Stop Wasting Money on Failed AI Projects – Get a 4-Week AI Automation Discovery Roadmap Before You Spend on Implementation
I’m Chris Wray, an AI and automation consultant who helps business owners and operations teams create clear, actionable roadmaps for AI and automation projects, without the commitment or cost of full implementation.
Working remotely with clients across the UK, US, Europe, Asia, and the Pacific, I’ve spent 25+ years helping 400+ organisations, from startups to UN agencies, implement practical automation solutions that actually work.
Why this programme works:
– No implementation commitment required, the roadmap is yours to keep and use however you choose
– Four recorded strategy sessions that document your business workflows and identify specific opportunities
– 4-6 detailed opportunity proposals with ROI projections, timelines, and implementation costs
– 25+ years experience across 400+ clients in every industry (SMEs, NGOs, government, professional services, e-commerce)
– Keep the roadmap even if you implement elsewhere, you own the deliverable
Why Do 80% of AI and Automation Projects Fail to Deliver Results?
Most businesses are making the same expensive mistakes with AI and automation:
Jumping straight to implementation without understanding the actual problem
You hear the hype. You see the demos. You think “we need this.” Six months later, you’ve spent thousands on tools nobody uses because they don’t solve the real bottleneck in your business.
Listening to vendors who sell products, not solutions
Every vendor claims their tool will “transform your business.” But they don’t know your business. They know their product. So you end up with solutions looking for problems instead of the other way around.
No documented workflows to automate
You can’t automate what you can’t define. Most businesses run on tribal knowledge and “that’s how we’ve always done it.” So automation projects stall because nobody actually knows what the current process is.
Unrealistic expectations about what AI can actually do today
AI isn’t magic. It’s not just ChatGPT for everything. There’s a massive gap between what AI can do and what people think it can do. This leads to disappointment and abandoned projects.
Fear that automation means redundancies
So projects get shelved, or half-implemented, or sabotaged by worried team members. Implementation creates more problems than it solves because the people side was never addressed.
No clear ROI or prioritisation framework
You have ten ideas but no way to know which one will actually move the needle. So you either pick the wrong one first, or you get paralysed by choice and do nothing.
The real cost:
It’s not just the money you spent on tools that don’t get used. It’s the opportunity cost. While you’re trying to figure this out through trial and error, your competitors are pulling ahead. Your team is frustrated. Your operations are still inefficient. And you’re no closer to knowing what will actually work.
There’s a better way.
What You Get: Comprehensive 4-Week Discovery Process
1. Complete Workflow Analysis
Finally get your processes out of people’s heads and into a system
Workflow analysis is the process of mapping out how work actually gets done in your business, across sales, marketing, delivery, operations, and administration. I work with businesses to analyse their current processes, which becomes the foundation for identifying what to automate and improve.
After working with 400+ organisations, I’ve found that most businesses discover bottlenecks they didn’t even know existed during this analysis phase. This stage alone is worth the programme investment, regardless of which consultant or system you ultimately choose for implementation.
What this includes:
– Current state process analysis for all major business functions
– Identification of handoff points and bottlenecks
– Understanding tribal knowledge and undocumented workflow gaps
– Clear view of who does what, when, and how
– Input and output mapping for each process step
The result: You’ll have a detailed understanding of your processes that any implementation partner can use, your team can reference for training, and you can improve over time, whether you automate them or not.
2. Systems Assessment Report
Understand what’s actually working in your tech stack (and what’s costing you money for no reason)
A systems assessment analyses your existing tools and technology to identify what’s working well, what’s creating friction, where integration opportunities exist, and which gaps in functionality are holding you back. I review your CRM, project management tools, communication platforms, spreadsheets, and any other systems your team uses daily.
In my experience, most businesses are paying for tools nobody uses while simultaneously missing the ones they actually need. This assessment shows you exactly where your money is going and whether it’s delivering value.
What this includes:
– Inventory of all tools and systems currently in use
– Analysis of what’s working well and should be kept
– Identification of bottlenecks and time-wasting tools
– Integration opportunities between existing systems
– Gaps in functionality that are forcing manual workarounds
– Redundancies where multiple tools do the same job
The result: Clear understanding of which tools to keep, which to replace, and where integration or new systems will deliver the highest ROI.
3. Opportunity Roadmap (4-6 Detailed Proposals)
Know exactly what to implement, in what order, and why, with clear business cases for each opportunity
An opportunity roadmap is a prioritised list of AI and automation projects with detailed business cases, ROI projections, implementation requirements, and timelines. I help businesses identify 4-6 specific opportunities based on their documented workflows and systems assessment, then build out the full business case for each one.
This is the heart of the programme deliverable. After working through discovery with hundreds of clients, I’ve learned that the difference between successful and failed projects is starting with clarity. This roadmap gives you that clarity.
What this includes for each opportunity:
– Problem Statement: Clear description of what we’re solving and why it matters
– Recommended Solution: Specific approach using AI, automation, or Business Operating System improvements
– Business Case: ROI projections, time savings, cost reductions, and efficiency gains
– Implementation Complexity: Technical requirements, skill level needed, and effort estimation
– Timeline: Estimated duration, key milestones, and delivery schedule
– Investment Required: Rough costs for implementation (tools, development, training)
– Dependencies: What needs to happen first or be in place before starting
The result: Stop guessing about what to implement. You’ll have a clear, actionable plan based on your actual business needs, not vendor pitches or industry hype.
4. Prioritisation Framework
Stop feeling overwhelmed, know what to tackle first based on impact and complexity
A prioritisation framework maps your opportunities against two dimensions: implementation complexity and business impact. I help businesses categorise their opportunities into quick wins (low complexity, high impact) and strategic plays (higher complexity, transformational impact), then sequence them based on dependencies and available resources.
