https://smithconsulting.io/insights Articles, explainers and guides on custom AI solutions from Smith Consulting Group. en https://smithconsulting.io/insights/custom-ai-solutions-guide https://smithconsulting.io/insights/custom-ai-solutions-guide Sat, 07 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Guide What custom AI software is, when it's worth building instead of buying, how a project usually runs, and what to ask a firm before you hire one. https://smithconsulting.io/insights/build-or-buy-ai https://smithconsulting.io/insights/build-or-buy-ai Sat, 07 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Article When an off-the-shelf AI product is the better choice, when custom AI software is, and how to settle the question for a specific problem. https://smithconsulting.io/insights/scoping-an-ai-use-case https://smithconsulting.io/insights/scoping-an-ai-use-case Sat, 07 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Article A practical way to scope an AI project: watch the work, choose one problem, write requirements and success measures, then test a prototype. https://smithconsulting.io/insights/what-is-a-forward-deployed-engineer https://smithconsulting.io/insights/what-is-a-forward-deployed-engineer Sat, 07 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Explainer A forward-deployed engineer works inside the client's organization, learning the problem from the people who have it and building software where it's used. https://smithconsulting.io/insights/production-ready-ai https://smithconsulting.io/insights/production-ready-ai Sat, 07 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Explainer A checklist for taking AI software into daily use: integration, security, evaluation, safeguards, human review, monitoring, documentation and ownership. https://smithconsulting.io/insights/why-ai-pilots-stall https://smithconsulting.io/insights/why-ai-pilots-stall Sat, 07 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMT Article Why so many AI pilots never reach daily use, and what tends to get them over the line: a real problem, honest data, agreed measures and proper engineering.