Skip to content
PFMR

Taking on work from November 2026

Fixed-fee review

Business operations and AI opportunity review

Know what to consolidate, fix or add in how your business runs and where AI fits, so the same team can do more and offer better service.

First step
A session with your leadership team, interviews with the people who know where it hurts, or both
Speed to insight
AI-enhanced interviewsAI-enhanced interviews We use state-of-the-art AI interviewers to talk with your people one by one and capture what they know - meaning we deliver insights and outcomes significantly faster. and analysis, with findings in weeks

A fixed-fee review of the functions in scope and the platforms behind them. Its largest opportunities go to AI work redesign.

For CEOs, MDs, owners and COOs.

Included in the review

  • Every platform you pay for on one registerPlatform register Every platform on one list, with its licences in use, cost, renewal date and owner, and a keep, consolidate or retire call before each contract renews. See the worked example, marked keep, consolidate or retire
  • A scorecardScorecard Each area or function scored across its people, process, technology and service delivery, from developing to established, with every rating traced to interview or document evidence. See the worked example of how each assessed function runs today, across people, process, technology and service delivery
  • An AI heat mapAI heat map Each area rated for how far AI could take it, from human-only to AI-run, and for how ready it is today. It shows the quick wins, the foundations to fix first and the work that stays human. See the worked example and an opportunity mapOpportunity map Each opportunity rated for its value against your priorities and the effort and readiness to deliver it. Work starts with the quick wins, and the rest is sequenced from there. See the worked example, with the largest opportunities ready for AI work redesign
  • A roadmapRoadmap The workflows worth redesigning, one a quarter in the order the results would land, each with the furthest step AI could take it and what it could deliver. See the worked example showing what redesigning each workflow could deliver, with a playback to your leadership team

Just some of the challenges we can help solve

Common sticking points

If any of these hit a little close to home, it's probably time we spoke.

  1. How things get done lives in a few people's heads

    Procedures were never written down, so when one person is away, the work waits.

    Business operations review
  2. Your best people are stuck in repetitive admin

    Most of their week goes on processing and routine queries, so there's little time left for the work you hired them for.

    Business operations review

When it becomes urgent

  • Platforms overlap across teams, and nobody has the full list of licences, costs and renewal dates.
  • A platform renewal is coming, and leaders disagree about what's a system problem, what's a process problem and what to fix before signing.

What you receive

  • Every platform you pay for on one register, with its licences, cost, renewal date and owner, marked keep, consolidate or retire
  • A scorecard of how each assessed function runs today, across people, process, technology and service delivery
  • An AI heat map and an opportunity map, with the largest opportunities ready for AI work redesign
  • A roadmap showing what redesigning each workflow could deliver, with a playback to your leadership team

Our methods in practice

What we could build together

Examples of the type of work and insights you can expect to see from working with us.

Example 01Illustrative

How each area runs today

We rate each function or area in scope on its people, process, technology and service delivery, from developing to established. Each rating is backed by interview or document evidence. The lowest scores show where improvements are needed first.

Business operations reviewPeople function review

Scorecard, four in scope
Function PeoplePeople The skills and capacity of the team doing the work, and how clearly roles and decisions are owned.ProcessProcess How consistently the work gets done, how many handoffs and workarounds it takes, and whether anyone has written it down.TechnologyTechnology How well the platforms support the work, whether the data can be trusted, and how much still happens by hand or in spreadsheets.Service deliveryService delivery How easily the people who rely on the function, such as customers, franchisees or other teams, get what they need, how quickly, and how they rate it. OverallOverall A rounded rating from the pillar scores. It becomes the readiness rating that row carries into the heat map.
OperationsStrong use of the job system; last-minute changes still go by text message People: EstablishedProcess: EstablishedTechnology: EstablishedService delivery: Progressing Established
ComplianceThorough auditors; reports retyped from paper forms People: EstablishedProcess: ProgressingTechnology: ProgressingService delivery: Progressing Progressing
Head officeProcedures sit with one or two people, and there's no shared knowledge base People: ProgressingProcess: DevelopingTechnology: DevelopingService delivery: Developing Developing
CommercialStrong client relationships; pricing tracked in spreadsheets People: EstablishedProcess: ProgressingTechnology: DevelopingService delivery: Established Progressing
Area PeoplePeople The skills and capacity of the team doing the work, and how clearly roles and decisions are owned.ProcessProcess How consistently the work gets done, how many handoffs and workarounds it takes, and whether anyone has written it down.TechnologyTechnology How well the platforms support the work, whether the data can be trusted, and how much still happens by hand or in spreadsheets.Service deliveryService delivery How easily employees and managers get help, how quickly requests are resolved, and how they rate the service. OverallOverall A rounded rating from the pillar scores. It becomes the readiness rating that row carries into the heat map.
Talent acquisitionStrong use of the platform; offer approvals wait on email People: EstablishedProcess: EstablishedTechnology: EstablishedService delivery: Progressing Established
HR systems managementMost service desk tickets answered by hand from the knowledge base People: ProgressingProcess: ProgressingTechnology: EstablishedService delivery: Developing Progressing
Workforce administrationPosition data out of date, and policies in three versions People: ProgressingProcess: DevelopingTechnology: ProgressingService delivery: Progressing Developing
Health, wellbeing and workplace relationsExperienced advisers; case notes kept in spreadsheets People: EstablishedProcess: ProgressingTechnology: DevelopingService delivery: Progressing Progressing

