We work out togetherwhich job goes into a system.
Picking a tool is easy; the real question is which job goes into a system. A week of discovery, a report with a roadmap, going live with a single process, monthly measurement and an audit log for every decision. If a process is not worth this method, we say that in writing too.
Tools we build with
n8n
Make
Zapier
Claude
Supabase
GitHub
HubSpot
Example board. Every build is designed around the company's own process.
Who runs this processtoday?
Discovery starts with people on day one: which team does which step, where the work waits, what gets carried by hand.
Operations
Requests and job tracking
Sales
Proposals and meetings
Process owner
Rules and approvals
Finance
Invoices and reconciliation
Management
Measurement and decisions
How long does each step take?
For a week we map the process step by step and measure each step's duration and how often it repeats. The automation candidates come out of those two numbers; no candidate joins the list on an opinion.
What is in the discovery reportWhere do we start?
We keep the scope narrow. One workflow that runs is worth more than five that were left half finished; expansion follows the measurement.
- All processesAll mapped in discovery, none skipped
- Automation candidatesRepeatable, rule-bound, with digital input
- PrioritisedMeasurable in effect and buildable quickly
- First live workflowOne process opens first, expansion comes after
Whatever the system didis written in the log.
Which decision was made when, by whom, and under which version of the rule. The log helps in an audit, but its real purpose is this: you never have to ask anyone where an output came from.
AI agent deployment is not a choice of tool,it is a question of method.
Which tool you use comes after why you chose a given process. If the measurement is not taken before the build, the result stays open to argument; a written method closes that argument at the start.
Builds without measurement
Flows with an unknown before
The measurement plan is written before the build
The after is measured the same way
Discovery
Week
Process map and priority order
The report is yours either way
First scope
Process
Repeatable, rule-bound, digital input
Expansion follows measurement
Manual effort
Reduction
On defined, repeatable steps
Upper bound
Agent deploymentFrequently asked questions
The discovery call is free and takes thirty minutes. The scope and cost of the week-long discovery work are settled on that call; the report that comes out of it is yours either way.
Six sections. A step-by-step map of the process as it runs today. The duration and weekly repeat count of each step. The priority order of the automation candidates. The scope of the first chosen workflow and the systems it will connect to. The measurement plan, and the reasoning for the steps we ruled out. The report is written as a decision document, not a technical one.
A single process that repeats, follows rules and has digital input. Keeping the scope wide delays the first live workflow; one workflow that runs is worth more than five that were left half finished.
No. We move the repeating steps into a system and the step that needs judgement stays with a person. Your team uses the workflow we build and your team sets its limits.
Yes. The rules, templates and connections of the workflow sit on your own infrastructure. When you ask for a handover, it comes with its documentation.
Because the measurement plan is written before the build, we see that in numbers. The workflow is either rebuilt with a narrower scope or closed; which was chosen, and why, goes into the report.
Discovery takes a week. In that week the process map comes out, the candidates are ranked and the scope of the first workflow is written. The first live workflow opens within 4-8 weeks; the range depends on the width of the scope, the number of systems and how complex the approval rules are. Your own timeline is written into the discovery report.
From the two numbers measured during discovery week: time spent per step and weekly repeat count. The same two are taken again after the workflow opens and sit in the report next to the first measurement. What we expect is written on the measure cards on this page; what we expect for you goes into the discovery report.
Related products
Where this is used
- n8n automation: self-hosted workflows that are documented, monitored and maintainedn8n automation means building repetitive business steps as workflows in n8n and running them on your own server. n8n is a workflow tool whose source code is public. You can host it yourself, so the data stays with you. For teams looking for an n8n expert, ALTAI Digital covers set-up, workflow design, documentation, the error queue and upkeep. Every workflow is documented with its trigger, steps and error behaviour. Discovery takes one week; the first live workflow opens within four to eight weeks.
- AI automation agency: we hand over a working flow, not a demoAn AI automation agency builds, runs and measures the repetitive work inside a business with AI and automation. ALTAI Digital works in four areas: chatbots and voice assistants, workflow automation, CRM and enquiry handling, and websites with advertising. Assistants speak only from the business's own sources, workflows are documented, and everything is handed over in your own accounts. The first live flow opens in four to eight weeks.
- AI consulting: process first, tools second, and the report is yoursAI consulting is the work of deciding, in writing and before any tool is chosen, which of your processes are worth automating. It starts with a 30-minute call, continues with a one-week discovery and ends with a six-part report. The call is free; the one-week discovery is paid, and its scope and fee are agreed on the call. The report is always yours. A build is a separate decision. The report proposes a single process for the first flow, and a process that fails the tests is reported as such.
- Custom software development: a programme written from scratch around your processCustom software development is writing a programme from scratch around one company's own process, instead of adapting a ready-made package. ALTAI Digital maps the process first, then writes quote automation, document pipelines, messaging assistants and AI-assisted tools. Each programme has permanent tests, and risky steps can wait for a person's approval. Who keeps the source code and the server is settled in the scope. The scope is written in a discovery report.
- AI integration services: connected to your systems, kept in scopeAI integration services connect a language model through an API to a business's CRM, inbox, WhatsApp and document systems. ALTAI Digital works with the models behind ChatGPT and with Anthropic's Claude models. Existing systems stay in place; the model is added as a layer on top. It answers only from the sources it is given and says so when a source is missing. Sending, paying and deleting each keep a separate human approval step. Discovery takes one week; the first live flow follows in four to eight weeks.
Terms explained
- n8nn8n is an open-source workflow automation tool that joins separate applications into one flow. A flow starts with a trigger and moves through steps called nodes. Each node does one job and passes the result to the next. There is a cloud version, but n8n also runs on a server the business controls. In that setup the data stays on that server.
- Workflow automationWorkflow automation is the practice of writing down a repeated task as a rule and handing that rule to software. A flow starts with a trigger: a time of day, a form response, or a call from another system. Steps follow. Each step does one job and passes the result to the next one. Conditions decide which way the flow goes, and a step can wait for human approval.
- AEOAEO stands for answer engine optimisation. It covers the work of writing a page so that answer boxes and AI assistants use it as a source. The method is to answer the question in the opening lines, write section headings as questions, and keep every claim checkable. Google states that this is not a separate discipline, and that the same SEO applies.
The process first, the proposal after
In a short discovery call we map the process together and tell you plainly whether it is worth automating. If it is not, we say that too.
30 minutes · no preparation needed
