FAQ
Questions
Straight answers on independence, fees, legal limits, and how an engagement starts. If your question is about a live incident with personal data, write to us and copy your counsel.
Most first calls cover the same few points
Practice
How we are paid and what we refuse
These answers are part of trust. Singaporeaitools would rather lose a brief than blur the edges of the work.
Do you sell software or take a vendor commission?
No. The practice earns fees only from advice. If a tool is a poor fit we will say so, including tools you already pay for. You buy any licence directly from the vendor. There is no partner list behind the recommendation.
Will you write production software for us?
No. Your team, or a builder you appoint, writes and runs the system. We advise on design, tests, data paths, and whether the pilot is teaching a useful lesson. That boundary keeps the advice independent of a delivery pipeline.
Is your PDPA work legal advice?
No. We help you map flows, pose questions, and draft operational rules you can take to qualified counsel. Information on this site is general guidance and does not constitute legal advice. For binding interpretation of the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA), work with a lawyer.
Can you guarantee a percentage of savings?
No, and we will not put a made-up figure in a slide. Savings depend on volume, error cost, and whether people change the process. We help you pick measures before a pilot so you can judge the result yourselves.
Fit and time
Who we work with and how long things take
What size of organisation do you work with?
Typically firms of about fifty to five hundred people, in Singapore and nearby markets. Leadership is still close enough to change a process. The organisation is large enough that an ungoverned tool will spread. We decline work that is really a product build or a legal opinion.
Do you work only in Singapore?
The practice is established in Singapore in 2026 and most fieldwork is here. We also advise regional teams that keep a centre of gravity in Singapore. Remote interviews are normal. If your data and people sit entirely in another jurisdiction, say so early so we can judge whether we are still useful.
How quickly do you reply, and how long is a review?
We reply to new notes within one working day, Monday to Friday. The first conversation is thirty to forty-five minutes. A readiness review usually runs four to six weeks after a scoping note is signed. Vendor assessments and shortlisting can be shorter. Supervised pilots follow the length of your build.
Can we skip the review and go straight to a single use case?
Yes, if you already have an owner, a clear job for the model, and a description of the files. We will still ask those three questions. If the answers are missing, a short review is usually cheaper than a stalled pilot. See also the note on questions to settle before any pilot.
Money and paper
Fees, NDAs, and tools you already have
How do you charge?
A fixed fee for a defined volume of work, written in a scoping note you sign before interviews. Invoices follow that note. Ongoing advice can sit on a monthly retainer for a set number of hours. The first conversation is free. There is no vendor rebate.
Will you sign a non-disclosure agreement?
Yes, on request, before sample files move. We prefer samples with personal data removed. Where personal data must be seen, the scoping note states storage, access, and deletion. Working copies are deleted at close-out unless you ask us to retain a defined set.
We already pay for several AI tools. Is that a problem?
It is a common starting point. We map what you pay for, who has accounts, and what data has been going out. Some subscriptions stay. Some should pause until there is a rule. We do not need you to switch everything off before we talk.
We already have a vendor shortlisted. Will you still be independent?
Yes. A vendor assessment can start with a name already on the table. We will still run a trial on your files, read the terms, and say if we would wait or choose a narrower use. We will not pretend a purchase is wise in order to keep the peace.
What happens in the first conversation?
We ask what changed, who feels the friction, and what a useful next quarter would look like. You receive a written recap even if you do not continue. There is no slide theatre and no obligation to buy a review on the call. Write to us when you are ready.