- Ask to see working software, not slides: a live demo or a pilot on your own data.
- Check how the agency handles data protection, hosting and access to your systems.
- Get a fixed price after a pilot, and make sure you own the code and data.
- Ask who runs and improves the system after launch, and at what monthly cost.
Why choosing well matters
An AI project touches your customers, your data and your core systems. A weak partner leaves you with a demo that impresses in a meeting but fails with real emails, real documents and real customers. The questions below are the ones we would ask ourselves if we were buying.
1. Can you show me something that works?
Ask for a live demo you can click through yourself, or better, a short pilot on your own examples. A serious agency can show working software within days. Be careful if all you get is a presentation.
2. Which process would you automate first, and why?
A good partner talks about your process before talking about models. They should ask how the work is done today, how many cases you handle and how you will measure success, for example hours saved or response time.
3. How do you connect to our systems?
Most of the value comes from integration: your ERP, CRM, email and document storage. Ask which interfaces they use, whether they have worked with your systems before (for example SAP), and how they avoid changing the core system.
4. Where will our data be stored and processed?
Ask where the application runs, which AI model provider is used, whether your data is used for training, and whether hosting in the UAE is possible. If you are in DIFC or ADGM, ask how their rules are covered.
5. What happens when the AI is wrong?
Every AI system makes mistakes. Ask how answers are tested, how the system shows its sources, when a human must approve, and how errors are reported and fixed.
6. Do you work in Arabic?
If your customers or employees write in Arabic, test it in the pilot with real messages, including Gulf dialect. Check right-to-left layouts in the interface as well.
7. What is the price, and what is included?
Ask for a fixed price once the scope is clear, and for a clear list of what is included: integrations, languages, training, documentation and revisions. Check for per-user fees that grow with your team.
8. Who owns the code and the data?
You should own your data and, ideally, the custom code built for you. Ask for documentation and a handover plan so that your own team or another partner could take over.
9. Who runs it after launch?
AI systems need monitoring, model updates and small improvements. Ask about support plans, response times and the monthly cost before you start.
10. Is the company properly licensed?
Ask for the trade licence and the legal entity that will sign the contract. For larger projects, ask for references you can call.
A simple way to compare agencies
Give two or three agencies the same small task, such as answering ten real customer emails or processing twenty real invoices, and compare the results. Working software on your own data tells you more than any proposal.
You can run this test with us too: request a free pilot or first try our live demos.