Ethos PowerKnow where AI actually fits
A scoped advisory engagement. I assess your operation and tell you honestly where AI pays off and where it doesn't — including when the right answer is to do nothing.
Book a 20-min call“Everyone says use AI — we don't know where to start.”
You've seen the demos that look like magic and the pilots that quietly died. You don't want to be sold a solution — you want an honest read on what's actually worth doing in your business.
That's the whole job here. I come in, look hard at how you work, and give you a straight answer: where AI earns its keep, where it doesn't, and what to do first.
Sound familiar?
- •Every vendor swears their AI is the answer — none of them run your business.
- •You can't tell the genuine wins from the expensive distractions.
- •A failed pilot already burned budget and goodwill.
- •You need someone who'll tell you when not to use AI.
What you get
An operations review
I look at your people, systems, and processes the way an engineer audits a plant — to understand how the work really flows, not how the org chart says it does.
A “fits / doesn’t fit” map
A prioritised map of where AI pays off in your operation, where it won't, and the order I'd tackle it in — plain English, no jargon.
An honest recommendation
A scoped, costed recommendation you can act on — including a clear “don't bother with this” when that's the right call.
A second opinion you can trust
No product to sell you. If the best move is a tool you already own or no AI at all, that's what I'll tell you.
How it works
A methodology refined over three decades of helping organisations navigate complex, high-stakes decisions.
I listen
I gather what you need through active listening and pointed questions. Understanding your specific situation is the foundation of useful advice.
I investigate
I look at your people, systems, records, processes, and policies to understand your current circumstances thoroughly — not just the headline.
I analyse
I study what I find to locate the real source of the problem and weigh the options. Rigorous analysis leads to recommendations that hold up.
I recommend
I turn the findings into clear conclusions and actionable recommendations, delivered in a write-up and a working session — no jargon.
I catalyse change
An outside perspective helps break entrenched patterns and make the case for new approaches an internal team can struggle to champion alone.
I help implement
If you want it, I stay on to help execute — while keeping the objectivity that makes the change stick.
What I won't do
Obscure my observations
You get a clear, honest assessment even when the findings are uncomfortable.
Manufacture problems
I address real issues, not invented ones that conveniently justify a longer engagement.
Sell you AI you don't need
If the right answer is a simpler fix or no AI at all, that's what I'll recommend.
Overcommit
I take on work I can deliver excellently, not everything that walks through the door.
Hand you off
You work directly with me — the engineer doing the thinking, not an account manager.
Pretend to know everything
I'm clear about what I don't know and bring in the right expertise when it's needed.
Pricing
Hourly advisory
For focused questions, a second opinion, or ongoing guidance. Pay for the time you use.
Fixed-scope assessment
A defined operations review with the “fits / doesn't fit” map and a costed recommendation — one fixed price, no surprises.
All prices in USD (converted from NZD), exclusive of GST. Advisory rate: $128/hr.
What this looks like in practice
Illustrative scenario
A battery-charger designer and manufacturer wanted to give its staff and distributors in every Australian state real-time access to stock and inventory — and let them place and track orders themselves, instead of phoning head office. I started where I always do: scoping the operation to find where AI and a properly configured ERP would genuinely pay off, and where they wouldn't. That assessment grew into roughly six months of work, from scope to delivery, customising ERPNext around the firm's bespoke stock, pricing and distributor rules rather than bending its business to fit off-the-shelf software. The result was a remote self-service ordering and inventory layer the distributors could reach from anywhere — built from the same pieces as my Autonomous Supply Chain and Mission Control Field Agent solutions: live inventory lookups, AI-assisted ordering, and purchase orders drafted for human approval rather than fired off blind.
The goal isn't to replace anyone. It's to point your people and your budget at the work where AI genuinely expands what you can do.
Get an honest read on where AI fits
Tell me what's slowing you down. The first call is free and there's no pitch — just a straight answer.