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DataProStudio · Engagement methodology
How a DataProStudio engagement works — phase by phase
MET-001 · Rev B · 2026-10 · DataProStudio Inc. · English
Every engagement follows the same sequence, whether it ends in a process change, an ERP tweak, or an automation step in a platform you already own: fixed scope per phase, a named deliverable, and an exit that leaves your team — not ours — running the result.
Principles
- No body-shop contract. Senior, hands-on help scoped to a project or a few days a week — not a staffing placement.
- Data readiness before promises. We check the event data exists and is usable before committing to an outcome. If it isn’t there yet, we say so — that call is free.
- Evidence as a by-product. Every phase leaves documentation and data you keep, not a slide deck.
- No lock-in. Findings and exports are yours at every stage, on paper or in your own systems.
Phase 0 — Scoping call (30 min, free)
- You describe the project or the pain: a rollout, a returns backlog, an audit coming up.
- We tell you honestly whether fractional support fits, and what data we’d need to start.
- Exit: go / no-go, and a short data-inventory checklist if go.
Phase 1 — Data readiness check
- Inventory of systems in scope (ERP, WMS, spreadsheets, any manual workarounds).
- Sample event-log extraction; quality check on case IDs, timestamps, and coverage of the target process.
- Deliverable: a short readiness note — what’s usable now, what needs a capture point, realistic scope for discovery.
Phase 2 — Discovery to fix (scoped per engagement)
| Stage | Work | Deliverable |
|---|
| Discover | Map the real process from event data, not the org chart | Current-state process map — actual flow, cycle times, where work stalls |
| Prioritize | Rank bottlenecks by time and margin impact | Prioritized fix list — the 20% worth acting on first, not a 40-item backlog |
| Optimize | Redesign the workflow around the top fix; prove it by hand | Piloted workflow change with before/after measurement |
Every engagement is scoped first: the scope and price are agreed before the work starts.
Phase 3 — Automate & handoff (only once proven)
- Automate last, not first: only after the fix is validated manually.
- Handoff: configure the change directly in your existing ERP/WMS, or in a platform you already own.
- Ongoing support available as a retainer for the questions your vendor answers too slowly.
What we ask of you
- A named contact with authority over the process in scope.
- Read access to the relevant system data (extracts or reports, per your policy).
- Willingness to see the real process — the map is honest, and sometimes that’s the uncomfortable part. That’s the point.
How your data is handled
- Access is read-only by default.
- A non-disclosure agreement is signed before any data is shared, if you want one.
- Your data is processed on my own machines, using local language models that run offline (air-gapped). By default it is never sent to an outside AI or cloud service.
- If a job needs more capacity, the work moves onto your own premises, or onto a cloud that is owned and operated in the EU or Canada, and nowhere else.
- Your data is never shared with other clients, and never used to build or train any other product, unless you agree in writing first.
What we don’t do
- We don’t run months of workshops before showing you data.
- We don’t propose automation before the fix is proven manually.
- We don’t publish anything about your operation without your sign-off.