Ancient Labs

Process

How we work.

A structured path from scattered data to one AI use case in production. Each phase ends with a clear decision—continue, pause, or stop with value in hand.

1
WEEK 0

Intro & Discovery (No obligation)

We start with a short working session to understand your goals, constraints, and context. We look at what you've already tried—or wanted to try—with AI, and where things stalled. We assess business goals, existing systems, past AI attempts, and organisational readiness. Decision gate: Proceed to AI Readiness Assessment.

2
WEEKS 1–2

AI Readiness Assessment

We dig into your data and systems to understand what's actually possible. This is mostly interviews, light audits, and hands-on review—not heavy build work. You get a readiness score, clear blockers, and 2–3 realistic AI use cases ranked by effort vs. impact. Decision gate: Proceed to Data Foundations—or stop with a clear plan.

3
WEEKS 3–4

Planning & Architecture

We translate findings into a concrete plan with current-state and proposed architecture diagrams, a prioritised foundation roadmap, and clear scope for implementation. Decision gate: Sign off on Data Foundations work.

4
WEEKS 5–10

Data Foundations Build

We implement the minimum infrastructure needed to make AI viable. We wire and clean data from the right systems, define schemas and access rules, set up ETL/ELT pipelines, and add governance plus health checks. Outcome: a production-ready data foundation with trusted analytics. Decision gate: Proceed to an AI use case—or pause with production-ready foundations.

5
WEEKS 11–18

AI Use Case Build

We ship one AI workflow tied to a real KPI. We scope, integrate, validate, and iterate the solution—whether that's internal search, support automation, analytics augmentation, or decision support. Outcome: one AI use case live in production.

6
FINAL STEP

Handoff & Ownership

You own the code, data, and documentation. We run a walkthrough with your team and leave you with a clear roadmap for iteration, expansion, or independence.

Our principles

How we make decisions.

Guidelines we bring into every engagement.

Ownership

You own the IP and the code. No proprietary black boxes.

Simplicity

Boring tech is better tech. We choose standard, proven tools over hype.

Security First

We assume breach. Least-privilege access and encryption are defaults, not features.

Ready to build your data foundation?