Company · Engagement models

Five ways to work with us, each scoped to your operation

We don't publish a price list, because the same module can be a light configuration for one business and a serious integration for another. Every engagement is scoped and quoted after a discovery call, in writing, with the assumptions shown.

Three backpacks of increasing size on a sandstone ledge, partly open to show packed gear.
Field noteEngagements come in pack sizes. Carry only what the trip ahead actually needs.

Engagement models

Engagement models

Most clients start with a Discovery Sprint or a Pilot and grow from there. You can also enter at any point if the first bet is already clear.

01 3–4 weeks

Discovery Sprint

A focused diagnostic of your operation that ends in a decision: what to pilot first, what to leave alone, and what it will take.

Best for Teams that know AI matters but haven't chosen the first bet

  • Operations walkthrough and time study on real work
  • Supplier and systems data audit
  • Ranked opportunity map, with risks
  • One pilot design with baseline metrics
  • Written roadmap and quote for next steps
Explore the sprint
02 8–12 weeks

Pilot

Usually one or two modules running on live trips with a defined team, measured every week against the baseline from your sprint.

Best for Proving value on real operations before a longer commitment

  • Module configuration on your own data
  • Integration with one or two core systems
  • Evaluation sets built from your trips
  • Weekly scorecard and review
  • Go/no-go review with the numbers on one page
Request a quote
03 Annual, modular

Platform subscription

The modules you choose (Itinerary Studio, Route Engine, Booking Flow, Signals, Concierge, Agent Gateway) on one shared data layer, licensed annually.

Best for Operations ready to run AI-assisted workflows every day

  • Your selected modules on a shared data layer
  • Ongoing updates to the modules you license
  • Support with severity-based response targets
  • Usage and performance reporting
  • Room to change your module mix at renewal
See the platform
04 Milestone-based

Build partnership

Custom booking engines, planners, apps and integrations, built on Nova components and delivered in milestones you accept.

Best for Products and workflows no off-the-shelf module covers

  • Product discovery and design
  • Development on Nova components
  • Milestone demos with agreed acceptance criteria
  • Documentation and a hand-over plan
  • Ownership and licensing terms agreed up front
Explore custom development
05 Ongoing

Managed AI operations

We run, watch and tune AI features in production so your team can focus on travelers instead of dashboards.

Best for AI features that are live, or about to be

  • Evaluation and regression testing
  • Monitoring of grounding, latency, cost and overrides
  • Prompt, model and configuration tuning
  • Incident handling and blameless reviews
  • Monthly review with your team
Explore managed AI operations

Scope

What drives scope

Quotes move with a handful of factors. We name each one in writing so you can see exactly where the effort goes.

Systems to connect

Each integration (PMS, reservation system, channel manager, CRM, payment provider) adds design, testing and monitoring. Standard REST APIs are quicker than CSV over SFTP; both work.

State of your data

Clean supplier and content data shortens everything. Three spellings of the same lodge, policies in inboxes and a spreadsheet per season add data engineering time.

Modules and channels

One module on one channel is a different job from Concierge on web chat, WhatsApp, SMS and email in three languages.

Volume and seasonality

Proposals, bookings, conversations and agent requests per month, and how sharply they peak in high season.

Approval and governance

Approval thresholds, audit requirements, sensitive traveler data and your own security review all shape the work, and we scope each explicitly.

Who runs it afterward

Handing over to your team takes documentation and training. Managed AI operations takes ongoing time from ours.

Quotes

How a quote comes together

  1. 01

    Discovery call

    45 minutes

    We learn your operation, goals and constraints, and tell you honestly whether we're the right fit.

  2. 02

    Written scope

    Usually within a week

    A short proposal: the engagement model, what's in and out of scope, assumptions, timeline and price.

  3. 03

    Review together

    We walk through it with you, adjust the scope, and show where costs move if an assumption changes.

  4. 04

    Kickoff

    Sign, schedule the kickoff, and we start on your team's calendar, not ours. High season is a bad time to begin a pilot, and we'll say so.

Side by side

Subscribe or build?

Many clients use both: modules for the common work, custom development for what makes them different. Here's how the two compare.

AspectPlatform subscriptionBuild partnership
What you getProven modules on a shared data layer, configured to your operation.Software designed for your specific product or workflow.
Time to first live useTypically within a pilot.Set by milestones, and usually longer.
Commercial shapeAnnual subscription, modular.Milestone-based, scoped phase by phase.
OwnershipYou license the modules. Your data stays yours.Set in the contract. Underlying Nova components stay licensed.
MaintenanceIncluded in the subscription.Handed over to your team, or continued through Managed AI operations.
Best whenYour need looks like the work the modules already do.Your advantage depends on something no module does yet.

Questions

Questions about engagements

Why don't you publish prices?

Because the same module can take a short configuration or a multi-month integration, depending on your systems and data. A number on this page would be wrong for most readers. We quote in writing after a discovery call, with the assumptions shown.

Is the discovery call free?

Yes. It's a 45-minute working conversation, with no obligation on either side.

Can we start with one module?

Yes, and most clients do. Modules share a data layer, so adding another later doesn't mean starting over.

Do we need a Discovery Sprint before a Pilot?

Not always. If you already have a clear, measurable problem and reasonably clean data, we can scope a Pilot directly. The sprint exists for when the first bet isn't obvious.

Is integration work priced separately?

Integration effort is scoped explicitly and shown as its own line in the quote, so you can see what drives it and decide what to phase.

Are you a fit for small operators?

Often, yes. Many of the businesses we work with are small, family-run teams. If a lighter starting point makes more sense, we'll tell you on the call.

What contract lengths do you offer?

Sprints and Pilots are fixed-length. Platform subscriptions are annual. Build partnerships run by milestone, and Managed AI operations continues on the terms set in your agreement.

Request a quote

Tell us about your operation and what you'd like to change. We'll come back with a scoped proposal in writing, with no price list and no surprises.