Question 1

What is Harkness AI?

Accepted Answer

Harkness AI is an AI consultancy founded by Blake Harkness, based in Christchurch, New Zealand. We help Kiwi businesses harness the power of artificial intelligence through practical, results-driven solutions - from strategy and training to custom AI development and fractional AI support.

Question 2

Do you work with businesses outside Christchurch?

Accepted Answer

Yes. While we are based in Christchurch, we work with businesses across New Zealand - including Auckland, Wellington, Hamilton, Dunedin, and regional centres. Most consulting and development work is done remotely, and we travel for in-person workshops when it adds value.

Question 3

What industries do you specialise in?

Accepted Answer

We have hands-on experience across marketing, education, engineering, construction and trades, professional services, and community organisations. Because AI is a horizontal technology, our approach adapts to any sector - we focus on understanding your specific workflows and finding where AI delivers the most value.

Question 4

What makes Harkness AI different from other AI consultants?

Accepted Answer

Blake combines hands-on AI engineering with business consulting - meaning you get someone who can both advise on strategy and build the solution. We focus on practical, measurable outcomes rather than hype, and we are deeply embedded in the New Zealand market. Blake leads every engagement himself, with no account-manager layer in between.

Question 5

Who will I actually work with?

Accepted Answer

You work directly with Blake on strategy, workshops, and senior engineering decisions. For larger builds, Blake brings in a small, vetted network of NZ-based AI engineers under his oversight. You always have one point of contact and no account-manager middle layer.

Question 6

Do you work with small businesses, or only large ones?

Accepted Answer

We work with businesses of every size, and small and medium New Zealand businesses are the core of what we do. Harkness AI has worked with over 50 businesses across New Zealand and Australia - from small owner-operated teams through to industry associations and larger organisations - and our AI Foundations programme is built specifically for owners and managers of small and medium NZ businesses in any industry. Small teams often see value fastest, because a single automation can remove hours of admin a week without needing an IT department or a change programme.

Question 7

What services does Harkness AI offer?

Accepted Answer

We offer AI strategy and education, fractional AI support, embedded AI engineers (an engineer from our team working inside your business one to three days a week, after a paid scoping phase that Blake leads), custom AI development, and help finding and vetting a full-time AI engineer when you are ready to hire. Each service can be tailored to your business.

Question 8

What is fractional AI support?

Accepted Answer

Fractional AI support gives your business access to on-demand AI expertise without the cost of a full-time hire. Think of it as having a dedicated AI specialist on your team part-time - we help you identify opportunities, implement solutions, and continuously improve your AI capabilities.

Question 9

Do you offer AI training for teams in New Zealand?

Accepted Answer

Yes. AI training is one of our core services and we deliver it to teams across New Zealand. There are three programmes: AI Foundations for Business Owners (plain language, no technical background needed), AI for Your Team (role-by-role use case mapping plus hands-on building), and Build Your Claude Brain (a hands-on half day where each person sets up their own AI assistant against their real work). Each one runs three ways - as a public workshop in person in Christchurch, as a live online cohort for teams anywhere in New Zealand, or privately in-house at your office and built around your own tools. The conference format has been delivered to audiences from 40 to 340 people.

Question 10

Do you build custom AI products from scratch?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We design and build custom AI tools - chatbots, internal copilots, document processors, RAG systems, workflow automations, and bespoke agents. We prefer to start with a small proof-of-value build so you can see results before committing to a larger programme.

Question 11

Do you offer ongoing support after a project ships?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We offer flexible ongoing support through our fractional model. After delivery we can stay on retainer to monitor performance, make improvements, train new staff, and identify the next opportunities. Many NZ clients start with a project and transition to ongoing support.

Question 12

What is a fractional AI engineer and how is it different from hiring one?

Accepted Answer

A fractional AI engineer is an AI engineer who works inside your business part-time rather than joining as a permanent employee - typically one to three days a week. You get hands-on AI capability without a full-time salary, recruitment costs, or committing to a role you cannot yet define. The practical difference from hiring is commitment: an employee means five days a week and a long recruitment process, while a part-time engineer can start once the work is scoped and scale with the workload. At Harkness AI this is our Embedded AI Engineer service: a Harkness AI engineer embeds in your team, and Blake leads the scoping and oversees the engagement.

Question 13

What is a Claude operating system?

Accepted Answer

It's Claude set up to run inside your business - connected to the tools you use every day, trained on your context and brand voice, with custom skills, automations, and scheduled agents handling routine work. Instead of a chatbot you copy-paste into, it works like a team member who can actually do things in your systems.

