FAQ — Sand Creek Technologies

Pricing & Scope

What does this cost?

The AI Discovery Sprint is a fixed-fee engagement — you'll know the exact cost upfront before you commit to anything. Larger implementation projects are scoped and priced based on what we find in the Sprint. We don't do hourly billing or vague "starting at" ranges that balloon later.

Is there a minimum engagement?

The Discovery Sprint is the starting point for almost every client — it's designed to be low-risk and bounded in time and cost. There's no requirement to continue beyond it. If what we find doesn't justify further investment, we'll tell you that directly.

What's included in the Discovery Sprint?

We map your current workflows, identify where automation is likely to pay off, and deliver a written summary of what we'd recommend — and what we wouldn't. You walk away with a clear, actionable picture of your AI options, regardless of whether you hire us for implementation.

Fit

Are we too small for this?

Probably not. Our work is specifically designed for small and mid-size businesses — typically under $10M revenue — where off-the-shelf enterprise tools are overkill. If you have at least a handful of employees and repeatable business processes, there's usually something worth looking at.

Do you work outside Nebraska and Iowa?

Yes. We're based in the Midwest and most of our clients are here, but we work remotely with businesses across the U.S. If your team is distributed or you prefer remote-first engagement, that's how we operate anyway.

We're not a tech company — does that matter?

It's actually why we exist. Most of our clients are in manufacturing, trades, agriculture, or professional services — businesses where the people running things are operators, not technologists. We translate between the technical and the practical so you don't have to become an expert.

Process

What do I need to have ready before we start?

Not much. You need to be able to describe your main workflows and have access to whoever runs your day-to-day operations. We don't need a clean data warehouse or a finished tech stack — we figure out what you have and work from there.

How long does a Discovery Sprint take?

About two weeks from kickoff to written deliverable. We'll need a couple of focused conversations with you or your team — typically two to three hours of your time total across the engagement.

What happens after the Discovery Sprint?

You get a written summary of findings and recommendations. If there's a clear opportunity and you want to move forward, we'll scope an implementation project and give you a fixed price. If the timing isn't right or the ROI isn't there, we part ways with no pressure.

Risk

What if we don't see results?

We scope work around specific, measurable outcomes — time saved, errors reduced, a process that used to take hours now running automatically. If we can't define what success looks like before we start, we won't start. That said, we can't guarantee results if business conditions or data change significantly mid-project.

Will this break our existing systems?

That's a legitimate concern and one we take seriously. We build around what you have, not in place of it. Any integration with existing software is tested in a staged environment before it touches live operations. We move carefully.

Technical

Do we need to upgrade our ERP or buy new software?

Usually no. Most of what we build works with the systems you already have — whether that's QuickBooks, a legacy ERP, spreadsheets, or something industry-specific. We'll tell you upfront if there's a tool you'd genuinely benefit from, but we don't push software we have a stake in.

What data do you need access to?

It depends on the workflow we're automating, but typically operational data relevant to the process in question — job records, inventory, scheduling, etc. We'll specify exactly what we need before we need it, and we don't retain your data after the engagement. We can sign an NDA before the first conversation if you prefer.

Trust

Are you a solo consultant or a firm?

Sand Creek Technologies is a small, specialized consultancy — not a solo freelancer, not a large agency. You’ll get senior-level attention on your project without the overhead and account management layers of a big firm.

Who will actually do the work?

The people you talk to during scoping are the people who build the solution. We don't hand your project off to a junior team or overseas contractors after the sale. What you see in the conversation is what you get in delivery.

Straight answers to common questions.