Fixed-Price Engagement

    AI Strategy Consulting for Australian Businesses

    Stop guessing where to start with AI. Get a board-ready roadmap with clear ROI projections, technical architecture, and risk assessment — before you write a single line of code or sign a vendor contract.

    From $4,500
    Fixed price
    4 Weeks
    Standard delivery
    18+ Years
    Enterprise experience
    ABN Verified
    Australian Owned
    Xero Partner
    MYOB Partner
    Microsoft Partner

    The "Where Do We Start?" Problem

    Leadership teams across Australia are under pressure to "do AI" — but without a clear strategy, most projects fail. According to Gartner, over 85% of AI projects never make it to production.

    Tools-First Thinking

    Buying AI software before identifying which problems actually need solving. Technology looking for a problem is expensive.

    Data Not Ready

    Launching AI initiatives without assessing data quality, accessibility, or governance. Garbage in, garbage out — at scale.

    No Governance Framework

    Deploying AI without privacy controls, bias monitoring, or compliance mapping. Risky under the Australian Privacy Act.

    Change Management Gaps

    Rolling out AI without bringing staff along. Resistance kills adoption faster than any technical issue.

    No Business Case

    Pursuing AI without clear ROI projections makes it impossible to secure ongoing budget or executive support.

    Vendor Lock-In Risk

    Committing to a single vendor's ecosystem without evaluating alternatives. Switching costs compound over time.

    You need a trusted, vendor-agnostic advisor to cut through the hype and identify high-impact, low-risk opportunities specific to your business.

    Our Approach

    The "No-Regret" AI Strategy Framework

    A structured methodology that evaluates your business through five lenses, ensuring every recommendation is grounded in your reality — not vendor hype.

    Five-Lens Strategy Process

    Discover
    Audit processes, interview stakeholders, assess data maturity
    Prioritise
    Score opportunities by impact, feasibility, and strategic alignment
    Architect
    Design technical solutions, integration points, and data pipelines
    Govern
    Define privacy controls, compliance mapping, and oversight frameworks
    Roadmap
    Build phased plan with timelines, budgets, and success metrics

    Vendor-Agnostic Recommendations

    We do not resell software. Recommendations cover Microsoft, Google, open-source, and niche solutions — whatever fits your business, budget, and existing stack.

    Quick Wins + Strategic Initiatives

    Every roadmap includes both: quick wins you can implement in weeks for immediate ROI, and longer-term strategic initiatives that build competitive advantage.

    What You Get

    Five comprehensive deliverables that give your leadership team everything needed to make informed AI investment decisions.

    Opportunity Mapping

    Every business process audited and scored against AI capabilities. Each opportunity ranked by ROI potential, implementation complexity, and strategic alignment.

    • Process audit across target departments
    • Use case identification and scoring
    • Impact vs feasibility matrix
    • Quick win identification

    Implementation Roadmap

    A phased 12–24 month plan with specific milestones, resource requirements, and dependencies. Not vague concepts — real project plans you can act on.

    • Phased timeline with milestones
    • Resource and skills planning
    • Dependency mapping
    • Risk mitigation strategies

    Technical Architecture

    System architecture diagrams showing how AI components integrate with your existing stack — Xero, MYOB, CRM, ERP, or custom systems.

    • Integration architecture diagrams
    • Data pipeline design
    • Infrastructure requirements
    • Build vs buy analysis for each component

    Financial Business Case

    Board-ready financial modelling with conservative, moderate, and optimistic ROI scenarios. Includes total cost of ownership and payback period analysis.

    • Three-scenario ROI projections
    • Total cost of ownership breakdown
    • Payback period analysis
    • Ongoing operational cost estimates

    Executive Presentation Pack

    A polished slide deck designed for board or executive committee presentation. Summarises the strategy, investment case, and recommended next steps.

    • Board-ready slide deck (20–30 slides)
    • Executive summary document
    • One-page strategy snapshot
    • Recommended vendor shortlist

    Governance Framework

    AI governance policies covering data access, privacy compliance, human oversight, and responsible AI principles — tailored to Australian regulations.

    • Privacy Act 1988 compliance mapping
    • Data sovereignty requirements
    • Human-in-the-loop decision framework
    • Bias monitoring and audit trails

    The 4-Week Engagement

    A structured process designed to minimise disruption to your team while delivering a comprehensive strategy.

    Your AI Strategy Journey

    1
    Week 1
    Discovery & Audit
    Stakeholder interviews across leadership, operations, and finance. Review of existing systems (ERP, CRM, accounting). Data readiness assessment. Process mapping of target departments. Typically 3-4 interview sessions plus system access review.
    2
    Week 2
    Analysis & Prioritisation
    Map every identified process against current AI capabilities. Score each opportunity using our impact-feasibility matrix. Identify quick wins (deployable in weeks) vs strategic initiatives (3-12 months). Technical feasibility checks against your existing infrastructure.
    3
    Week 3
    Architecture & Roadmap Development
    Design technical architecture showing how AI components integrate with your stack. Build the phased 12-24 month implementation plan. Develop the financial business case with three ROI scenarios. Draft governance framework and compliance mapping.
    4
    Week 4
    Executive Presentation & Handover
    Present complete strategy to your leadership team. Walk through the roadmap, investment case, and recommended priorities. Deliver all documentation including board-ready slide deck. Provide action plan for the first 90 days.

