Does a RAG system guarantee correct answers?
No. The pilot defines an evaluation set, measures retrieval and answer behavior, shows sources where implemented, and documents known failure modes. A model output still needs an appropriate review path.
Primary implementation path
Help a defined user group find answers from an approved source set—and show where those answers came from.
Design and pilot a bounded knowledge assistant over approved company documents, with retrieval evaluation, source visibility, and explicit data-flow decisions.
Good fit
- Teams repeatedly searching SOPs, policies, product documentation, or service knowledge
- A data owner who can approve sources and access assumptions
- Subject-matter reviewers who can create and label evaluation questions
- A bounded source set and initial user group
Problems this can address
- Important answers are scattered across folders, tools, and document versions
- Staff repeatedly ask experienced colleagues the same internal questions
- A generic chatbot cannot show which approved source supports an answer
- The buyer needs a measured pilot before a broader knowledge platform
Deliverables
What the scope includes
- Approved source inventory and data-flow diagram
- Ingestion and update workflow for the pilot source set
- Retrieval and answer experience with source visibility where implemented
- A versioned golden set and evaluation report
- Provider, retention, operating-cost, limitation, and handoff notes
How this engagement works
Each stage has a decision and a documented output.
- 1
Inventory sources, users, data boundaries, and update patterns
- 2
Create evaluation questions before tuning the retrieval pipeline
- 3
Build and test ingestion, retrieval, answer, and source display
- 4
Report limitations, operating cost, and production requirements
Qualification
- The source owner can approve documents and provider exposure
- Representative documents and known questions are available
- A reviewer can label supported, unsupported, and incomplete answers
- Data sensitivity and access constraints are known before implementation
Evidence required to publish results
- Versioned synthetic or permissioned source set
- Labeled evaluation questions and scoring protocol
- Retrieval/answer results with error analysis
- Permission for any client context, screenshots, or measurements
Common questions
Can it use confidential company documents?
Only after the data flow, storage, provider terms, access controls, retention, deletion, logging, and responsibilities are reviewed and agreed. Do not upload confidential files through the public site.
Related guidance
Bring one workflow
Do not send confidential files. Start with the process, approximate volume, current systems, review owner, and desired output.
Request this scope