Tenhaw vs a systems integrator
- 90-day programme. a systems integrator: Quote the same workflow and responsibilities
- £120,000 or £180,000 fixed
- Continuation. a systems integrator: Confirm the contract’s notice and handover terms
- 30 days’ written notice
- Practitioners. a systems integrator: Team proposed for the required scale
- Two or three
The short answer: Tenhaw or a systems integrator
Choose a systems integrator when you need scale, many roles under one contract or a large platform rollout. Choose a small embedded team when the hard part is changing how one workflow is built and run, and you want your engineers to learn it. Tenhaw’s embedded teams are two or three senior people on published, fixed-price terms, with 30 days’ notice on continuation.
That is the short answer. The call is where it gets specific to your decision.
Book a 30-minute callOn this page
The case for a systems integrator
Weigh these first. They are real advantages, and on some programmes they are the deciding factor.
- A systems integrator can assemble many roles under one contract for a broad programme.
- A large platform rollout may need delivery capacity across several workstreams and locations.
- A proposed integrator’s procurement and assurance position may meet requirements that shape your supplier choice.
If their case is the stronger one for you, we will say so on the call.
Book a 30-minute callWhich should you choose?
There is a real answer here, and it is not always us.
Tenhaw
is the right call when:
- One workflow needs engineering, operating-model decisions and adoption worked through together.
- You want senior practitioners building alongside your engineers in your own repositories.
- You want to assess a published scope and fee before deciding on production or continuation.
a systems integrator
is the right call when:
- You need large-scale delivery across several platforms, disciplines or countries.
- Your specification and acceptance process are settled, and delivery volume is the main constraint.
- Procurement requires a scale or assurance position that the proposed larger supplier can evidence.
If that is you, say so on the call and we will tell you the same thing. It is cheaper for both of us than finding out in month three.
Still weighing it? Thirty minutes usually settles which way it goes.
Book a 30-minute callPrefer to talk it through? Ask us on a discovery call →
If you would rather ask a person than a panel, the call answers the follow-ups too.
Book a 30-minute callWhere the models differ
The differences that change what you get, rather than adjectives.
- 01
The unit of delivery
TenhawOne agreed workflow through design, build, adoption, measurement and handover in a 90-day programme.
a systems integratorA proposed programme or platform rollout assembled from the disciplines and delivery capacity you need.
- 02
Working with your engineers
TenhawPractitioners pair with your engineers in your repositories under your access controls and policies.
a systems integratorConfirm who works alongside your people, how decisions are made and what knowledge transfer the proposal includes.
- 03
Ownership and the next decision
TenhawClient-specific deliverables transfer on payment. Handover is included, with optional continuation agreed separately.
a systems integratorCompare the actual ownership, support, change and termination provisions before signing.
If one of those differences is the one that decides it for you, put it on the call.
Book a 30-minute callTenhaw and a systems integrator, dimension by dimension
| Dimension | Tenhaw | a systems integrator |
|---|---|---|
| 90-day programme | £120,000 or £180,000 fixed | Quote the same workflow and responsibilities |
| Practitioners | Two or three | Team proposed for the required scale |
| Continuation | 30 days’ written notice | Confirm the contract’s notice and handover terms |
| Working environment | Client repositories and infrastructure | Confirm hosting, access and delivery locations |
| Scope | Design, engineering, adoption and handover | Agree the required disciplines and acceptance evidence |
Compare the team, scope, responsibilities and exit terms against the work you need to deliver.
- Tenhaw’s published rate card and fixed fees
Fees exclude VAT and pre-agreed expenses. Compare scope and responsibilities, not an assumed equivalence of job grades.
- 90-day outcome programme
- Optional continuation and notice
- Independent programme management
- Security and assurance position
A table cannot weigh these against your situation. A call can.
Book a 30-minute callWhat a small supplier can evidence
Check each supplier against your procurement requirements. Here is Tenhaw’s current assurance position, including controls in place and work in progress.
- UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018 compliant, as a UK-registered company
- DPA with sub-processor annex available for every engagement
- 24-hour personal data breach notification, committed in the Data Processing Agreement
- UK data processing by default, with EU residency available where an engagement requires it
- Engagement sub-processor list published on the security page and annexed to the DPA
- BS7858-standard personnel screening before client access
- Design and build teams have two and three senior practitioners respectively, selected through work James Rooney knows at first hand or trusted referrals
- Named-tool-only policy for AI systems touching client data
- Professional indemnity £1m, employers' liability £10m, public liability £1m, cyber £25k, legal expenses £100k
- Cyber Essentials Plus: certification in progress
- ISO 27001: gap assessment complete, certification targeted for 2027
- ISO/IEC 42001 (AI management systems), under assessment, and increasingly the one clients ask for
- SOC 2 Type II: will follow ISO 27001 where clients require it
If your supplier floor requires certification we do not hold today, that is a real reason to buy elsewhere. The full position, including the DPA and the sub-processor annex, is on the security page.