    Flexible scheduling: Essentials packages can be completed in 2-3 weeks. Enterprise engagements with multiple business units typically run 6-8 weeks. We work around your team's availability.

    Investment

    Fixed-price packages. No hourly billing surprises. No scope creep charges.

    Essentials

    Single department focus

    $4,500
    • One department process audit
    • Opportunity mapping (up to 10 use cases)
    • Implementation roadmap
    • ROI projections
    • Executive summary document
    • 2-3 week delivery
    Get Started
    Most Popular

    Standard

    Multi-department strategy

    $8,500
    • Multi-department process audit
    • Full opportunity mapping (unlimited use cases)
    • Technical architecture design
    • Financial business case (3 scenarios)
    • Governance framework
    • Board-ready presentation deck
    • 4-week delivery
    Book Strategy Session

    Enterprise

    Organisation-wide transformation

    Custom
    • All Standard deliverables
    • Multiple business units
    • Change management planning
    • Vendor evaluation and shortlisting
    • Quarterly strategy reviews (12 months)
    • Dedicated strategy lead
    • 6-8 week delivery
    Discuss Requirements

    Why a $4,500 Strategy Saves You $50,000+

    Average cost of a failed AI pilot project$35,000–$80,000
    Big Four strategy engagement (comparable scope)$50,000–$150,000
    Solve8 Standard strategy engagement$8,500
    Typical first-year ROI from strategy recommendations$50,000–$200,000

    Proven Track Record

    Real projects, verifiable results. We reference only work we have actually delivered.

    Client Project

    Tier 1 Infrastructure Contractor

    Automated carbon reporting and ESG data consolidation using Power BI for a subsidiary of one of the world's largest construction companies.

    Read Case Study
    Founder's Product

    Carbonly.ai — ESG Automation

    Multi-agent AI platform for automated ESG data collection, carbon calculation, and regulatory reporting. Built from strategy through to production.

    View Project
    Founder's Product

    Workforce SaaS — 1,500+ Users

    Built and exited a workforce management platform that scaled to 1,500+ active users. Demonstrates full lifecycle from strategy to product-market fit to exit.

    View Project

    Typical Results: Before vs After AI Strategy Engagement

    Metric
    Before Strategy
    After Strategy
    Improvement
    AI project success rate15-20%70-85%4x
    Time to first AI deployment12-18 months3-6 months3x faster
    Executive confidence in AI investmentLowHigh (data-backed)Board-ready
    Vendor evaluation processAd hocStructured scorecardObjective
    Compliance and governanceUndefinedFramework in placeAudit-ready

    Is AI Strategy Right for You?

    Not every business needs a formal strategy engagement. Use this guide to determine the right starting point.

    Choose Your Starting Point

    What best describes your current situation?
    We have no AI initiatives and leadership is asking 'where do we start?'
    → Standard Strategy ($8,500) — full multi-department assessment
    We want to automate one specific process (invoicing, reporting, phones)
    → Essentials Strategy ($4,500) — focused single-department plan
    We already have AI tools but they are not delivering expected results
    → Standard Strategy ($8,500) — includes audit of existing AI investments
    We need organisation-wide AI transformation with board governance
    → Enterprise Strategy (Custom) — multi-unit with quarterly reviews

    Good Fit for AI Strategy

    • Revenue above $2M annually
    • 5+ employees handling repetitive processes
    • Using cloud-based systems (Xero, MYOB, CRM, etc.)
    • Leadership committed to evaluating AI seriously
    • Willing to invest 4 weeks for proper planning

    Consider Alternatives

    Why Choose Solve8 for AI Strategy

    Enterprise-grade expertise at SMB-friendly pricing. Brisbane-based, nationally available.

    Enterprise Pedigree

    18+ years delivering data platforms and integrations for BHP, Rio Tinto, Senex Energy, and Schneider Electric. Enterprise rigour applied to SMB budgets.

    Vendor-Agnostic

    We do not resell software. Recommendations are based purely on what works for your business — Microsoft, Google, open-source, or niche tools.

    Fixed-Price Guarantee

    Every engagement is fixed-price. No hourly billing, no scope creep charges, no surprises. You know the total cost before we start.

    Australian-Based

    Brisbane headquarters, Australian ABN, local data hosting. All work performed onshore. We understand Australian compliance requirements.

    Implementation-Ready

    Unlike pure-play consultancies, we can also build what we recommend. Strategy engagements transition seamlessly to implementation if you choose.

    Compliance-First

    Every strategy includes governance and compliance mapping for the Australian Privacy Act, data sovereignty, and industry-specific regulations.

    Enterprise Experience, Direct Access

    Solve8 brings 18+ years of enterprise delivery experience from BHP, Rio Tinto, and Senex Energy. You work directly with senior people — not a sales team handing you off to juniors.

    18+ Years Enterprise DeliveryProven SaaS Track Record

    Security & Compliance

    Privacy Act CompliantAustralian Data Hosting256-bit AES Encryption

    All strategy documents and client data are stored on Australian servers. We comply with the Privacy Act 1988 and follow the Australian Government's voluntary AI Ethics Framework.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Common questions about AI strategy consulting in Australia.

    Ready to Build Your AI Strategy?

    Book a free 30-minute consultation to discuss your business, current challenges, and whether an AI strategy engagement is the right next step.

    No obligation. No sales pressure. Just an honest conversation about what AI can (and cannot) do for your business.