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Phase 3 — Monthly Retainer
AI workflows aren’t set-and-forget — we keep yours running.
APIs change, models drift, and edge cases eventually break the automation nobody’s watching. Managed AI Operations keeps the systems we build online, without you needing a full-time AI engineer on staff.
What Breaks Without It
The build isn’t the risk — what happens after is.
A workflow that worked perfectly at launch can quietly degrade over months as vendors update APIs, model behavior shifts, and real-world data sends it something it wasn’t built to handle. Someone needs to be watching for that.
- Ongoing model monitoring & drift checks
- Prompt tuning as models and inputs change
- API maintenance as vendors update endpoints
- Exception handling for edge cases in production
- Direct access to us for strategic next steps
Why Workflows Degrade
Three things that go wrong after launch, silently.
APIs Change
Vendors update endpoints, deprecate fields, and change rate limits without much warning.
Models Drift
The model behind a prompt today isn’t guaranteed to behave the same way after a provider update.
Edge Cases Surface
Real-world volume eventually sends a workflow something it wasn’t built to handle.
Retainer vs. a Hire
Weighed against the alternative: hiring for it.
A managed retainer gives you ongoing coverage without a recruiting timeline, a ramp-up period, or the risk of your automation knowledge sitting with one person who might leave.
Frequently asked questions
Answers to common retainer questions
What counts as a “workflow” for retainer scope?
Scope is set by the number and complexity of automations already in production and how much they touch — a single SaaS-to-SaaS workflow requires less ongoing attention than several workflows integrated with a legacy ERP. We agree on scope before the retainer starts.
What if something breaks outside business hours?
The retainer includes exception handling and monitoring, and response expectations for urgent breakages are agreed on as part of scoping — this is discussed directly during onboarding since it varies by how business-critical a given workflow is.
Can we cancel or pause the retainer?
Yes. It’s a month-to-month engagement, not a locked annual contract. If a workflow’s needs change or you bring monitoring in-house, we scope down or end the retainer accordingly.
Do you offer hourly advisory instead of a retainer?
Yes, for strategic questions that fall outside a defined project or retainer scope, hourly advisory is available separately. Most clients with a workflow already in production find a retainer covers their actual need better than ad hoc hours.
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