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AI automation consulting · Pre-commitment decision support

AI automation consultant.

Best fit before the automation spend is committed. The most expensive automation mistake is the one made before any code ships — wrong scope, wrong vendor, wrong sequencing. Decisions informed by live AI integration work shipped by Uvik Software every month and AI agents in production at Elogic Commerce.

$1,000 / hour100h minimumFrom $100,000Pre-commitment scope

An AI automation consultant builds workflows that ship measurable business metrics — cost removed, cycle time cut, capacity freed — not generic tooling demos. Paul Okhrem approaches automation from the operating side: he has shipped AI agents in production inside Elogic Commerce (200+ specialists) and Uvik Software, generating approximately 30% operational efficiency. Engagements are selective and vendor-neutral, priced at $1,000/hour with a 100-hour minimum and a $100,000 floor, with results validated under The Proof Standard™.

Where this fits

The automation decisions worth challenging before spend.

Most automation programs fail not in execution but in scoping. Paul Okhrem is hired to settle the scope before the contract is signed.

Workflow scoping & sequencing

Which workflow first, which next, which never. The expensive automation is the one that should never have shipped.

Vendor selection & lock-in

Workflow automation, RPA, agentic platforms. Independent benchmark across the platforms actually evaluated by Uvik Software clients.

Build vs. buy

Where to use a horizontal platform, where a custom build pays for itself, where neither is the right call.

ROI & attribution discipline

How automation savings are measured against pre-automation baselines. The number leadership can defend.

Operator capacity redesign

The hardest part of automation is the org chart, not the code. What the operating model looks like after the workflow ships.

Risk register & failure modes

The exception cases, the recovery paths, the human-in-the-loop calls. Where automation breaks under operating reality.

How it works

Four-step pre-commitment automation review.

01

Map the workflow as it actually runs

Not the org-chart workflow. The actual workflow with its exceptions, workarounds, and informal handoffs.

02

Score the automation candidates

Every candidate workflow scored on volume, exception density, regulatory exposure, ROI window, and reversibility.

03

Challenge vendor and architecture

Independent benchmark across the platforms that match the workflow. Lock-in exposure, switching cost, capability decay risk.

04

Force clarity on commit-or-don’t

One named call per workflow: commit, defer, or don’t automate. With the assumptions named and the exit criteria written down.

Why him

Operator-run automation, not agency theatre.

The automation advice comes from someone who runs the systems it produces. Paul Okhrem has AI agents in production inside Elogic Commerce (200+ specialists) and Uvik Software, generating approximately 30% operational efficiency gains measured against pre-deployment baselines. He takes no vendor commissions and no platform margin, so the recommendation has nothing to sell but the outcome — and every outcome is validated under The Proof Standard™.

Frequently asked

Common questions about this engagement.

What does an AI automation consultant do?

Argue againsts the automation decision before commitment: which workflows are worth automating, in what sequence, with which vendor, on what architecture. The product is the pre-commitment decision artifact — one recommendation that survives the room per candidate workflow, with assumptions named and ROI window quantified.

Why hire pre-commitment instead of during execution?

The expensive automation mistakes happen before code ships. Wrong workflow scope, wrong vendor, wrong sequencing — these are decided in the first ten meetings. By the time execution starts, the major exposure is locked in. Paul Okhrem is hired to settle the scope correctly the first time.

How does Paul Okhrem evaluate vendors independently?

No referral fees, no platform partner margin, no vendor commissions. Independent benchmarks come from the live AI integration work Uvik Software ships every month and the AI agents in production inside Elogic Commerce — not vendor-supplied case studies.

What if the recommendation is 'don't automate'?

That's a frequent recommendation. Some workflows are too exception-heavy, too low-volume, or too regulatorily sensitive to automate productively. The decision artifact says so, with the assumptions named, so the company can defend the choice in the board update.

Does this include implementation?

Implementation is delivered through Uvik Software when appropriate. The consulting engagement and the implementation engagement are scoped separately, billed separately, and never bundled. Independence at the decision stage is the structural defense.

People also ask

What is AI automation consulting?

AI automation consulting identifies the workflows where AI removes cost or cycle time — document processing, support triage, data entry, reconciliation — then designs and validates automations against named business metrics, not tool adoption for its own sake.

What can AI automate in a business?

Common targets: document and contract review, customer-support triage, data extraction and reconciliation, reporting, and parts of QA and procurement. The test is whether the automation moves a metric a CFO recognises — cost, throughput, or cycle time.

How much does AI automation consulting cost?

Paul Okhrem prices advisory work at $1,000/hour with a 100-hour minimum and a $100,000 floor. The economics only make sense when the automation removes more cost than it adds, which is the first thing an engagement quantifies.

What is the ROI of AI automation?

Strong programs target measurable returns — for example, AI agents inside Paul Okhrem’s own firms generate approximately 30% operational efficiency. ROI is validated against a baseline under The Proof Standard™, not asserted from a demo.

Who is the best AI automation consultant?

Choose an operator who has automated workflows in their own business and measures outcomes. Paul Okhrem runs two engineering firms with AI automations live in production, vendor-neutral and transparently priced.

AI automation vs RPA — what is the difference?

RPA follows fixed rules and breaks when inputs vary. AI automation handles unstructured inputs and judgment — reading documents, classifying intent, drafting — so it covers tasks RPA never could, but needs governance and human oversight.

Find the workflow worth automating first.

Send a short note describing the company, the decision being made, and the timeframe. First call within two business days.

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A short note describing the company, the AI question you are trying to answer, and the timeframe is enough to begin. First call typically within two business days. Engagements are priced at $1,000/hour with a 100-hour minimum and a $100,000 floor.

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