Build a useful project brief
A short description of the work is more useful than a list of AI features. Use these questions to prepare:
- What starts the task? An incoming form, an email, a scheduled report, or an event in a business system?
- What must the agent read? Name the approved sources and the person who can authorize access. Use descriptions, not confidential records, in the first inquiry.
- What should happen next? Specify a draft, a proposed record update, an assigned task, or another observable result.
- What requires approval? Identify customer commitments, sends, pricing, professional judgments, and changes to important records.
- What goes wrong today? Missing details, duplicate records, stale information, unclear ownership, or failed handoffs?
- How will you judge the result? Consider completed work, correction time, missed requests, and the effort required to review the output.
Example brief: an inquiry that needs a handoff
“New inquiries arrive through our form and shared inbox. A staff member copies the details into our CRM and asks for missing information. We want an agent to prepare the summary, suggest an owner, and draft the reply. Our team must approve the response and any commitment to take the work.”
That description identifies a trigger, systems, proposed output, and approval boundary. The next questions are whether the tools permit the required access, how existing contacts are matched, and what happens when the request is incomplete.
This is an illustrative brief, not a Providence customer story. Read the intake workflow example.
Compare proposals on the work they include
Ask an implementation provider to explain:
A low build quote is hard to compare with a broader proposal if review, maintenance, licenses, or data preparation are missing from the scope.
- Which source information and tool actions are included, and which are excluded.
- How the system handles missing information and failed actions.
- Which real examples will be used for testing and who accepts the result.
- What your team must still review, correct, or maintain.
- Which charges are for delivery and which recur after launch.
- What documentation, account access, and support you receive at handoff.
Choose design help or discuss the build directly
If the workflow is unclear, a design engagement can define the system map, permissions, evaluation cases, and recommendation. If requirements are already established, discuss implementation directly. A separate paid assessment is not a mandatory step.
Explore agent feasibility and design or implementation scope.
Send the brief you have
A few sentences about the task, tools, and approval points are enough to begin the conversation.
Discuss your Providence-area project. For the broader service overview, see Rhode Island agent design and implementation.
Common questions
Is HighTide based in Providence?
HighTide is based in Richmond, Rhode Island, and serves Providence-area businesses. Meeting arrangements and delivery responsibilities are agreed for the project.
Can we start with one team?
Yes. An initial scope can cover one workflow and its responsible team. A wider rollout has separate access, testing, and support requirements.
Can we share customer examples in the inquiry?
Keep the public inquiry to a description of the work. Do not submit credentials, customer records, or confidential documents. We agree an appropriate way to review representative material when it is needed.