Resser Solutions

Buyer guide··6 min read

How to Write a Brief for an AI Project (That Gets a Useful Quote Back)

The 8-section AI project brief template we use at Resser. Fill it once and any agency can quote you accurately.

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How to write a brief for an AI project: keep it short but specific. Eight sections, one paragraph each. If you fill these, any reputable agency can quote you accurately and any agency that asks 'just send us your ideas' is going to deliver a generic system.

The 8 sections

  1. 01Outcome , what business outcome we are buying. Not 'use AI', but 'reduce manual triage by 50%'.
  2. 02Users , who uses this and where in their workflow.
  3. 03Current state , what they do today without AI.
  4. 04Existing systems , CRM, ERP, DB, document stores the AI must read or write.
  5. 05Data , what's available, where, and any sensitivity (PII, PHI, regulated).
  6. 06Deploy target , cloud (which), on-prem, air-gapped.
  7. 07Constraints , budget envelope, deadline, compliance, vendor preferences.
  8. 08Definition of done , what proves the project worked. The eval bar.

FAQ

Frequently asked.

Do we have to know exactly what we want to build?

No , that's what discovery week is for. But you do need to know the OUTCOME you are buying. If you don't know what 'success' looks like, no agency can quote you accurately.

Should we include budget in the brief?

Yes, even a rough range. Agencies that won't quote without knowing budget are unprofessional, but agencies that can't shape a proposal without a budget envelope are honest. Both happen.

What's the worst thing we can include in a brief?

Specific implementation choices ('we want LangChain') before the problem is scoped. Stay at the outcome level. Implementation is for the agency to propose after discovery.

Where do we send the brief?

Use our project-estimate form , it covers the same 8 sections in a structured way and gets a reply within one business day. Or send PDF / wireframes via the file-upload field.

Have a project like this? Send the brief.

We reply within one business day with a preliminary scope and a rough budget bracket.

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