How we work
Consulting has a bad reputation for good reason: long decks, vague deliverables, hourly billing. Northbound was set up as the opposite.
Problem first, technology second
We do not start from AI. We start from the process that costs you: the month-end close that takes three days, quotes written by hand, customer questions answered from a price list. If we cannot put a number next to the problem, we do not proceed.
Vendor independence
We do not resell software, we have no commission agreements, we are nobody's "partner" for sales purposes. Implementation, when needed, is done by software house partners selected per project, with us on your side of the table.
Evidence, not promises
Especially in compliance, we never say "you are compliant". We say "these are the measures you took, this is the evidence, this remains open". That is how you answer an auditor, a supervisor or a client.
Management language
Our deliverables read equally well for a CFO, a legal counsel and an IT director. If a translator is needed between the technical text and the decision, the text did not do its job.
What to expect
A typical engagement, from first contact to deliverable.
30-minute conversation
We listen to the problem, ask what you already use, and say honestly whether we can help. No slides.
Fixed-price proposal
Specific deliverables, specific duration, specific amount. No hourly billing and no surprises.
Discovery
Interviews with the departments involved, access to systems and documents, a record of the real picture.
Analysis and drafting
First-version deliverables, review with you, final version. Your comments get incorporated, not "noted".
Presentation to management
We present the findings to management or the board, together with you. The hard questions get answered there, not afterwards.
Continuity, if you want it
Monthly support or the next deliverable. No obligation to continue and no need to start from zero.
The network behind Northbound
Northbound is a boutique by intent. The founder is personally involved in every engagement, and around him is a network of partners activated according to scope: software houses for implementation, lawyers specialised in technology and data protection, certification bodies for ISO 42001 and 27001, specialised data scientists.
We are a member of Anthropic's Claude Partner Network and collaborate with research teams on European AI and data projects. It means that what we recommend, we have seen work, and fail, in practice.
How we charge
Fixed price per deliverable. Each service is a clearly defined package (e.g. gap analysis and risk register, AI policy, readiness diagnostic) with a price you know before we start. Packages combine at a discount.
The one-day executive training has a public price of €800 + VAT within Attica. Monthly support (AI Officer as a Service) is a fixed monthly fee. Project management and business analysis as a service are charged per day within an agreed frame.
Let us find out where you stand.
A 30-minute conversation on where your organisation stands against the EU AI Act and what is worth doing first. You leave with a clear picture, not a sales pitch.