Calls, requests, or quotes are easy to lose.
Operations & practical AI audit for owner-led businesses.
Service Relay maps how work actually gets done, finds the bottlenecks slowing the team, and identifies where workflow, automation, or practical AI can create real value.
Book a 20-minute intro call
20 min. No prep needed. Free.
Built for service businesses, local operators, and teams that need practical improvements, not another software pitch.
Memphis, TN / On-site across the metro / Remote where useful
sample workflow / before
Built for
HVAC & mechanical service
Property management
Warehouse & logistics
Field-service operations
Owner-led trades
01 / The problem
When the work gets done, but the process keeps fighting you.
Scheduling and reminders depend on memory.
Staff move the same information between too many tools.
Owners and managers cannot see what is stuck.
Software is present, but the process still feels broken.
AI sounds useful, but no one knows where it belongs.
02 / The audit
What the audit does.
The Operations & Practical AI Audit starts with the real workflow. Doug reviews how information enters the business, how work moves between people and tools, where delays or duplication appear, and which improvements are worth pursuing.
Not generic AI strategy.
Not a chatbot pitch. Not a software demo or digital transformation engagement.
What's included
10 items
- Pre-audit intake call
- Review of existing tools, forms, and channels
- On-site or hybrid workflow review
- Interviews with owner, manager, key staff
- Process mapping
- Bottleneck analysis
- Practical automation & AI opportunity assessment
- Prioritized recommendations
- Implementation roadmap with effort, cost, and impact
- Final written report and walkthrough
03 / What you'll receive
A written report you can actually act on.
Not a slide deck full of buzzwords. A practical document your team can hand to a manager, an integrator, or a software vendor and actually do something with.
Recommendations
P1
Centralize incoming requests
High impact / Low effortP1
Automate quote follow-up sequence
High impact / Medium effortP2
Reduce duplicate dispatch entry
Medium impact / Medium effort
Operations audit / v1.0
Client / Memphis HVAC co.
Process map & bottleneck analysis
Process map
How work moves end-to-end, including the workarounds nobody documented.
Bottleneck analysis
Where time, revenue, and follow-through are leaking, quantified where possible.
Prioritized recommendations
Ranked by impact, effort, and risk. Practical and implementation-aware.
Roadmap
Sequenced next steps with estimated effort, cost, and expected outcome.
04 / Why Service Relay
Practical, local, and grounded in how the business really works.
Service Relay does not start with a tool recommendation. The work starts by understanding the operation, the staff, the handoffs, and where time or revenue might be leaking. AI and automation come in only when they fit the workflow and the business case.
Local & on-site
Memphis-based and willing to spend time with the team where the work actually happens.
Owners and staff
Comfortable speaking with leadership and the people doing the day-to-day work.
Wide background
Operations, process improvement, software systems, security, automation, and applied AI.
Right fit
Focused on service businesses and owner-led companies, not enterprise consulting.
05 / How it works
Five steps, in roughly two weeks.
Intro call
A 20-minute conversation to understand the business and whether the audit fits.
Workflow review
Review of current tools, handoffs, documents, channels, and daily operating patterns.
Process map
Current workflow is mapped end-to-end and friction points are identified.
AI & automation review
Opportunities are evaluated on usefulness, risk, cost, staff impact, and complexity.
Roadmap
Prioritized recommendation list and a practical implementation roadmap.
06 / Pricing
Standard audit fee: $2,000.
For businesses of 50 employees or fewer. Larger businesses receive custom pricing. Full details are in the FAQ below.
Implementation credit
If Service Relay leads implementation within 30 days, $1,000 of the audit fee may be credited toward the implementation project.
07 / About Doug
Hi, I'm Doug.
I founded Service Relay to help local businesses improve operations with practical workflow design, automation, and applied AI. My background includes operations, process improvement, software systems, security, automation, and applied AI.
Before Service Relay, I spent years focused on continuous improvement in operations, then building and implementing technical systems for businesses across different markets, including founding and running a high-tech startup for six years. That work put me close to advanced teams in cryptography, AI, automation, and software systems.
The goal is not to force new technology into the business. It is to understand how work actually moves, find the highest-value improvements, and recommend practical next steps that fit the people and systems already in place.
08 / FAQ
Common questions.
Is this an AI consulting engagement?
Not in the abstract strategy sense. The audit starts with how the business currently works. AI is considered where it can solve a real workflow problem, reduce manual work, improve visibility, or support staff.
We're not ready for AI. Is this still useful?
Yes. Sometimes the right recommendation is to fix the process before adding technology. The audit looks at workflows, handoffs, follow-up, software use, reporting, and automation opportunities, not just AI.
We already have software. Why would we need this?
Many businesses have software but still rely on manual work around it. The audit looks at whether the tools match the process, where information is being re-entered, and where staff still depend on memory, spreadsheets, email, or workarounds.
Will this replace people?
No. Most businesses are not overstaffed; they are overloaded. The goal is usually to reduce repetitive admin work, improve follow-up, reduce errors, and help the existing team work with more visibility.
What do we receive at the end?
A process map, bottleneck analysis, prioritized recommendations, practical AI and automation opportunities, and an implementation roadmap with estimated complexity and impact.
Do you implement the recommendations?
Implementation is separate from the audit. If Service Relay leads implementation within 30 days, $1,000 of the audit fee may be credited toward the implementation project.
Can you just tell us what tools to use?
Tool recommendations without understanding the workflow often lead to wasted money. The audit is designed to identify the actual problem before recommending software, automation, or AI.
Do you look at our current software costs and tools?
Yes. Part of the audit is looking at whether the business has too many disconnected tools, underused software, or manual work happening around the systems already in place. Sometimes the best recommendation is not AI at all, but simplifying the software stack, using an existing tool better, or adding a practical non-AI system that fits the workflow.
How much does it cost?
The standard audit fee is $2,000 for businesses of 50 employees or fewer. Larger businesses require custom pricing.
How disruptive is the audit?
The audit is designed to observe and understand normal operations, not create a large extra burden. Some time is needed with the owner, manager, and key staff, but the goal is to learn how work already happens.
What if there is no strong AI opportunity?
Then the report should say that. The goal is not to force AI into the business. The goal is to identify the improvements most likely to produce value.
Ready to map the operation?
A 20-minute call is the fastest way to know if it fits.
No prep needed. We will talk about how your team actually works today, what is getting stuck, and whether an audit makes sense.
Book a 20-minute intro callOr email info@servicerelay.com