The Retrieval Abstraction Layer: Why RAG Tooling Becomes Agency Infrastructure, Not a Vendor Choice

Clients now ask whether AI output can be traced to a source, and that question moves retrieval from a build detail to a billable deliverable. Agencies that treat RAG tooling as swappable plumbing behind their own evaluation layer can re-bid retrieval quality as benchmarks move; agencies that hardwire one context API inherit its pricing and its misses. The margin sits in the abstraction, not the API.