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How it runs · Stage 02 · Blueprint

The system on paper, before the system

Teams that want to see the whole design, the cost and what they will own before committing to a build.

Start with the audit Book thirty minutes
Price
Included with the Audit; quoted separately for multi-phase programmes
Time
Included in the audit’s second week
For
Teams that want to see the whole design, the cost and what they will own before committing to a build.
You own
The diagrams

In short

The Blueprint is the design of your operations system before anything is built. It states what gets automated and what stays manual, the tools it runs on, the phases, the acceptance criteria for each phase and a fixed price. It is included in the Audit for the recommended first build and quoted separately for larger programmes. You own it either way.

How it runs

Step by step.

  1. 1Design

    We draw the target workflow end to end: triggers, systems, decision points, who approves what, and where AI is used versus fixed rules.

  2. 2Stack

    We choose the tools, preferring the ones you already run. Each choice is written down with its reason and its monthly cost.

  3. 3Phases

    The build is cut into two-week sprints, each with one measurable outcome and its acceptance criteria.

  4. 4Quote

    A fixed price for the whole build and for each phase, so you can stop after any phase with something that works.

What you get

  • Target-state workflow diagrams
  • Stack decision with reasons and running costs
  • Phase plan: sprint by sprint, each with one outcome
  • Acceptance criteria per phase
  • Fixed quote and the ownership checklist

How we know it is done

  • Every workflow in scope has a target-state diagram your owner has approved
  • Every phase has a measurable acceptance criterion
  • The quote is fixed and the ownership checklist is signed

What you own

  • The diagrams
  • The stack decision
  • The phase plan and quote
  • The right to build it with anyone
~95%

of corporate generative-AI pilots show no measurable P&L impact

Source: MIT NANDA, 2025

Proof

Customer stories.

“A good blueprint is one your own engineer could build from. That is the test we hold it to.”

SBD engineering team

How it starts

Every project starts with an audit.

One to two weeks with the people who do the work. A costed blueprint in order of payback. The $500 is credited in full to the build.

Start with the audit See how we work
  • Audit1 to 2 weeks. $500, credited to your build.
  • BlueprintIncluded in the audit’s second week. Included with the Audit; quoted separately for multi-phase programmes.
  • Build2 to 8 weeks. From $2,500 one-time; most builds $5,000 to $15,000.
  • Run60 days of hypercare, then monthly. Hypercare included; care plans from $1,000/month.

Questions

What people ask about the blueprint.

Can we take the blueprint and build it ourselves?

Yes. It is written so that your own team or another vendor can build from it. Some clients do exactly that.

How do you decide between rules, AI and agents?

Fixed rules wherever the step runs the same way every time. AI only where judgement is needed, such as reading a document. An agent only where the work is multi-step and the goal is clear. The decision is written into the blueprint.

What if we disagree with a stack choice?

We change it. The blueprint lists the alternatives we considered and why we preferred one. If you have a reason to prefer another, the design is updated before the quote.

What happens if the scope changes mid-project?

We agree the change in writing before doing the work, with its price and its effect on the timeline. You decide whether it is worth it. We do not absorb scope quietly and present a larger invoice at the end.

Who owns the code, the workflows and the accounts?

You do, from the first sprint. Every tool, automation and database lives in accounts in your name. Code sits in your repository. Documentation is part of the deliverable. If you stop working with us, everything keeps running.

The other stages

Related: Audit, Build, How we work

Stage 02 · Blueprint

Talk to the people who would build it.

Thirty minutes. Bring the work your team still does by hand. You leave with a yes or no on fit and the first thing we would build.

Book the call
A team of six gathered around one screen in an open-plan office
Thirty minutes with the people who own the process. Photo: Vitaly Gariev, Unsplash.