Why 90 days works
Eighteen months is long enough that the people who approved the investment have often moved on before results are due. Short enough to keep the renewal conversation alive before the full picture is clear.
Ninety days is not an arbitrary benchmark. It is the minimum period in which a properly structured AI deployment — governed data, defined use case, clear outcome — should demonstrate measurable progress.
The questions that change the conversation
Start here instead: "What specific, measurable outcome will this engagement deliver in 90 days?"
What the answers tell you
"Our standard implementation is 12-18 months." This is a commercial structure, not a technical constraint.
Building the accountability structure
Define the outcome in the contract, not the proposal. Establish the baseline in the first two weeks. Define the consequence of underperformance. Run a 45-day check-in.
The KPIs that matter
Track metrics that appear on a balance sheet or P&L: margin recovery, working capital improvement, forecast accuracy, close cycle compression, reconciliation cost.
Aevah is built on the 90-day outcome standard. Governed data, defined result, no rip-and-replace.
[Forward this to whoever is reviewing your next AI vendor proposal.]
