Practical AI consultancy for organisations deciding what to do next
We help you identify useful AI applications, test the assumptions behind them and make a clear buy, build or stop decision before a promising idea becomes an expensive distraction.
- Build or buy a recommendation based on the actual job
- Senior only technical advice from people who still build software
- Evidence first test the risky assumptions before committing further
AI decisions need more than a list of tools
The useful question is rarely whether your organisation should use AI. It is which parts of the work suit it, what information those tasks depend on and whether the likely benefit justifies the cost and risk.
We work through those questions with the people who understand the process. The result is a decision you can act on, backed by a practical view of the data, software, suppliers and operating changes involved.
We can stay to prototype or build the chosen approach, but the advice does not depend on commissioning development from us.
What we can help you decide
Which use cases are worth pursuing
Compare opportunities by value, feasibility, information quality and the consequence of a wrong answer.
Buy, configure or build
Assess available products against the process before assuming a custom build is needed.
What to test first
Design a small evaluation or prototype around the assumptions most likely to make or break the idea.
How information should be handled
Map what the system needs to access, where that information lives and what privacy or permission constraints apply.
Which supplier or model fits
Review the technical and commercial trade-offs without treating the best-known provider as the automatic choice.
What implementation will involve
Set out the integrations, application changes, ownership, testing and ongoing review needed after a decision is made.
A recommendation with clear next steps
- Which problem is specific enough to test?
- What does a good result look like?
- Which information can the system use?
- Where must a person remain involved?
- What would make us stop?
- A prioritised list of suitable use cases
- A buy, build or do nothing recommendation
- The main technical, privacy and operational risks
- A focused evaluation or prototype plan where needed
- Clear next steps, owners and likely dependencies
Advice grounded in running an AI product
Holp.ai case study →Holp.ai
We built and run Holp.ai, a customer service AI product that has handled more than 30,000 conversations since launch for organisations including Castle Howard, Jerry Green Dog Rescue and UKGBC.
Read the case study →The advice stays close to implementation
Branch has 17 years of hands-on development experience, so recommendations account for the existing systems, integrations and maintenance work involved after the first release.
Questions about AI consultancy
Do we need a defined AI project before speaking to you?
No. An initial conversation can start with a slow process, a repeated customer question or a large body of information people struggle to use. We will help determine whether AI is relevant.
Can you review an AI product a supplier has proposed?
Yes. We can review how well it fits the use case, what information it needs, how it connects to your systems and where the technical or commercial commitments sit.
Can the work include a prototype?
Yes, when a prototype is the quickest way to test an important assumption. We agree what it needs to prove and what should not be built yet, then use the evidence to inform the next decision.
Can you build the system afterwards?
Yes. Our AI development service covers custom products and AI features within existing software. You can also take the recommendation to another team if that is the better fit.
Talk through an AI opportunity
Start with the process, the people affected and the result you need. We will help establish whether AI belongs in the answer.