-year roadmap.
Book a free 30-minute consultation. We'll talk through how your team works and where AI could help first.