The Diagnostic
You don't need an AI strategy. You need your first move, in writing.
The Diagnostic is the front door of the consultancy. We walk in, map how the work actually runs, find where AI or automation earns its keep, and leave you with a written scoping doc you own. Whether you build it with us or not.
"Automating an inefficient environment magnifies the inefficiency." We map the environment first.
What you get
A written scoping doc, four to eight pages, delivered within 10 working days of kickoff. Three sections. The doc is yours, and you keep it whether you engage further or not.
Map
The current state of your operation: tools, handoffs, decisions, bottlenecks. Named and specific, not abstract.
Where AI earns its keep
Two to four candidate interventions, each ranked by payoff (time recovered, revenue created, risk reduced), the effort to deliver, and how confident we are.
What to do next
A recommended sequence: what to ship first, what to defer, what not to do. With a Business Build quote at the end if one is warranted.
What it isn't
- A sales call dressed up as a deliverable
- A generic "AI strategy" document
- A procurement matrix or vendor evaluation
- A long PDF padded to justify the price
- A precursor to a mandatory £20k next step
If the right next step is "don't do anything yet", the Diagnostic says so. That's the honesty marker that protects the offer.
Format and rhythm
We work in a rhythm that suits your business. The shape below is the default, not a rule. What we need is enough of your time to understand how the work actually runs. You get back a written read on it, and on where AI helps, where it doesn't, and what to do first.
| Stage | Format | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery call | Video or in person | 60 minutes |
| Operator interviews (1 to 3 of your people) | Video or in person | 30 minutes each |
| System review (your tools, the shape of your data) | Async or screen-share, read-only | 60 to 120 minutes |
| Drafting | Our side, async | We do the work |
| Walkthrough delivery | Video or in person | 45 minutes |
What you commit
- Read-only access to your tools, or a screen-share equivalent
- Two to three named people we can talk to for 30 minutes each
- 90 minutes of the principal's time across the engagement
- Honest answers to "what's actually broken", not what you wish were true
If you can't or won't provide these, the Diagnostic doesn't run. It depends on real access to real answers.
Scope guardrails
- One business unit or one operational area per Diagnostic. Not "the whole company".
- Up to three connected systems reviewed in depth. Anything beyond that is its own engagement.
- Recommendations only. No build work, agent training, or system changes inside the Diagnostic price.
- If you want delivery during the Diagnostic, that's a Business Build quote at the end, not scope creep.
Pricing and terms
From £1,500
Floor price for a single-area Diagnostic. Quoted before kickoff.
- Scales up for multi-area, larger-team, or deeper-system Diagnostics. Always quoted before you commit.
- Paid 50% on kickoff, 50% on walkthrough delivery.
- Refund at our discretion if you make a credible case the Diagnostic didn't deliver. Written into the engagement letter.
- The Diagnostic fee credits against a Business Build if you book within 30 days of the walkthrough.
Who it's for
The Diagnostic is for anyone who wants a practitioner who has shipped this, not a consultancy partner deck. It isn't sized out for anyone. Three signals don't refuse you, they just route you somewhere better.
You already know exactly what you want built
Skip the Diagnostic. Go straight to a Business Build quote.
You want a procurement comparison or vendor matrix
That's a different product. The Diagnostic is opinionated, not impartial.
You have no internal capacity to maintain what gets recommended
We flag it in the engagement letter so expectations line up, then proceed if you accept the constraint.
Book a Diagnostic.
Tell us the business, the area, and the bottleneck. We'll confirm scope and the fee on a short call before anything starts.