Most engagements are measured in weeks to a few months, not years. A typical path is: short readiness audit → focused pilot (often a few weeks) → hardware install and rollout → training.

A single high-value pilot (for example chat over your existing documents) can be live quickly once we agree scope. Full multi-use-case deployments take longer because we size hardware, ingest data carefully, and train your team — still usually well under a long “digital transformation” timeline. See our manufacturing case study for a ~3-month style rollout example.

New data can be included. We design pipelines so fresh files, logs, or exports can be indexed or ingested on a schedule (or when they land in agreed folders/systems).

That way the AI doesn’t freeze at install day — it keeps learning from what your business produces next, while still running on your premises. Exact refresh options depend on where your data lives (shared drives, databases, machine exports, etc.).

Capacity depends on hardware (disk, RAM, GPUs) and how we index content. Local systems commonly handle tens to hundreds of gigabytes of business archives; larger estates are possible with the right storage and indexing strategy.

Our anonymised manufacturing example involved on the order of ~500GB+ of historical material. We size the workstation (or server) during the audit so storage and search performance match your volume — you’re not paying per-token cloud fees as the archive grows.

Yes, within practical limits. We routinely work with:

• PDFs, Word, spreadsheets, emails, logs — strongest “chat with your data” experience
• Drawings / CAD-related material — often via PDFs, exports, metadata, BOMs, or notes linked to the drawing; full native CAD intelligence varies by format
• Images and scans — OCR and description where quality allows
• Audio — transcription for meetings or notes if you want that pipeline

Blueprints and drawings are often most useful when paired with job history, material specs, and past parameters — that’s where private AI shines for manufacturers.

We can still help. Paper and “tribal knowledge” are common.

• Digitise what matters — scan priority archives; we can advise what is worth scanning first
• Start with digital sources — many businesses already have enough PDFs, exports, and emails for a strong pilot
• Capture experts — structured notes, SOPs, or short recorded walkthroughs become part of the knowledge base

You don’t need a perfect digital estate on day one. The audit identifies the highest-value path from “mostly paper / messy folders” to a usable private AI.

No — that is the point of local AI. Models and your business data run on hardware we deploy in your environment. Production data is not sent to public cloud AI APIs for inference or training.

Optional internet access for software updates is a separate, controlled decision. Sensitive corpora stay on your side of the firewall.

Yes. Day-to-day use is usually a type-chat interface grounded in your data — ask for reports, look for patterns, or help write small programs that run often.

With a microphone and speakers (or a suitable headset/tablet setup), you can also voice-chat with the same system — useful on the shop floor or anywhere hands-free is better than a keyboard.

We favour fixed-price projects where we can, so you have budget certainty. Smaller setups and pilots are often in the lower thousands; fuller assessment plus deployment is higher (commonly in the order of roughly $3k–$25k depending on scope). Hardware is part of the investment and is sized to your load.

Optional monthly retainers cover updates, new data sources, and new tools. Every serious proposal includes a simple ROI / payback sketch.

We specify and typically supply or build a custom secure workstation or server (GPU capacity, RAM, storage) matched to your data volume and concurrent users. You own the equipment; it stays on your site.

If you already have suitable hardware, we can evaluate reuse. Guessing a laptop under a desk is usually the wrong answer for multi-user shop systems — we size it properly in the audit.

Yes for core use. Once installed, chat, search, and local tools are designed to work on your network without public internet. That is a major difference from cloud chatbots. Internet may only be needed if you choose remote support or updates.

Systems are designed for multiple users on your LAN (office PCs, tablets, or shop terminals), within the limits of the hardware we install. We plan concurrent use during sizing so quoting, maintenance, and admin don’t fight over one overloaded box.

You get a conversational interface, but the important difference is where it runs and what it knows. Public tools are general and cloud-hosted. Ours is private, grounded in your documents and processes, and stays inside your business. That is what makes it safe for IP-heavy manufacturing, professional services, and regulated work.

That’s normal. Local AI sits beside the systems you keep in the cloud. We integrate carefully: exports, agreed folders, or APIs where appropriate — without dumping your entire confidential archive into a public model provider.

Manufacturing is a strong fit (CNC logs, drawings, quoting), but the same pattern applies to any business with sensitive or high-value internal data: professional services, health-adjacent admin, logistics, and other SEQ SMBs that want AI without data leaving site.

You own the system. We train your people and document how to use it. Optional retainers cover model updates, new data sources, new automations, and help when you invent the next use case. You’re not locked into a usage-based cloud bill.

Brisbane, Queensland — Adventures in Silicon Pty Ltd (ABN 94 153 220 565). We work on-site and remotely across South East Queensland. Start at Contact.