Question 14

Which tools can you connect Claude to?

Accepted Answer

Most of the tools businesses run on - Gmail, Outlook, Google Drive, Calendar, Notion, Xero, HubSpot, Slack, Microsoft Teams and many more. There are 100+ connections available, plus custom connections for in-house or niche tools. If your team uses it every day, we can usually wire Claude into it.

Question 15

How long does setup take?

Accepted Answer

Most setups go live within a couple of weeks. We start with a discovery call to map your tools and the busywork worth automating, then build and connect everything, then hand it over running. The timeline depends on how many tools and workflows are involved.

Question 16

Do we need to be technical to use it?

Accepted Answer

No. The whole point is that it runs without anyone writing code. We handle the build and the connections, then hand over something your team uses in plain English. You also get notes and ongoing support so nobody is left guessing.

Question 17

Is our business data safe?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Claude only connects to the tools and data you approve, and access is scoped to what each workflow actually needs. Anthropic does not train its models on your business data through these connections. We set permissions up conservatively and walk your team through exactly what is connected.

Question 18

What does it cost?

Accepted Answer

Every business runs on a different stack, so setups are scoped per business rather than sold at a fixed price. Book a call and we'll map out what you need and give you a clear quote.

Question 19

What is the difference between a fractional AI engineer and an AI consulting agency?

Accepted Answer

A fractional or embedded AI engineer works inside your team part-time - typically one to three days a week - building and shipping in your own systems, so the capability stays inside your business. An AI agency is an external delivery team engaged for a scoped project: you get more hands during the build, but a higher overall cost, and most of the knowledge leaves at handover. An embedded engineer suits an ongoing list of builds; an agency suits a large one-off build with a clear specification.

Question 20

Is a fractional AI engineer cheaper than hiring a full-time AI engineer?

Accepted Answer

For most small and mid-sized businesses, yes. An experienced full-time AI engineer in New Zealand often commands a salary of $130,000 or more, plus recruitment costs and overheads - and many businesses do not yet have a full week of AI work to keep that person busy. An embedded engineer gives you one to three days a week of engineering for a fraction of that, without the recruitment risk. Once you genuinely have continuous, well-defined AI workload, a full-time hire becomes the better value.

Question 21

How does a fractional AI engineering engagement actually work?

Accepted Answer

With Harkness AI it starts with a paid scoping phase, led by Blake, that maps your systems and turns your ideas into a prioritised build list. Then a Harkness AI engineer embeds in your team one to three days a week and works through that list in your own tools, while Blake stays on as engagement lead with regular check-ins and a monthly written report. Placements start with a three-month minimum, then run month to month with one month's notice, and when one ends the engineer hands over with full documentation.

Question 22

When should a business hire a full-time AI engineer instead of going fractional?

Accepted Answer

Hire full-time when AI is core to your product or you have continuous, well-defined AI workload - roughly enough to fill someone's week, every week. Companies running production machine learning systems, enterprise-scale data teams, or AI features that need on-call ownership should build that capability in-house. An embedded engineer can help you get to that point, and we can help you scope the role and recruit for it.

Question 23

Can we start with a fractional AI engineer and move to a full-time hire later?

Accepted Answer

Yes - it is a sensible path. Start with an embedded engineer to prove the value, ship your first builds, and learn what AI work your business actually generates. Once the workload justifies a permanent role, the engineer documents everything and hands over cleanly, and we can help you find and vet the hire.

Question 24

What is an embedded AI engineer?

Accepted Answer

An embedded AI engineer is an AI engineer who works inside your business part-time, as part of your team rather than as an outside supplier. At Harkness AI, an engineer from our team joins you one to three days a week after a paid scoping phase, works through a prioritised build list inside your own systems, and Blake Harkness leads the scoping and oversees the engagement. It suits New Zealand businesses of roughly 20 to 100 staff that do not have an internal AI function.

Question 25

Is an embedded AI engineer the same as a forward-deployed engineer?

Accepted Answer

Yes, it is the same idea. "Forward-deployed engineer" is the term Palantir and the big AI labs use for engineers who work inside a customer's business to build and deploy what that customer actually needs. An embedded AI engineer from Harkness AI is that model sized for New Zealand businesses of 20 to 100 staff: a paid scope first, then an engineer in your team one to three days a week, with Blake Harkness overseeing the engagement.

Question 26

Who is the engineer, and how experienced are they?

