Build and Maintain Custom AI Tools Without a Full-Time Hire
A fractional AI engineer builds, deploys, and maintains custom AI systems for a small business. They handle specific projects like internal tools or automated workflows without a full-time salary commitment.
Syntora provides fractional AI engineering services, specializing in building custom AI systems for small businesses and consultancies. We approach problems like document analysis or automated workflows by designing robust, serverless architectures and leveraging advanced LLMs like Claude. Syntora focuses on delivering tailored solutions and expertise rather than selling off-the-shelf products.
The scope of a fractional AI engineering engagement depends on the complexity of the specific problem. For example, implementing an API wrapper to integrate an LLM for simple data extraction is a different level of effort than building a full reporting pipeline that aggregates and analyzes data from multiple platforms like HubSpot, Stripe, and Google Analytics. Syntora works with clients to define clear objectives and scope, ensuring the solution aligns with their strategic needs.
What Problem Does This Solve?
Small businesses often turn to visual workflow builders because they connect to common apps and require no code. But these platforms fail when business-critical processes depend on them. They charge per 'task', so a single workflow that reads a document, sends it to an AI model, and saves the results to a database can burn 3-5 tasks per run. At 200 documents a month, this becomes a high subscription bill for one automated process.
These platforms also impose strict execution limits, often timing out after 90 seconds. A process that needs to analyze a long document or query multiple APIs will fail silently. There is no way to implement custom retry logic for a specific API error or handle a file format that isn't natively supported. This forces teams back into manual work for a significant portion of their volume, defeating the purpose of automation.
A regional insurance agency with 12 adjusters experienced this firsthand. They used a platform automator to parse adjuster notes from emails, send them to a language model for categorization, and create a record in their case management system. The workflow failed on any PDF attachment over 5MB and timed out on notes longer than 1,000 words, forcing adjusters to manually copy-paste data for 20% of their claims.
How Would Syntora Approach This?
Syntora would begin an engagement by mapping the client's exact manual workflow into a detailed technical specification. For document analysis challenges, this would involve defining the specific data points to be extracted from documents or the types of summarization required. Syntora architects solutions using serverless tools like AWS Lambda, which ensures clients only pay for compute time used, often leading to operational costs of less than $30/month for many applications.
The core system for such an application would be built in Python. Syntora would leverage libraries like the Anthropic API client to interact with models like Claude, which are effective at handling the large context windows required for processing extensive documents. We have experience building similar document processing pipelines using Claude API for financial documents, and the same robust patterns apply to various industry documents. The application logic would be wrapped in a FastAPI service, providing a secure and accessible API endpoint that can integrate with existing systems or a new user interface for file uploads and interaction.
Deployment of the FastAPI application would typically involve containerization and execution on AWS Lambda, connected to a simple front-end hosted on Vercel. This serverless architecture inherently scales to handle fluctuating workloads without requiring continuous server management. A typical build of this complexity, from initial discovery to production deployment, generally takes approximately 2-4 weeks, depending on the specific features and client collaboration.
For ongoing maintenance, Syntora implements structured logging using tools like structlog, sending all system logs to AWS CloudWatch. Proactive monitoring would include configuring alerts to send Slack notifications if the API's error rate exceeds a defined threshold or if average processing time increases significantly. This allows for prompt identification and resolution of potential issues, such as an expired API key, before they impact business operations.
What Are the Key Benefits?
Production-Ready in 2 Weeks
Go from an initial idea to a deployed, production system in 10 business days. No long development cycles or project management overhead.
Pay for the Build, Not by the Seat
A single, fixed-price project for development with an optional, flat monthly fee for maintenance. No recurring per-user SaaS license costs.
You Get the Code and the Blueprints
We deliver the complete Python source code in your private GitHub repository. You own the intellectual property and can extend it later.
Alerts Trigger Before Your System Fails
Proactive monitoring via AWS CloudWatch alerts us to issues like API failures or performance degradation, often before your team notices a problem.
Connects Directly to Your Core Systems
We build direct, first-party integrations to your existing tools like HubSpot, Stripe, or internal databases. No third-party connectors are needed.
What Does the Process Look Like?
Week 1: Discovery and Architecture
You provide system access and walk us through the manual process. We deliver a technical architecture diagram and a fixed-price proposal.
Week 2: Build and Internal Demo
We write, test, and document the code. You receive access to a staging environment to test the system with your own data.
Week 3: Deployment and Training
We deploy the system to production and provide a live training session for your team. You receive a one-page user guide.
Week 4+: Monitoring and Handoff
We monitor the live system for 30 days to ensure stability. You receive the full source code and a runbook for ongoing maintenance.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How much does a typical project cost?
- Pricing is based on integration points and logic complexity. A custom Claude API wrapper for document analysis is a straightforward build. A reporting pipeline connecting three disparate data sources takes longer. After a 30-minute discovery call where we review the requirements, we provide a fixed-price quote and a detailed scope of work. Book a discovery call at cal.com/syntora/discover.
- What happens if the system stops working after launch?
- The system is designed with automatic retries and error logging. For our optional monthly maintenance plan, we monitor alerts and provide bug fixes within one business day. Without the plan, you own the code, and the provided runbook explains how to diagnose and restart the system for common issues, such as an expired third-party API key.
- How is this different from hiring a freelance developer on Upwork?
- Syntora handles the entire project lifecycle: discovery, architecture, backend code, deployment on AWS, and ongoing monitoring. You work with one person who is responsible for the end-to-end result. There is no project manager or handoff between different specialists, which avoids the communication gaps and delays common with fragmented freelance teams.
- Do I need to know how to code to use the system?
- No. We build the tool to fit your existing workflow. This might be a simple web form where you upload a file, a Slack command you can run, or a process that runs automatically in the background every hour. The end-user experience requires no technical skill. We provide a short training session and a one-page user guide.
- What kind of access do you need to our systems?
- We operate on the principle of least privilege. For a reporting dashboard, this means read-only API access to tools like HubSpot or Stripe. For a tool that writes data back, we scope access to the specific function needed. All credentials are stored securely during the build and access is fully documented in the final runbook.
- What if we don't have an AWS account?
- We can create an AWS account for you under your company's ownership. You retain full administrative control and billing responsibility from day one. We operate as a contractor using limited IAM permissions to deploy and manage the application. The monthly AWS bill goes directly to you, ensuring full transparency on hosting costs.
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