After documenting hundreds of automation roadmaps, I’ve found that not all opportunities are created equal. Some take 2 weeks and save 10 hours per week. Others take 3 months and save 2 hours per month. You need to know the difference before you commit resources.
What this includes:
– Impact vs. complexity matrix for all identified opportunities
– “Quick wins” list, low complexity, high impact projects to implement first
– “Strategic plays” list, higher complexity, transformational projects to plan for next
– Sequencing recommendations (what to tackle first, second, third)
– Dependencies between different initiatives
– Resource and budget allocation guidance
The result: Clear understanding of where to start, what sequence makes sense, and how to build momentum with early wins while planning for bigger strategic plays.
5. Complete Call Recordings
Share with your team, reference during implementation, or revisit as your business evolves
Every discovery session is recorded and made available to you permanently. I provide full video recordings of all four strategic workshop calls, including screen shares, process walkthroughs, and strategic discussions.
In my work with implementation teams, I’ve found that these recordings become extremely useful reference materials. Your team can watch them to understand the context. Your implementation partner can reference them when questions arise. And you can revisit the strategy 6 or 12 months later as your business evolves.
What this includes:
– Full video recordings of all four 60-90 minute strategy sessions
– Screen recordings of process walkthroughs and systems reviews
– Timestamped recordings for easy reference
– Downloadable files you own permanently
The result: Comprehensive documentation of not just what to do, but why—with the full strategic context preserved for future reference.
HOW IT WORKS
The Process: From Unclear Priorities to Clear Implementation Roadmap in 4 Weeks
Week 1: Business Overview & Current State Assessment
Understanding where you are today and where you’re trying to get to
We start with a deep dive into your business: your goals for the next 12 months, current systems and workflows, pain points and bottlenecks, team structure, and what you’ve already tried (and whether it worked). This isn’t me showing up with a template questionnaire. It’s a real conversation about your business.
Week 2: Sales, Marketing & Client Acquisition Analysis
How you find, qualify, close, and onboard clients
We focus on your revenue-generating processes: lead generation and qualification, sales pipeline and conversion workflows, client onboarding procedures, communication channels and response times, and CRM review. This is where I start identifying specific opportunities—not vague ideas like “improve efficiency,” but concrete problems like “sales reps spend 3 hours weekly manually updating the CRM.”
Week 3: Service Delivery, Operations & Admin Analysis
How work actually gets done once clients are onboarded
I examine your delivery and operations: how work gets fulfilled and delivered, project management and task tracking, team collaboration and handoffs, administrative and finance processes, and data management and reporting. Often, the quick wins are hiding here—repetitive tasks that are clearly defined and don’t require human judgement.
Week 4: Innovation Opportunities & Final Roadmap Presentation
Bringing it all together into a prioritised, actionable plan
I present your complete strategic roadmap: Business Operating System recommendations, automation quick wins and strategic plays, AI opportunities for competitive advantage, and your prioritised roadmap with 4-6 detailed opportunity proposals. You’ll leave Week 4 with complete clarity on what to do next.
Testimonials
We’d learnt about Make.com and had a few attempts to link our CRM to our Project Management tool. We just couldn’t get the final steps to work. Chris not only solved the problem, but showed us why it was failing and how we could avoid similar issues on our other workflows..
Chris created a workflow for a task we had being doing manually for months. We must have saved around 8 hours per week by having him automate this for us.
What is an AI and automation discovery programme?
How do I know if I need an AI and automation discovery programme?
This programme is designed for business owners and operations teams who want clarity before commitment.
What's included in the 4-week discovery programme?
How is the discovery programme priced?
How long does the discovery process take?
Do I need to be technical to participate in this programme?
What if we don't have our processes documented?
Will this work for my industry?
After 25+ years and 400+ clients, I’ve yet to find an industry where this approach doesn’t work.
What happens after the 4 weeks?
There’s no obligation to work with me beyond the discovery phase. The deliverable is yours to use however you see fit.
What if we decide to implement with you after discovery?
How much does implementation typically cost?
As a general guide, simple automation projects might cost $2,500-5,000, while complex AI implementations or full Business Operating System projects might cost $10,000-25,000 or more.
Do you work with clients in my location?
Tired of AI Hype and Ready for Practical Guidance That Actually Works?
You deserve to know exactly what you’re investing in before you spend tens of thousands on implementation.
The 4-Week AI & Automation Discovery Programme gives you that clarity. No vendor pitch. No commitment to implementation. Just a clear, actionable roadmap based on your actual business needs, with the business case, ROI projections, and sequencing already done.
Here’s what happens next:
1. Book your free 30-minute scoping call – We’ll have a quick conversation about your business and whether this programme is a good fit. No sales pitch. Just a conversation.
2. Enrol in the 4-week programme: Once we’re aligned, we’ll schedule your four weekly sessions and you’ll receive preparation materials before each call.
3. Receive your opportunity roadmap – At the end of Week 4, you’ll have your comprehensive report with 4-6 prioritised opportunities, complete business cases, and implementation guidance.
About Chris Wray
Practical solutions, not trendy buzzwords
I’m a systems architect and AI automation consultant who helps businesses create clear, actionable roadmaps for AI and automation projects. With 25+ years in digital transformation and workflow automation, I’ve worked with 400+ organisations across industries, from startups to UN agencies, implementing practical automation solutions that actually work.
I’m a Certified Google Cloud Partner and Certified Pipedrive Partner, with deep knowledge of Asana, Airtable, Notion, Make, Zapier, and AI implementation. But more importantly, I spend adequate time understanding problems before implementing solutions. The businesses that succeed with AI and automation are the ones that start with discovery, not implementation.
Working remotely from Rarotonga, I serve clients globally with a focus on practical solutions that deliver measurable results.