Frequently asked questions

No. The point of the assessment is to tell you what is worth doing and what isn't. Often the answer is to use what you already own better, and we will say so.

About a week for a focused single-workflow review, up to three weeks for a whole-operation one. Each tier above lists its duration, and we confirm timing on the discovery call.

A sponsor to open doors, and short interviews with the people who actually do the work. Most participants spend well under an hour with us.

No. The roadmap is yours, with enough detail that any competent builder can act on it. If you want us to build it we can, but the assessment stands on its own.

A written roadmap: workflow map, scored opportunity list, effort and cost estimates for the top items, and a phased 30/60/90-day plan, delivered in a working session.

Sometimes. Assessment and advisory work can fall under provincial and federal programs. We flag likely fits during scoping; see the funding note on our pricing page.

Yes, that is the core of the work. Everything is designed against your actual workflow and documents, and adoption support is part of the engagement.

We integrate before we replace. Most builds connect and extend the systems you already run, whether that's an ERP, Microsoft 365, or the spreadsheets in between.

No. Tools are built for the people who will use them, inside the apps they already work in where possible, and training is part of every engagement.

Carefully and minimally. We agree data boundaries during scoping, keep processing inside your accounts where possible, and put confidentiality in writing.

Automations are logged and monitored, and we hand over documentation. We can also stay on for tuning and support if you want it.

Builds are documented and structured so they can be adjusted. Small changes are quick; bigger ones we scope honestly, the same way as the original work.

The assessment finds specific automations worth building. The strategy sets the direction and sequencing for AI across the business, for leaders making investment calls.

No. The roadmap is vendor-neutral. We recommend what fits your situation, including doing nothing where that is the right call.

The owner or executive sponsor, plus whoever owns operations and systems. The alignment session works best when the people who'll live with the plan help pressure-test it.

Then the review starts there. Unused licences are one of the most common findings, and the roadmap often begins by getting value from what you already pay for.

The roadmap is sequenced so near-term moves are concrete and later ones are directional. The comprehensive tier includes quarterly check-ins to keep it honest.

Sometimes. Strategy and advisory work can fall under federal innovation support. We flag likely fits during scoping. See the funding note on our pricing page.

Not if it is built right. We tune systems to your voice and keep a human editorial step, so the output sounds like you, only faster.

We build the systems and can train your team to run them. For hands-on execution we scope that separately on a call.

It is making sure AI assistants can find and correctly describe your business. We use structured data and markdown mirrors, the same approach behind this site.

No, arguably the best time. Starting with a system means you never build the bad habits, and a small consistent output beats sporadic bursts.

Wherever your customers actually are. Most builds cover a website or blog plus one or two social channels, with repurposing between them handled by the system.

Simple, honest measurement is part of the build: first-party analytics and a short dashboard, so you can see enquiries and visibility move without wading through vanity metrics.

Yes, in person around the Lower Mainland or remotely anywhere. Both work well for hands-on sessions.

We tailor to the room. Most sessions handle a mix, and the intake survey tells us the real starting point before anyone sits down.

If your team uses a computer, they can benefit. Operations, project management, marketing, sales, and leadership teams all map well onto the curriculum.

Everyone works hands-on with their own real tasks and leaves with working prompts and, often, a live automation. Watching slides doesn't change behaviour; doing the work does.

A reference guide built from your session, a policy starting point, and a follow-up clinic about 30 days later to lock in what stuck.

Often, yes. British Columbia's Employer Training Grant can cover a large share of eligible training costs. We can point you to it during scoping.

No, and we're upfront about that. ERP implementation takes vendor domain experts. We handle the strategy, selection, and planning around it, integrate your other tools with it, and keep the implementation honest from your side of the table.

That's the normal starting point. Process mapping and SOPs are exactly how know-how gets out of heads and into something the whole team can run.

Usually not. We integrate before we replace, and most engagements connect and extend what you already run. Replacement is a last resort, not a default.

Light. Mapping happens through short walk-throughs with the people doing the work, and changes roll out in stages with training, not as a big-bang switchover.

Yes, if the underlying data supports it. If it doesn't, we'll tell you, because a dashboard on top of inconsistent data just makes bad numbers prettier.

Experienced Project Manager or Project Controller time, part-time or for a defined surge, without the cost and commitment of a permanent hire.

Either. Some clients need a fractional PM to run the marine scope; others want an experienced second set of eyes beside their own team. We scope it on the call.

Yes. Independent constructability and schedule review for owners is a common engagement, especially where the owner's team mostly builds on land.

From single-structure marine scopes to multi-year programs. The featured projects below give a sense of the range.

No. Mid-project recovery reviews, schedule resets, and records cleanup are exactly when an outside marine perspective earns its fee fastest.

We support them: delay analysis, records review, and documentation. For formal legal proceedings we work alongside your counsel rather than replacing them.

Yes. We build so your team can edit content, and we hand over a short guide. No lock-in and no forced retainer.

Two to three weeks for a focused site, up to eight for a larger one. Each tier lists its typical duration, and we confirm on the discovery call.

Your content, or raw material we can shape: what you do, who for, photos if you have them. The content step exists precisely to get this sorted early.

We focus on marketing and lead-generation sites. For a store we will tell you honestly whether we are the right fit on a call.

Speed, control, and visibility. A hand-built site loads faster, ranks better, and is genuinely yours. This site is the demo.

We set up fast, modern hosting (typically Vercel) in your own accounts, so you own everything. Hosting costs for a site like this are minimal.

Yes. You own the identity and receive editable source files. No licensing games.

Yes. Not every brand needs to start over. We will tell you honestly whether a refresh or a rebuild makes more sense.

A small number of considered directions rather than a wall of options, each with the reasoning behind it. Refinement rounds are listed per tier.

Often, yes, and they work best together. We can scope a combined engagement on a call.

Then we build the system around it: colour, type, and guidelines that make what you have look consistent and considered everywhere.

Both, honestly. The value is a thinking partner who understands operations and can actually build the tools when it comes to that.

Most owners do twice a month. We start with a fit call and adjust the cadence to what is useful.

We can move into a build engagement when it makes sense, or keep it purely advisory. Your call.

On an hourly basis of roughly $150–250/hr depending on scope, packaged monthly. No long contracts; month to month after the first.

Completely. Sessions are private, and anything you share stays between us. We can put an NDA in writing if you'd like one.

No. We meet you where you are and build from your real goals and work.

Remote works well for this and is the default. In-person around the Lower Mainland is possible.

Use AI and modern tools confidently on your own work, with the judgement to know their limits.

Most people do something genuinely useful with AI in the first session, because we work on your real tasks from minute one. Durable skill takes a few weeks of practice.

The ones that matter for your goals: typically ChatGPT or Claude, plus the automation and productivity tools that fit your work. Not a fixed syllabus.

A workshop is a start. This is a program with follow-through, designed so new habits actually stick across the team.

Often, yes. British Columbia's Employer Training Grant can cover a large share of eligible training costs. We can point you to it during scoping.

From a small team to several. Larger groups run as sequenced cohorts. We scope it on a call.

Usually, yes, and we design around your delivery schedule so training doesn't collide with deadlines. Sessions can be split or staggered across crews.

Against the baseline from the design week: what the team can do, what they've automated, and what habits stuck. The reinforcement clinics keep it honest.