Methodology
How It Works
Four phases: discover, design, implement, deploy and improve. That order never changes. What changes is how much time each phase needs. A messy document workflow might move through all four in a couple of weeks. A bigger system integration takes longer to plan and build right.
Discover
We look at how the work really gets done today. Not how the org chart says it should.
What we need from you
- Time with the people who do the work each day, not just the manager
- A look at the systems in play, plus the spreadsheets and workarounds
- A sense of volume: how often this happens and how long it takes
What you get
- A clear picture of where the time and errors come from
- An honest answer on whether this is even worth automating
Design
We map out the better process. We decide, on purpose, what to automate and what not to.
What we need from you
- One person who can sign off on how the new process should work
- Real samples: real documents, real records, real messy cases
What you get
- A written plan for the new process, showing exactly where a person stays involved
- A check on whether this is doable, before we build anything
Implement
We build and connect whatever mix of software, automation, and AI the plan calls for.
What we need from you
- Access to your systems or APIs where we need to connect something
- One point of contact to answer questions as we hit edge cases
What you get
- Regular check-ins using your real workflow examples, not a black box until launch
- A system built around the tools you already use, wherever that works
Deploy & Improve
We roll it out on real work, watch how it does, and keep tuning it after launch.
What we need from you
- A willingness to run it alongside the old process at first, if the stakes are high
- Feedback on the tricky cases it sends to a person, so the rules keep improving
What you get
- A system someone actually watches, not one we walk away from after launch
- Ongoing fixes as your volume, edge cases, or process change
Example, not a client case study
What one project can look like
This is an example, not a promise of results. Timelines change based on the process.
A distributor loses hours every week to purchase orders that arrive by EDI, email, and a supplier portal. Someone re-types each one into the ERP by hand. Discover starts by watching that process with the two people who actually do it, plus a sample of real POs from all three channels.
Design maps out the better flow: POs get captured automatically from all three channels, checked against the price list, and posted to the ERP when they match closely enough. Anything outside that range still goes to the same person who handles exceptions today.
Implement builds the capture, the check rules, and the ERP connection, testing against real past POs the whole way, not just made-up test data.
Deploy & Improve runs the new process next to the old one for a while, then switches over once it's holding up. The exception rules get tuned as new edge cases show up in the first few weeks.
Reliability
Every phase keeps control built in, not bolted on later
No phase hands a system free rein. Design decides where the limits are. Implementation builds them in.
Deterministic validation
We check structured data against clear rules before it reaches your systems. A model's best guess is never the last word.
Confidence thresholds
An automated step only goes through on its own when it's sure enough. Below that, it goes to a person.
Exception handling
Every workflow has a plan for what it can't handle on its own, so nothing quietly fails or vanishes.
Audit trails
We log every automated action: what changed, when, and why. You can always review or undo it.
Timeline & cost
Honestly, it depends on the process.
A document-processing fix can move through all four phases in a couple of weeks. A bigger system integration takes longer to plan and build right. Every project starts the same way either way: a workflow check that ends with a written price and timeline, based on what we find. No cost, no obligation.
Get started
See where your process would land in this.
Tell us about one repeat, slow, or costly workflow. We'll walk you through what Discover would actually look like for it.
We'll reach out at a time that works for you. No cost, no obligation.