An AI assistant over documents is one of the most profitable AI projects, but only when introduced carefully. This is the process we use.
1. Pick one clear use case
Not "AI for the whole company", but "AI that answers employee questions about HR procedures" or "AI that searches tax regulations". A narrow start delivers results faster and is easier to measure.
2. Collect documents and real questions
Along with documents, collect 50 to 100 questions people actually ask. That list becomes the basis for measuring accuracy later.
3. Prepare the data
The most important and most underestimated step:
- OCR for scanned documents,
- removing duplicates and outdated versions,
- metadata: document type, validity date, area, access level,
- splitting by structure (chapter, article, paragraph), not randomly.
4. Choose the architecture and model
A vector database (usually PostgreSQL with pgvector), hybrid search (meaning plus keywords), re-ranking, and a model that fits privacy requirements: a commercial API, EU hosting or a local model.
5. Measure accuracy before launch
On the list of real questions we measure: was the right source found, is the answer correct and does the system say "I don't know" when it should. Only when the numbers are good do we move on.
6. Permissions, interface and integrations
Users see only documents they have access to. The interface can be a web app, Teams, Slack or a workspace like Intrascope.
7. Go live and keep improving
We track unanswered questions, fill gaps in documentation and tune retrieval. The assistant is a product that grows, not a one-off project.
Timeline
Prototype in 2 to 4 weeks, MVP in about 2 months, complete system in 3 to 5 months. For the consultancy with a regulatory database the MVP was ready in 2 months.
Ready to start? See our AI document assistant or send an inquiry.
Frequently asked questions
How many documents do I need to start?
A few hundred representative documents and a list of 50 to 100 real user questions are enough to build a prototype and measure accuracy.
Who in the company should be involved?
The process owner (for example legal or HR), a few future users for testing, and IT for access and security.
Tell us what slows you down
We reply within one business day. The first call and the estimate are free.
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