Questions, answered
The things professional services firms usually want to know before they get in touch. If yours isn't here, just ask.
What does Foriva actually do?
We help professional services firms work out where AI genuinely fits - and then build it. It happens in two parts: AI Studio is the discovery work, where we learn how your firm operates and produce a clear plan for what's worth doing. Build Studio is where we build it. Same team across both.
How is this different from a strategy consultancy?
A consultancy hands you a report and leaves. We're built to do the opposite - discovery exists to lead to something real, and the people who scope the work are the ones who build it. You're not paying for a deck that sits in a drawer.
And how is it different from a development shop?
A dev shop needs you to already know what you want built. Most firms don't - they know something's inefficient, but not what to do about it. We start by understanding the firm, not by taking an order. The build follows the thinking, not the other way round.
Do we need to know what we want before we talk to you?
No. Most firms come to us with a sense that AI should be helping somewhere, but no clear picture of where. Working that out is exactly what AI Studio is for.
What happens on the first conversation?
It's a free 30-minute call with the people who'd actually do the work. We talk through how your firm operates, where the time goes, and whether there's something genuinely worth exploring. No pitch, no obligation - if it's not a fit, we'll say so.
How much does it work cost?
Discovery is scoped to your firm - anything from a single focussed day to a full month - and priced clearly up front, so you always know the commercial position before committing. We'll talk you through the right option on your first call. No open-ended scopes, no estimates that drift.
How do you handle our data and security?
Carefully, and in plain terms. Your production data stays where it is, we build and test with synthetic data, and we work within your firm's existing governance. Our full approach is set out on our security and confidentiality page.
Will this create work for our IT team?
The intention is the opposite. We work with your IT team and within your existing processes, not around them - and everything we build is documented and handed over, so your team is never left supporting something they don't understand.
Your engineering team is in Sri Lanka - does our data leave the UK?
No. We build and test using synthetic data, not your real client information, and where production access is restricted to the UK or Europe, our Colombo team does not access those systems. Live data stays under your control, in your environment.
Who owns what you build?
You get full use of the systems we build for your firm, on terms agreed up front, and anything specific to your firm stays confidential to you. As with any experienced partner, we retain our own underlying methods and general components so we can keep working quickly across engagements. The exact terms are set out in your agreement.
How quickly can we get started?
The first step takes under five minutes - a short questionnaire so we understand your firm before we speak. We read every one ourselves, usually within a working day, and if there's a fit we'll set up your first conversation.
Still have a question?
The best way to find out if there's something here for your firm is a short, no-obligation conversation.
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