Why most briefs fail
Most AI project briefs are either too vague to produce useful proposals or too prescriptive to allow the vendor to apply their expertise. Both produce bad outcomes.
Too vague: a brief that says we want to use AI to improve our customer service gives vendors no basis to propose a specific, costed solution. You will get generic proposals that do not reflect your actual situation.
Too prescriptive: a brief that specifies the exact architecture, model, and implementation approach prevents the vendor from bringing their own experience to bear. You are paying for expertise and then overriding it before the work starts.
The structure that works
A good AI project brief covers six things: the business context, the specific problem, the desired outcome, the constraints, the current state, and the success criteria.
Business context: what does your company do, who are your customers, and what is the relevant background for this initiative?
Specific problem: what is the exact workflow, decision, or operation you want AI to address?
Desired outcome: what does success look like in measurable terms?
Constraints: what are the non-negotiables? Budget range, timeline, compliance requirements, integration requirements.
Current state: what do you have today? Data sources, existing tools, current workflow.
Success criteria: how will you evaluate whether the delivered system is working?
What to include about data
Always include a data section in your brief. Document what data sources are available, approximately what volume, how they are currently stored and accessed, and what data quality issues you are aware of.
This section alone will save significant time in discovery and will result in more accurate proposals from any vendor you engage.
"The vendors who ask the best questions during proposal are usually the ones doing the best work."
A sample brief template
If you want a copy of the Agintex AI project brief template, which we use for all incoming client discovery, reach out through our website. We send it to any organization that asks, regardless of whether they end up working with us.
A good brief makes the entire process better for everyone involved.
About author
Tobias oversees software, product engineering, and connected systems at Agintex. He writes about technical architecture, IoT integration, UI/UX engineering, and what it actually takes to ship a product that works at scale.
Tobias Lane
Head of Engineering
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