Where does time go?
Count the repeated steps, handovers and exceptions. Use a small sample of real work to establish the baseline.
Workflow automation / professional services
Less chasing.
More client
work.
Make client intake and follow-up easier. Start with one workflow, check the numbers, and keep a person in control.
A clear scope and fee before any paid work starts.
ONE STRONGER LINK
01
Receive the enquiryOne place to start
02
Check what’s missingA consistent intake checklist
03
Prepare the follow-upUseful context, ready to review
04
A person approvesYour team keeps the final decision
An illustrative workflow, scoped around your existing tools.
One workflow at a timeVisible costs and assumptionsEvidence before expansion
Start with the work that gets in the way
The gap between
“received” and “ready”.
A new client arrives. Details are missing. Someone checks the inbox, updates a tracker and follows up again. It’s a useful place to look for improvement—if the volume and effort justify it.
What should change?
Try one bounded improvement. Keep review time, mistakes, running costs and adoption in the calculation.
Is it worth keeping?
Compare observed effort and quality with the baseline. Continue, adjust or stop using agreed criteria.
A connected product stack
One clear next step.
At every stage.
Start where you are. Each step creates something useful on its own and informs the decision that follows.
Value Lab
Explore / free toolMake a first estimate with your own numbers. Compare time recovered, costs and uncertainty before buying anything.
You leave with an editable business case.
Open Value Lab ↗Value Review
Validate / paid assessmentMap one workflow, challenge the assumptions and identify what needs to be true for a pilot to make sense.
You receive a baseline, a pilot brief and a go / no-go recommendation.
See the review scope ↗Workflow Sprint
Implement / core engagementBuild and test one agreed workflow, with human approval, exception handling and a handover your team can use.
A bounded pilot, measured results and a decision about rollout. Production rollout is included only when explicitly scoped.
Workflow Care
Maintain / optional ongoing serviceKeep a deployed workflow useful through scheduled checks, agreed maintenance and a review of actual value.
A defined review cadence and change allowance. Scope and support arrangements are agreed separately.
Paid engagements are quoted to an agreed scope. A review does not commit you to a sprint or ongoing care.
The first paid step
Know what’s
worth building.
What you receive, how it works and a sample brief ↗
A Value Review is for an owner or operations lead with a repeatable client workflow and a clear problem to investigate.
- Map one current workflow and its handovers.
- Review a small, agreed sample of activity.
- Estimate value, effort, running cost and uncertainty.
- Define pilot scope and a measurable acceptance test.
A sensible first fit
Client intake, missing information and internal follow-up. You have a process owner and can describe the work. Sensitive records can be anonymised.
A clear boundary
The review does not include a production build, legal or regulatory certification, or a guaranteed saving. If the case is weak, the recommendation can be to stop.
Your next step, ready.
Review your message below. Then open your email app to send it, or copy the message.
Draft prepared. Nothing has been sent.
Send to richard@dobson.online
Before you start.
Do I need AI for this?
Only if it suits the job. A clearer checklist, an existing system feature or a simple rules-based workflow may be enough. The review determines what is appropriate.
What will it cost?
The Value Lab is free. The Value Review, Workflow Sprint and Workflow Care are paid services. We agree the deliverables, fee, timing and any third-party costs in writing before work starts.
Do I have to replace my current software?
We start by reviewing what you already use. Compatibility, access and ongoing costs are checked before recommending a build. Some workflows will not be suitable for a small pilot.
What happens to the information I enter here?
Your draft stays in this page until you copy it or open it in your email app. This page does not collect leads automatically or include analytics. The hosting platform may process ordinary access logs. Information you choose to email is used to respond to your enquiry.
Can I start with a different business problem?
Yes. Value Lab also models cybersecurity risk and cash savings. Describe your problem in the enquiry so we can assess whether it fits an engagement.
A useful place to begin
Should you automate client intake?
Five questions, a worked example and a practical go / no-go check.