What the first budget actually buys
We read dated supplier material and separate what companies say from our recommendations. Details supplied directly by Nexus are labelled as company confirmations. We have not run delivery trials. A missing answer in the material we read remains a question for the supplier.
We favour help with building and running the first automation. This is a judgement about fit, not a score from delivery tests. Your requirements may lead to a different choice.
Evidence types
- Public documents
- Material that readers can open is cited with the date it was checked.
- Company statements
- Information supplied by a company is attributed and is not treated as public verification.
- Recorded observations
- Observations are included only when a dated record shows what was checked.
What this method does not cover
- Hands-on delivery tests or independently checked client results.
- Legal advice on ownership, data protection or certification.
- A claim that one agency is right for every first AI project.
What we look at
What the budget buys
What will you be able to use when this part of the work is finished?
Evidence requested: Ask for the price, what it includes, what it excludes, what your team must provide, recurring costs and the next purchase.
Work left to your team
Who knows the process, who builds the system and who looks after the result?
Evidence requested: Name the people on both sides, their time commitments, who covers absence and what your team must learn at handover.
What counts as finished
What must work before you agree that the job is done?
Evidence requested: Agree the inputs, expected answers, failure cases and quality needed. Name the person who will accept the work.
What you keep
What can you keep, change and run after the agency leaves?
Evidence requested: List the assets and licences, how you can export them and what access you retain. Ask to see the handover work.
Help after launch
Who fixes a fault or changes a rule after launch?
Evidence requested: Agree support hours and response commitments, change costs, absence cover and how to pause the service or return to the old process.
Revision log
Added guides on setting a first budget, interviewing the delivery team and comparing proposals, with criteria for scope, acceptance, handover and support.
Editorial scope, Comparison criteria, Recommendations, Provider reviews, Buying guides, Sources and correctionsOrganised the buying criteria and proposal comparison around a diagram connecting budget, deliverable, team, acceptance and support.
Page designRewrote the reviews and buying guides in everyday language, with clearer headlines and practical examples. Kept the sources, questions and limits behind each recommendation.
Editorial scope, Page design, Comparison criteria, Recommendations, Provider reviews, Buying guides, Sources and correctionsCorrections
To request a correction, send the page address, the statement you question and the evidence supporting a change through the listed contact. Material corrections should say what changed and when. Rewriting an article does not make its sources more recent.
Please include: Publication name, Page URL, Statement to review, Supporting source, Date checked.
Request a correctioncontact@gpt.nexus