One filled square means developing, two progressing and three established. Each row's overall rating shows its readiness in the heat map. The lowest pillar scores show which areas to address first.

Example 02Illustrative

Where AI fits, area by area

We assess how far AI could be used in each function or area in scope, from human-only to AI-run, and how ready it is today. This identifies quick wins, areas that need work first and tasks that stay with people.

Business operations reviewPeople function review

AI and technology heat map, four in scope
Function How far AI could take itHuman-onlyHuman-only AI isn't used. The call needs a person's judgement and accountability, like telling someone their role is redundant or deciding whether to close a site.AI-assistedAI-assisted AI helps one person with a task they still own, like an HRBP preparing for a difficult performance conversation or a finance lead drafting a board paper.AI-embeddedAI-embedded AI is built into the workflow and completes a significant portion of it, and people do the rest. It ranks each job application for a recruiter to shortlist, or reads every supplier invoice so accounts payable only handles the mismatches.AI-runAI-run AI owns the work within limits you set, and people oversee it and handle the exceptions. It books interviews around candidates' and managers' diaries, or chases overdue invoices and passes the stubborn ones to a person. Readiness and verdict
OperationsJob scheduling, inside the platform you have Furthest step: AI-run EstablishedQuick winCurrent platform
ComplianceSite audit reports drafted from photos and past findings Furthest step: AI-embedded ProgressingQuick winThe audit app you have
Head officeReplies to customer enquiries, once the knowledge base is in place Furthest step: AI-embedded DevelopingFix foundations firstNew tool, the knowledge base
CommercialKey account and supplier negotiations stay with people Furthest step: Human-only ProgressingStays humanNo tool needed
Area How far AI could take itHuman-onlyHuman-only AI isn't used. The call needs a person's judgement and accountability, like telling someone their role is redundant or deciding whether to close a site.AI-assistedAI-assisted AI helps one person with a task they still own, like an HRBP preparing for a difficult performance conversation or a finance lead drafting a board paper.AI-embeddedAI-embedded AI is built into the workflow and completes a significant portion of it, and people do the rest. It ranks each job application for a recruiter to shortlist, or reads every supplier invoice so accounts payable only handles the mismatches.AI-runAI-run AI owns the work within limits you set, and people oversee it and handle the exceptions. It books interviews around candidates' and managers' diaries, or chases overdue invoices and passes the stubborn ones to a person. Readiness and verdict
Talent acquisitionInterview scheduling, inside the platform you have Furthest step: AI-run EstablishedQuick winCurrent platform
HR systems managementService desk triage suggestions from your knowledge base Furthest step: AI-embedded ProgressingQuick winNew tool
Workforce administrationRoutine policy questions, once position data and policies are clean Furthest step: AI-run DevelopingFix foundations firstCurrent platform, after the data fix
Health, wellbeing and workplace relationsInvestigations and redundancy conversations stay with people Furthest step: Human-only ProgressingStays humanNo tool needed

The filled steps show how far AI could be used in each area. We mark quick wins and start there. Each row shows readiness from its scorecard and whether the current platform can support that level of AI use.

Example 03Illustrative

What to fix first

We map two to four opportunities for each function or area and rate their value against the priorities agreed at the start. We also assess effort and readiness, then start with the quick wins in the top-left quarter.

Business operations reviewPeople function review

Opportunity map, six opportunities
Job scheduling in operations and site audit reports in compliance are quick wins. A shared knowledge base and replies to customer enquiries, both in head office, are high value but harder. Training record reminders are easy but lower value. Replacing the job management system in operations is parked. Quick wins Plan for Fill-ins Park Effort and readiness, from easier to harder Value against your priorities 1 2 3 4 5 6
Operations
1Job scheduling
6Replace the job management system
Compliance
2Site audit reports
Head office
3A shared knowledge base
4Replies to customer enquiries
Training
5Training record reminders
Interview scheduling in talent acquisition and service desk triage in HR systems management are quick wins. Clean position data and AI answers to policy questions, both in workforce administration, are high value but harder. One onboarding checklist in talent acquisition is easy but lower value. Replacing the case management tool in health, wellbeing and workplace relations is parked. Quick wins Plan for Fill-ins Park Effort and readiness, from easier to harder Value against your priorities 1 2 3 4 5 6
Talent acquisition
1Interview scheduling
5One onboarding checklist
HR systems management
2Service desk triage
Workforce administration
3Clean position data
4AI answers to policy questions
Health, wellbeing and workplace relations
6Replace the case management tool

The numbers show the proposed order of work, with quick wins in the shaded quarter. Each opportunity links to a finding in its function or area. We group the opportunities into work packages and sequence them over six months.

