Blueprint: we learn your business, design the AI solution that fits, and give you one clear answer backed by KPIs and ROI. Implementation: when something is built, we take it live, train your people and measure the result. We sell no AI, so the advice is ours alone.
A free 15 minute intro call with Gaurav Malhotra, our managing director. If it’s a fit, we book a 60 minute briefing for another day.
Pick the line that sounds like you. Each one has its own page with the full details.
About to buy AI, want AI or validate your plans
“Where will AI make us money, and what should we configure, buy, build or wait on?”
See how it worksSounds like you if:
“Budget season is here, and next year’s AI line needs a number behind it.”
“Our board asked for an AI plan, and we don’t want to guess.”
“A vendor proposal is sitting on my desk. Is it worth it?”
Our AI is built but not in use yet
“How do we get what’s built working in the business?”
Often follows an AI Activation review.
See how it worksSounds like you if:
“Our AI is built, but it still isn’t live.”
“We launched it, and the team went right back to the old way.”
“Our agency built it. We need someone to take it live and train our people.”
Our AI is live but not paying off
“Why isn’t our AI delivering, and should we keep, fix, replace or stop it?”
See how it worksSounds like you if:
“We pay for Copilot seats, and I’m not sure anyone uses them.”
“Our AI went live months ago and still hasn’t hit its goal.”
“A renewal is coming up. Do we keep it, fix it or drop it?”
Answer a short set of questions and get a two page report by email within one business day.
Same path for every service. It starts free, the targets come before any results, and it ends with one recommendation.
Before we start
15 minutes with our managing director to see if we’re a fit, or AI Value, a 5 minute assessment you take yourself. If it’s a fit, we book a 60 minute Executive AI Briefing with your leadership for another day.
Within 7 business days of the briefing, you get a one page summary with up to three fixed fee options, ours marked, and “not yet” when that’s the honest answer.
Fee, scope and dates come in writing. Then we agree the targets and how we’ll measure them, before we look at any results.
The work
We use interviews, your data and your systems. When AI isn’t paying off, we test six links in order to find the first one that broke.
Whoever built a system gets a written right of reply before our findings are final.
You get the alternatives we weighed, a written report and a live presentation to your leadership team.
The six links we test, in order
Goal
What the AI is meant to improve, written as a number.
Design
How the tool fits the work and the people who use it.
Build
The tool is built and set up the way it was designed.
Data
The right data reaches it, clean and connected.
Use
People actually use it in their daily work.
Measurement
Results are tracked against where you started.
Four independent surveys, drawn so you can see them. This is what we help you get ahead of.
56%
of CEOs have seen no significant financial benefit from AI. We find out why.
PwC Global CEO Survey, January 2026, 4,454 CEOs worldwide
92%
of CFOs and senior finance leaders feel pressure to show AI returns. We give them the number.
Avalara via WICPA, July 2026, 1,505 finance leaders
0% to 40% and beyond
Over 40%
of AI agent projects will be canceled by the end of 2027 over rising costs and unclear value, Gartner expects. Plan yours before you sign.
Gartner forecast, reported by Reuters, June 2025
53%
of companies whose AI pilots had limited success name data quality as a top barrier, and 47% name integration. Connecting and testing is our job.
RSM, July 2026, 1,030 leaders at $30M to $10B companies
No referral fees, resale margins or incentives from any AI vendor or developer, ever.
Keep, fix, replace or stop. Configure, buy, build or wait. One recommendation, the alternatives we weighed, and “not yet” when it’s the honest answer.
We agree on targets and how to measure them before we look at results, then test every link from goal to measurement.
No hourly billing. Your fee, scope and dates come in writing after a briefing.
Word for word, in every proposal we send.
No referral fees, resale margins or incentives from any AI vendor or developer, ever.
One clear recommendation, with the alternatives we weighed. “Not yet” or “don’t buy” is always one of them.
Whoever built a system gets a written right of reply before our findings are final.
If a referral partner introduced us, or we’ve worked with an agency whose work is on the table, we tell you.
US companies in any industry with $5M to $500M in revenue. We work remotely across the US and in person in Chicagoland.
Production, purchasing, quality, logistics and customer service are common places to start.
Accounting, law, consulting and engineering firms.
CEO or owner
“Is AI working here, and what should we do next?”
CFO
“What are we spending, what is it returning, and what should we cut?”
COO
“Why aren’t people using it, and how do we change the process?”
Managing partner
“How do we use AI without hurting quality, billable hours or client trust?”
IT leaders and managed service providers often shape the decision, and we work alongside them. Working with an AI agency? We can partner with them to take your build live, unbranded or under both our names.
Creative Ground has worked with businesses since 2014. Our engineers have built AI agents for many companies, which is how we know where builds break.
Yes. We are an independent AI consulting firm in Chicago, working with midsize US companies nationwide. We plan your AI before you pay for it, take built AI live, and review AI that isn’t paying off. We sell no AI.
No. We take no referral fees, resale margins or incentives from any AI vendor or developer, ever. The fixed fee you pay is how we’re paid.
No. We plan it, review it or take what’s built live. Defects in the original build stay with the builder, and our plans go to any developer you choose.
Fixed fees, quoted in writing after a briefing. No hourly billing. Each service page lists its starting price in its details.
You agree the targets and how we measure them with us before we look at any results. Every fee and payment stage is in writing before you sign.
Book a free 15 minute intro call with our managing director. If it’s a fit, we book a 60 minute briefing with your leadership for another day. Within 7 business days of it, you get a one page summary with up to three fixed fee options, ours marked, and “not yet” if that’s the honest answer.
A 5 minute assessment you take yourself. You get a two page report by email within one business day, on where your company stands with AI and where to look first.
US companies with $5M to $500M in revenue, starting with manufacturers, distributors and professional services firms. We’re not taking healthcare providers as clients yet.
Yes. We can partner with you to take a client’s build live, unbranded or under both our names. We never take referral fees.
That’s every detail. Questions left? Ask us in person.
Start with a free 15 minute intro call with our managing director. If it’s a fit, we book a 60 minute briefing with your leadership for another day. Within 7 business days of it, you get up to three fixed fee options, ours marked, and ‘not yet’ if that’s the honest answer.