2 weeks
Explorer
Structured discovery to validate feasibility and value before capital commitment.
- Ranked automation backlog
- Architecture options
- 90-day roadmap draft
Ideal for: Leaders who need evidence before approving a pilot budget
Investment
Pricing framework
We price on outcomes and documented scope, not time-and-materials retainers. Every tier has fixed deliverables, acceptance criteria, and a clear definition of done.
Our philosophy
Outcome-based pricing, not billable hours
Time-and-materials consulting creates misaligned incentives: the consultant earns more when the project runs longer, not when the client achieves the goal faster. We structure engagements around fixed deliverables and milestone payments so our financial interests are aligned with yours from the first day.
Every engagement begins with a documented baseline. We agree on the metrics that matter, whether that is cycle time, error rate, labour hours, or throughput, and every milestone payment is linked to verified progress against those baselines. Your finance team can audit the numbers at any point.
100%
Fixed-fee engagements for Explorer and Pilot
0
Override bills for in-scope work
30-day
Hypercare period after every go-live
Client-owned
All IP, runbooks, and code at programme close
Engagement tiers
Four paths to production
Each tier has defined deliverables, acceptance criteria, and a clear start and end point. Choose the tier that matches your current stage of automation maturity.
8-12 weeks
Pilot
One production use case with defined KPIs, change management, and hypercare.
- Production automation
- Baseline vs. actual metrics
- Runbooks and training
Ideal for: Teams ready to prove ROI on a single high-value process
6-9 months
Scale
Three to five use cases across functions with shared platform standards and CoE patterns.
- Multi-process automation
- CoE operating model
- License optimization
Ideal for: Organizations moving from pilot to program
Ongoing
Managed Automation
Operate automations with SLAs, exception handling, and continuous improvement backlog.
- 24x5 monitoring
- Monthly service reviews
- Change pipeline
Ideal for: Teams that want outcomes without growing an internal ops bench
Indicative investment
Reference ranges
The following ranges are for orientation only. Your project investment depends on process complexity, integration scope, compliance requirements, and change management needs. We confirm investment in writing after the scoping call.
Explorer
$25k – $50k
Fixed fee
Varies by stakeholder count and process areas in scope
Pilot
$75k – $200k
Milestone-based
Varies by integration complexity and compliance tier
Scale
Priced after Pilot
Programme fee
Depends on use case count and platform consolidation
Managed
Monthly retainer
Per automation pod
Volume discounts and SLA tiers available
All figures in USD. Ranges are indicative for mid-market North American engagements and do not include software licences, cloud infrastructure, or hardware. Actual investment confirmed in writing after scoping.
Transparency
What is not included
We provide a total-cost-of-ownership model during discovery so there are no surprises at programme close. Client-owned costs typically include:
- Software licences (RPA platform, AI/ML infrastructure, integration middleware)
- Cloud infrastructure costs (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud compute and storage)
- Third-party API and data feed fees
- Hardware for industrial IoT sensors and edge compute
- Internal IT team time for environment provisioning and security review
- Change management activities conducted by client HR or communications teams
Payment terms
How billing works
Explorer
50% at engagement start, 50% on delivery of the final readout. No payment due until you have received and accepted all deliverables.
Pilot
Three milestone payments: project kick-off, development complete (UAT sign-off), and production go-live. Milestone definitions are in the statement of work.
Scale
Programme fee structured across quarterly milestones with client-controlled hold provisions. Payment schedule agreed in MSA before work begins.
Managed Automation
Monthly in advance. Net-30 from invoice date. Volume and multi-year discounts structured at contract execution.
Frequently asked questions
- Automation complexity varies significantly by integration depth, compliance tier, and change management requirements. A process requiring SAP integration, HIPAA-aligned controls, and union change protocols costs materially more to automate than an equivalent volume process in a greenfield environment. We provide indicative ranges and confirm project-specific investment in writing after the scoping call.
- Fixed fees include all practitioner time, facilitation materials, and deliverable production for the stated scope. Travel and expenses for on-site sessions within our North Texas service area are included in standard engagements. Extended scope, additional stakeholder groups, or integrations identified post-discovery are handled through a formal change order, not an override bill.
- Yes, if you have an existing process backlog and baseline metrics. We will review your current documentation and conduct a 3 to 5 day scoping sprint before the Pilot begins to validate the KPIs and acceptance criteria. This reduces risk of scope change and ensures the Pilot baseline is finance-grade.
- Managed Automation is priced per automation pod or per operational unit, with a minimum commitment of six months. Pricing is structured as a monthly service fee with an included change request allowance. SLA tiers (standard 8x5 and premium 24x5) carry different monthly rates. Volume discounts apply above agreed thresholds.
- Yes. For programmes above a certain investment threshold, we offer milestone-based payment aligned to go-live events rather than calendar months. This aligns our incentives to your outcomes. Discuss payment structure during the scoping call.
- Software licences, cloud infrastructure costs, third-party API fees, and hardware for industrial IoT deployments are client-owned costs and are not included in our engagement fees. We provide a total-cost-of-ownership model during discovery so there are no surprises at programme close.
Get a project-specific investment estimate
Investment ranges above are illustrative. Speak with a senior practitioner to get an accurate estimate for your specific scope and context.