Accepted Answer

Our engineers are early-career AI engineers. They are not left to work it out alone: every placement runs off a build list agreed in the scoping phase, uses connectors we have already built for common business systems, and has Blake overseeing the work and meeting your sponsor regularly. You know who your engineer is before they start. If what you need is a senior specialist to own production machine learning systems, we will say so and point you towards a hire instead.

Question 27

What does Blake do during an embedded engagement?

Accepted Answer

Blake runs the paid scoping phase himself, then stays on as engagement lead: regular check-ins with your sponsor, a monthly written report, and reprioritising the build list with you as the business changes. The day-to-day building is the engineer's job, not Blake's.

Question 28

How much does an embedded AI engineer cost?

Accepted Answer

It depends on how many days a week you need and for how long, so we quote after a scoping call rather than publishing a rate. The scoping phase is a paid, fixed-price piece of work, the placement is a fixed monthly fee for an agreed number of days a week, and you get all of it in writing before anything starts.

Question 29

What happens when an embedded AI engineer placement ends?

Accepted Answer

The engineer's last couple of weeks go on documentation and handover. From there you can run things yourselves, move onto lighter ongoing support where we keep your systems maintained, or hire someone full-time - and we can help you find and vet that hire.

Question 30

Can you help us hire a full-time AI engineer instead?

Accepted Answer

Yes. If a permanent hire suits you better than an embedded engineer, we help you find and vet one. Candidates come through our network, including Young Kiwis in AI, and you get a shortlist of up to three to choose from. It is a flat finder's fee, paid when your new engineer starts. We can also help you scope the role before you start looking.

Question 31

Do you work with Auckland businesses if you are based in Christchurch?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and a good number of our clients are Auckland based. Most delivery - builds, automation work, Claude setup and ongoing support - happens remotely regardless of where a client sits. Blake flies up for the parts that genuinely work better in person, typically discovery sessions, team workshops and handover.

Question 32

Can you run an AI workshop at our Auckland office?

Accepted Answer

Yes. In-house workshops are delivered on site anywhere in Auckland, shaped around your tools and the work your team actually does rather than a generic slide deck. Travel is quoted up front as a separate line so there are no surprises on the invoice.

Question 33

Which Auckland businesses have you worked with?

Accepted Answer

Auckland clients include Campfire Studios in Mount Eden, Kura Cares Charity in South Auckland, DragonPuppy, Independent Living, Site Safety and M2, spanning creative production, community and social services, disability equipment retail, health and safety, and media. Blake also speaks regularly in Auckland, including at the NZ IT and AI Job Forum at the University of Auckland.

Question 34

What does an AI consultant in Auckland cost?

Accepted Answer

It depends on team size and scope. Every engagement is quoted after a free 30-minute call, as a fixed price in writing before anything starts. Auckland engagements carry travel as a separate quoted line.

Question 35

Is a Christchurch-based consultant a problem for an Auckland business?

Accepted Answer

In practice, no. The work that benefits from being in the room is a handful of sessions, not the whole engagement, and those get scheduled as visits. The rest - building, testing, iterating and support - is done remotely the same way it would be for a client on the other side of Auckland. If you want someone on site every week, an Auckland-based provider is the better fit and we will say so.

Question 36

How quickly can you start with an Auckland business?

Accepted Answer

Usually within days to a couple of weeks. A first strategy call is free and can normally happen the same week. On-site workshops need a little more lead time than local ones because travel has to be scheduled, so allow two to three weeks.

Question 37

Will AI work if we are not on a construction platform like Procore or SimPro?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and most of our construction clients are not. Plenty of firms looked at the big platforms and turned them down on cost or fit, which is a reasonable call. It does not stop you getting value out of AI - it just means the work goes into connecting what you already have, usually Xero, Microsoft 365 or Dropbox, rather than migrating you onto something new.

Question 38

Our site crews are not office people. Will they actually use it?

Accepted Answer

Only if it fits how they already work, which is why we do not start there. The fastest wins in construction are in the office - tenders, reporting, invoice processing, health and safety paperwork. Anything aimed at crews has to be simpler than what they do now or it will not get used, and we will tell you when that bar is not met.

Question 39

Is our client and project data safe?

Accepted Answer

We use business plans with model training turned off, so your data is not used to train anybody's model. Beyond that it is a design question: what a tool can see is decided when we build it, and for confidential tender or client information that scope is deliberately narrow. We will walk through exactly what touches what before anything is built.

Question 40

Can AI write our tender responses?