Example 04Illustrative

What to keep, consolidate or retire

We compare the user licences you pay for with those in use and record each platform's cost, renewal date and owner in one register. Before each contract renews, we recommend whether to keep, consolidate or retire the platform. We also assess whether a new tool would pay for itself.

Business operations review
Platform register, six platforms and one gap across five functions
Platform Licences in use Call
Project tool AMarketing, renews in 2 months 14 of 40licences in use ConsolidateInto project tool B
Forms appCompliance, renews in 3 months 9 of 30licences in use ConsolidateInto the audit app
Survey toolHead office, renews in 1 month 0 of 10licences in use RetireNo use last quarter
Project tool BOperations, renews in 7 months 22 of 25licences in use KeepTakes on marketing's projects
Learning platformTraining, renews in 5 months 96 of 120licences in use Keep
Audit appCompliance, renews in 9 months 51 of 60licences in use KeepTakes on the forms
Knowledge baseAll functions, not yet bought New AddFor procedures that sit with one person

Each bar shows the user licences paid for, with the filled portion showing those in use. Across all platforms, 192 of 285 licences are in use. Recommendations come before each contract renews. The dashed row shows a proposed new tool.

Example 05Illustrative

Which workflows to redesign first

We build a roadmap for the workflows with the greatest potential benefit. It shows how far AI could be used in each workflow, what the redesign could achieve and the proposed order of work.

Business operations review
Roadmap, four workflows over the next year
When Workflow AI step Could deliver
Quarter 1 Job schedulingOperations AI-runAI-run AI owns the work within limits you set, and people oversee it and handle the exceptions. It books interviews around candidates' and managers' diaries, or chases overdue invoices and passes the stubborn ones to a person. Fewer reschedules, with jobs booked around crews' availability
Quarter 2 Site auditsCompliance AI-embeddedAI-embedded AI is built into the workflow and completes a significant portion of it, and people do the rest. It ranks each job application for a recruiter to shortlist, or reads every supplier invoice so accounts payable only handles the mismatches. Same-day audit reports, drafted from photos and past findings
Quarter 3 Customer enquiriesHead office AI-embeddedAI-embedded AI is built into the workflow and completes a significant portion of it, and people do the rest. It ranks each job application for a recruiter to shortlist, or reads every supplier invoice so accounts payable only handles the mismatches. Faster first replies, drafted from the new knowledge base
Quarter 4 Training recordsTraining AI-runAI-run AI owns the work within limits you set, and people oversee it and handle the exceptions. It books interviews around candidates' and managers' diaries, or chases overdue invoices and passes the stubborn ones to a person. Overdue modules chased automatically, so gaps close before audits

We plan one workflow per quarter, starting with those expected to deliver benefits soonest. Each goes through AI work redesign, and we measure its results against how it performed before the changes.

Who it is for

CEOs, MDs, owners and COOs. If the main question is the people function, start with the people function review instead.

Ways in and terms

  • It starts with a session with your leadership team, interviews with the people who know where it hurts, or both.
  • Speed to insight: AI-enhanced interviews and analysis, with findings in weeks. We use state-of-the-art AI interviewers to talk with your people one by one and capture what they know - meaning we deliver insights and outcomes significantly faster.
  • The review needs your platform list, with licences, costs and contract dates.
  • The fee is fixed and set in your proposal, in Australian dollars excluding GST, paid half on signing and half on delivery.

Before we talk

Common questions

Which review is right for us?

Choose the people function review if you want to understand how your HR function is working and what needs to change. The business operations review looks more broadly at how work runs across your business functions and platforms. The largest opportunities from either review become the starting point for AI work redesign.

Why review before renewing or replacing a platform?

A review helps you decide what to keep, consolidate or retire before you make a final decision. It also identifies workarounds that need fixing so you can address them before potentially moving to a new platform.

Do we need a review before we can work with you?

Not always. AI work redesign can start with a half-day leadership session. People function design, choosing technology and implementation assurance start with a review because the following work is influenced by the review's findings.

How do you use AI in your work?

We use AI agents for much of the research, interviewing, analysis and drafting. This helps us reach findings at a significantly accelerated pace. We check everything they produce before sharing it with you and make recommendations ourselves.

What happens to our data?

We can work with you on several options for data sovereignty and many of our accelerators are tool agnostic.

Next step

Start with a 30-minute call.

Let's talk through your challenges, and together we'll come up with a plan on where to start to tackle them.

Let's talk

Taking on work from November 2026