Automation · With or without AI

Make more room for the work that needs you.

If your team spends hours gathering information, moving it between tools or assembling the same report, there's usually something worth looking at. I help you decide which tasks could benefit from automation, then build workflows around the way you work.

That can include scheduled research, content preparation, reporting or finding information in your own documents. I use these tools in my business too, and bring that practical experience to the work we do together.

Let's have a look How it works

Find the useful opportunities first

A good starting point is a task your team repeats often and understands well. We can look at how long it takes, where it causes problems and what a useful result would look like before deciding how to automate it.

Sometimes a Python script or a simple connection between tools is enough. Other tasks benefit from AI that can work with documents, draft text or help analyse information. I choose the approach to suit the task and the level of checking it needs.

Ways I can help

Automation discovery

A paid discovery engagement, delivered over two weeks, with a fixed fee agreed before we start. I look at the people, tools and decisions involved, then rank the opportunities by likely time savings, confidence and complexity.

You'll receive a prioritised plan and working prototypes for three agreed opportunities. The prototypes let you assess real output before deciding which workflows should move into a production build.

A map of the workflows, tools and responsibilities involved.
An assessment of likely value and the effort needed to build each option.
Three working prototypes and recommendations for the next stage.

Workflow and agent builds

I build the agreed workflow using the tools and models that fit the job. An AI agent is software that uses a model and connected tools to carry out a task, such as researching a topic or preparing a report.

The build includes testing, documentation and a handover your team can use. We also agree where a person needs to check the output and what should happen if a step fails.

Research and monitoring workflows.
Content preparation and editorial review processes.
Reports that combine information from analytics and other business systems.
Tools that help your team find answers in internal documents.

Ongoing support

If you'd like help maintaining the workflow, we can agree ongoing support. That can include investigating failures, reviewing output quality and updating connections or prompts as your requirements change.

The scope, price and minimum term are agreed in writing, so you know what support covers and who is responsible for each part of the system.

Team workshops

Half-day or full-day sessions help your team build confidence with the tools and decisions involved. We can work on a task from your business, so the discussion stays connected to something you'll use.

Practical sessions on building and testing workflows.
Help choosing tools that fit your team and budget.
A review of the tasks your team would like to improve.

How we work together

Understand the task.

We look at how the work happens, where time goes and what the team needs from the result. I use this to identify a manageable starting point.

Agree the design.

We define the inputs, expected output, tools and review steps. I explain the proposed scope, costs and dependencies before the build starts.

Build and test.

I develop the workflow and test it with representative material. We review the output together and address the problems before agreeing a production rollout.

Hand over and maintain.

Your team receives documentation and an explanation of how to run the workflow. If you want ongoing support, we agree how it will work and what it includes.

The discovery engagement has a two-week delivery window. The fee is based on the agreed work. The timetable for a production build depends on the scope, access to the tools and the testing needed, and is agreed separately.

Examples of useful workflows

Content preparation

A workflow collects research, organises the material and prepares a draft from an agreed brief. Your editorial review remains part of the process, including checks on facts, sources and brand voice.

Scheduled research

A recurring workflow gathers information, prepares a summary and places it where your team can use it. The schedule and sources follow the decisions you need to make.

AI visibility measurement

A repeatable set of questions is tested across AI engines, with answers recorded for analysis. This supports the audit and reporting work described on the AI visibility page.

Finding information in your documents

A tool helps your team retrieve relevant material from an agreed collection of documents. The design needs to account for access permissions, source references and what to do when the available information doesn't answer the question.

Competitor and market monitoring

A workflow checks agreed sources for relevant changes and prepares a digest for review. Your team can spend more time deciding what a change means and less time collecting it.

Reporting

A workflow brings together information from the analytics and business systems you use. It can prepare recurring tables and draft commentary, with checks before the report is shared.

What we'll agree before the build

The job it needs to do. We define the task and what a useful result looks like. This gives us a way to assess the work beyond whether the automation runs.

Where people stay involved. We identify decisions that need approval, outputs that need checking and failures that need someone's attention.

What it costs to run. We identify the tools, hosting and usage charges involved, with sensible limits for any services that charge by use.

How your team will use it. We agree access, documentation, ownership and support, including who can change the workflow after handover.

Questions about automation, with and without AI

What does an automation consultant do?

I help you identify repetitive tasks, decide which are worth automating and build a process around the way your team works. That might mean a Python script, a connection between existing tools or a workflow that uses AI for part of the job. We start with the task and choose the tools that fit.

Does automation always need AI?

No. Many useful automations follow clear rules and don't need an AI model. A script can tidy spreadsheet data, move information between systems or prepare a scheduled report from agreed figures. If the steps are clear, a script or a connection between tools may be all you need.

When would you use AI in an automation?

AI can help when the task involves interpreting less structured material, such as summarising documents, grouping customer feedback by topic or preparing a first draft. We test it with examples from your business to see whether the output is useful. AI can miss context or produce inaccurate information, so we agree where someone needs to review the results.

Can scripts and AI work together?

Yes. A reporting workflow might use a script to collect figures and calculate totals, then use AI to prepare draft commentary. Your team checks that commentary before the report is shared. Each part has a clear job, and we can keep the workflow entirely based on scripts and rules if that suits the task.

Do I need to be technical?

No. You bring the knowledge of your business and how the work should be done. I'll explain the options, show you the output and help you assess it. If you have a technical team, I can work with them on the design and handover.

What does an engagement cost?

Discovery and builds are scoped before work starts. Project work is £900 a day. Monthly retainers start at £1,350 for a day and a half of work each month. I'll confirm which arrangement fits the work and identify any separate software or running costs. The pricing page sets out the current rates.

Will the prototypes be ready to run the business process?

The prototypes help us test the approach and inspect the output. A production workflow may need further testing, access controls, error handling and documentation. We agree that work and its timetable separately.

Where are you based?

I'm based in Brighton and work remotely with businesses across the UK and beyond. If an in-person session would help, we can discuss that when we agree the project.

Can our internal team take over?

Yes. We can plan the build and handover around the skills your team already has. Documentation and practical sessions help them understand how the workflow runs, how to check it and when it needs attention.

Let's look at the task you'd like to make easier.

Tell me what your team does repeatedly, where it takes time and what you'd like to change. I'll help you work out whether automation is a useful next step and what a sensible starting point would be.

You don't need a finished brief. An example of the work is a good place to start.

Let's have a look See all services