Accepted Answer

It can write a strong first draft from your past submissions and capability statements, which is where most of the time goes. It should not write the final submission unreviewed - pricing, methodology and the commitments you are making are judgement calls that stay with your team. The point is turning a blank page into an editing job.

Question 41

What does it cost for a construction business?

Accepted Answer

It depends on the size of the team and how many systems are involved. Automating a single document process is a small job; connecting job management, accounting and document storage is scoped as a project. Every engagement is quoted after a free 30-minute call, as a fixed price against a written scope before anything starts.

Question 42

Where should a construction firm start?

Accepted Answer

One document. Pick the piece of paperwork your team complains about most and automate that one thing. It is cheap, it proves the value in a fortnight, and it tells you whether the bigger integration work is worth doing. Firms that start with a large platform build before knowing what their team will actually use tend to regret it.

Question 43

Is Claude worth it for a sole trader in New Zealand?

Accepted Answer

For most sole traders, yes, once it is connected to your email, calendar and Xero. Claude Pro is US$20 a month, about NZ$35 before GST, so it pays for itself if it saves you an hour or two of admin a month. The value comes from connecting it and saving a few Skills for jobs you repeat, like quotes and enquiry replies. Used only as a chat window, it is a nice-to-have.

Question 44

What does Claude cost in NZ dollars, and do I pay GST on it?

Accepted Answer

Claude Pro is US$20 a month, or US$17 a month billed yearly (US$200), per claude.com/pricing on 18 September 2026. At the 17 September 2026 exchange rate that is about NZ$35, or about NZ$30 a month on the yearly plan. Prices exclude tax. If you are GST-registered, add your GST number in Claude's billing settings so GST is not added. If you are not registered - for example because you turn over less than $60,000 a year - expect 15% GST on top, about NZ$40 a month.

Question 45

Can Claude do my invoicing in Xero?

Accepted Answer

It can read your Xero today. Xero's official connector in Claude is free and read-only, so Claude can tell you who owes you, how the month is tracking and what is overdue, then draft the reminder email. Creating invoices needs a write connection, such as Xero's open-source MCP server with a Xero custom connection. We set that up with you approving each invoice before it is created.

Question 46

Is it safe to put customer details into Claude?

Accepted Answer

It can be, with the right settings. The Privacy Act 2020 applies to customer information whatever tool you use. On a personal Claude plan, model training is on unless you opt out, so switch it off in your privacy settings before customer details go in. Connect only the tools you need, never paste in passwords or bank logins, and check anything before it is sent to a customer.

Question 47

Do I need to be technical to set Claude up for my business?

Accepted Answer

No. Connecting Gmail, Google Calendar, Outlook, Notion or Xero is a sign-in, and you create a Skill by asking Claude to make one and answering its questions. The harder part is deciding what to hand over first, which is why the first session is best spent on the one job you repeat most.

Question 48

Should I learn Claude myself or have it set up for me?

Accepted Answer

If you like to understand your own tools, learn it: the Build Your Claude Brain half day has you set Claude up against your own work with a trainer beside you. If you would rather not spend the time, a done-for-you Claude setup connects your tools and builds the Skills for you. Either way you end up running it yourself.

Question 49

Is it safe to put coaching client notes into AI?

Accepted Answer

It can be, if you set the rules first. Session notes are often sensitive personal information, and the Privacy Act 2020 applies whatever tool holds them. Use a paid plan and switch model training off (Claude Team has no training on your content by default; personal plans need you to opt out). Leave out identifying details that are not needed, connect only what the job needs, and tell clients in your privacy statement how you use AI.

Question 50

What does AI cost for a coach or consultant in NZ?

Accepted Answer

The tool itself is small: Claude Pro is US$20 a month (about NZ$35 before GST), or Claude Max from US$100 a month (about NZ$174) if you use it all day, per claude.com/pricing on 18 September 2026. Add your GST number in billing if you are registered, or expect 15% GST on top. A done-for-you Claude setup is quoted as a fixed price after a free call, based on the tools and material involved.

Question 51

Will AI-written follow-ups and material sound like me?

Accepted Answer

Only if you give it your material. We load your frameworks, past programmes, articles and a few examples of your writing, and save your voice rules as a Skill, so drafts start close to how you write. You still read everything before it goes to a client - the aim is a first draft worth editing, not a finished piece.

Question 52

Can Claude work with my session recordings and transcripts?

Accepted Answer

Yes, if your note-taker saves transcripts somewhere Claude can reach, such as Google Drive or Notion. Claude then turns them into summaries, actions and follow-up emails. For sensitive sessions, decide first whether recording is right at all and get the client's agreement - the easiest privacy risk to manage is the data you never collect.