If procurement needs something this page does not evidence, ask and we will tell you whether we can produce it.
Book a 30-minute callThe other options you are weighing
Build it, buy it, or have someone build it with you
Every comparison in this section assumes you should be buying a supplier at all. If the workflow is not differentiated, the answer is a product and none of these pages apply. Three routes, what each is best at, and the four questions that settle it.
Buy the product when being average at this workflow would cost you nothing. Build it yourself when the workflow is part of how you compete and you already have engineers who can carry evaluation, monitoring and model upgrades as a standing job rather than a project.
Tenhaw vs Big Four
A broad programme or a focused senior team
Tenhaw vs AI boutiques
Connect operating-model design, engineering and adoption
Tenhaw vs Offshore partners
Match location and team shape to the delivery work
Tenhaw vs Contractors
Add the skills you need with clear direction
Tenhaw vs Hiring in-house
Build permanent ownership and cover the work needed now
Tenhaw vs Internal taskforce
Give a pilot ownership, time and a path into daily work
Or bring the whole shortlist to the call and we will tell you where we do and do not belong on it.
Book a 30-minute callHow to put this to your board
Four things you can lift straight into a paper. None of them is an adjective, and every one of them is published on this site before you ask for it.
- 01
The price is published before the first conversation
£44,000 fixed for the AI Readiness Audit, against the £150,000 to £500,000 Tenhaw estimate for a large-firm assessment. Compare the actual scope and obtain a current supplier quote. The rate card behind our figure, and the large firms' own published framework rates, are on the pricing page, so the arithmetic can be checked. - 02
The engagement is contracted to end, and to leave a permanent team behind
Agree the client owner, documentation and handover at the start. The signed scope sets out capability transfer and any recruitment support; client-specific deliverables belong to you on payment. - 03
Senior people, screening and clear continuity terms
People are selected for the scope and screened to BS7858 standard before client access. Personnel may be substituted with equivalent skill and seniority, with prior notice and a handover at Tenhaw’s cost. The proposal states the roles, allocation and responsibilities for your engagement. - 04
The assurance position is published, including what is not yet held
Professional indemnity £1m, employers' liability £10m, public liability £1m, cyber £25k, legal expenses £100k, with certificates shared during onboarding. Cover levels can be increased for a specific engagement where your supplier standard requires it. Name the limit your supplier standard requires, on any call, and the increased cover is in place at that limit within three working days, with the premium priced into the engagement. Cyber Essentials Plus is in progress and ISO 27001 is targeted for 2027. The full position is on the security page.
Board optics is the one row in the triage table where we do not come out ahead. Ours requires a case, which is why the case is written down here rather than assembled on a call.
We will help you build that board paper on the call, whether or not you pick us.
Book a 30-minute callBring the work you want to improve.
A 30-minute discovery call with James Rooney. We will discuss the workflow, product or team challenge, explore where to start and leave you with a rough scope and a useful next step.
most start with a fixed-price AI Readiness Audit · £44,000 · 4 weeks · working prototypes
No time that suits? Email hello@tenhaw.com. Calendar not loading? Open it on cal.com.
Describe the work
Describe the work in a paragraph. James replies with a rough scope and budget range within two working days.
Questions buyers ask us
When is an SI the better choice?
Choose a systems integrator when you need scale, multiple roles under one contract or a large platform rollout. Assess the actual proposed team and procurement position against your requirements.
Can an embedded team work alongside our SI?
Yes. Agree the boundary between the workflow team and wider integration work. Tenhaw’s Programme and Delivery Management can also govern mixed internal teams and suppliers without Tenhaw building any of the programme.
Sources: How embedded AI engineering works; What is a forward-deployed engineer?.
How do costs compare?
Tenhaw publishes a £120,000 two-practitioner or £180,000 three-practitioner 90-day programme. Optional continuation is £70,000–£85,000 a month. Compare the integrator’s actual quote for the same work, client responsibilities and running costs; this page asserts no general SI rate.
Who owns the code in an embedded AI engagement?
Ownership of client-specific deliverables, code and documentation transfers to you on payment under Tenhaw’s terms. The engineers build in your repositories and pair with your team. Compare the integrator’s contract for its own ownership and handover provisions.
What about procurement and assurance?
Check the supplier against your actual requirements. Tenhaw publishes its security commitments and current certification position: BS7858 screening before access, client-approved tools and work in client infrastructure. ISO/IEC 42001 is under assessment; Cyber Essentials Plus is in progress and ISO 27001 certification is targeted for 2027.