Question 53

Do I need Claude Team, or is Claude Pro enough?

Accepted Answer

On your own, Claude Pro is enough, or Max if you use it heavily. Claude Team starts at two people - US$25 a seat monthly or US$20 billed yearly for a standard seat, about NZ$44 or NZ$35 - and adds central billing, admin controls and no model training on your content by default. It makes sense once an assistant or associate works in the same setup.

Question 54

How long does it take to set Claude up for a coaching or consulting practice?

Accepted Answer

Usually a couple of weeks from the first call to a working setup, most of it spent gathering your material and agreeing what client information goes in. Session notes into follow-ups is usually the first thing we get working, because it is the easiest output to check.

Question 55

Is it safe for a charity to put information about the people it serves into AI?

Accepted Answer

It can be, if you set the rules first. Information about clients, whānau and volunteers is often sensitive, and the Privacy Act 2020 applies whatever tool holds it. Use a paid plan with model training switched off (Claude Team has no training on your content by default), leave out identifying details the job does not need, connect only what the work requires, and say in your privacy statement how you use AI.

Question 56

Can AI write our funding applications?

Accepted Answer

It can write a strong first draft - from your programme data, your past applications and the funder's criteria - and that is where most of the hours go. A person still needs to check every number and make sure the story is true to your work. Funders are reading more AI-written applications now, so the ones built on your own data and voice stand out.

Question 57

What does AI cost for a charity or community group in NZ?

Accepted Answer

The tool itself is small: Claude Pro is US$20 a month (about NZ$35 before GST) for one person, and Claude Team is priced per seat for a shared setup, per claude.com/pricing on 18 September 2026. A done-for-you Claude setup, or a purpose-built tool like a portal or directory, is quoted as a fixed price after a free call, based on what is involved.

Question 58

We are a small team with volunteers - where should we start?

Accepted Answer

With the job that eats the most hours and is easiest to check, which for most charities is the next funding application or funder report. Get that working for one or two people, with your past applications and reports loaded in, then widen it to newsletters, policies and the rest of the team.

Question 59

Do you build tools for community organisations, or only set up Claude?

Accepted Answer

Both. Some groups need Claude set up across the team with Skills for the jobs they repeat. Others need a purpose-built tool: we have built school learning platforms and an elders' kōrero app for Campfire Studios, an AI governance advisor for churches with Good Church, and a community directory for older people in Franklin. It starts with a free call to work out which fits.

Question 60

Does Claude work with Xero?

Accepted Answer

Yes, two ways. Xero's official connector in Claude, live since May 2026, is free to add and read-only: it answers questions about profit, cash, invoices and customers from live Xero data, and Xero says the data is used only for your session and never to train AI. For write access, Xero's open-source MCP server connects through a Xero custom connection and can create invoices, contacts, payments and bank transactions, plus payroll timesheets for NZ organisations.

Question 61

Is it safe to connect client Xero files to AI?

Accepted Answer

It can be, with read-only access first and clear rules. Xero says data shared through its Claude connector is used only for the session and never to train AI models. Claude Team and Enterprise have no training on your content by default. Your Privacy Act 2020 and professional confidentiality obligations still apply, so limit which client files are connected, keep scopes narrow and review anything before it reaches a client.

Question 62

Can AI prepare a GST return?

Accepted Answer

It can do the checking, not the filing. With a full Xero connection, Claude can pull the period's transactions and flag anything coded to an unusual GST rate, expenses missing receipts and entertainment that has not been split. Neither Xero's Claude connector nor its MCP server files returns, so the return is still reviewed and filed by a person in Xero or myIR.

Question 63

What does AI cost for an accounting practice in NZ?

Accepted Answer

For the tool: Claude Team is US$25 a seat monthly or US$20 billed yearly for a standard seat (about NZ$44 or NZ$35), for 2 to 150 people, per claude.com/pricing on 18 September 2026. Add your GST number in billing so GST is not added. The Xero connector is free; a Xero custom connection for write access is a paid Xero add-on. Setting it up for your practice is quoted as a fixed price after a free call.

Question 64

Will AI replace bookkeepers and accountants?

Accepted Answer

Not the judgement. Xero itself says its Claude connector does not replace an accountant or bookkeeper. What changes is where the hours go: less time retyping receipts and answering basic report requests, more time reviewing, advising and catching problems early. Practices that set it up well get more work through the same team.

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