Our process
One method. Four stages.
A decision point after each.
Every engagement starts by establishing how the business works today. From there, we move forward only when the evidence supports the investment.
The Proofline process map
Understand how the work operates today.
Find the opportunities, economics, and constraints.
Implement what earns its way forward.
Measure against the baseline and expand what works.
The Baseline Method
Four stages. A decision gate after each. Continue only when the evidence supports it. Every stage produces something useful on its own, so you're never locked into the next one.
01Discovery2 weeks
We go where the work happens and measure it.
We observe the process, review the systems behind it, and establish what the work actually costs today. Leadership usually knows where the problems are; the baseline tells us how large they really are.
You leave with
- Measured process baseline
- Unit economics for the work
- System and data-access map
- An agreed definition of the problem
Decision gate
Is there enough economic value here to justify deeper assessment?
What measuring the work looks like
Clay marks the steps where, in our experience, elapsed time and actual effort diverge most. The gap between the two is usually the finding.
02Assessment4 weeks
Find where AI could create value and what might prevent it from working.
We weigh the business value of each candidate opportunity against six dimensions of readiness: data foundation, process readiness, technology fit, talent and adoption, governance and risk, and leadership alignment. The score matters less than the shape. In practice, the weakest dimension often becomes the constraint on the whole effort.
You leave with
- Prioritized AI opportunity map
- Readiness and constraint profile
- Business-case estimates
- Risk and dependency view
- Recommended investment sequence
Decision gate
Which opportunities are strong enough - economically and operationally - to pursue?
A readiness profile, with the constraint identified
03Plan & Build3 months
Turn the strongest opportunity into a practical plan, then build in measured increments.
Each phase is drawn to stand on its own, so if funding stops after the first one, the first one still had to be worth doing. Three months is what it typically takes to get an initial phase into production rather than into a demo.
You leave with
- Prioritized implementation roadmap
- Build versus buy recommendation
- Vendor and technology decisions
- Measurement plan
- Initial implementation
- Change and adoption plan
Decision gate
Is the solution producing enough evidence to justify further investment?
Building against evidence, one phase at a time
04Outcomes3 months+
Measure what changed against the original baseline and expand only what works.
Measured against the baseline agreed in stage one, using the definition agreed in stage one. We report the numbers that didn't move alongside the ones that did, and we say which results we're confident attributing and which we aren't.
You leave with
- Verified outcome measurement
- Economic impact view
- Operational performance comparison
- Scale recommendation
- Next-priority opportunities
Decision gate
What should be scaled, changed, stopped, or tackled next?
Measured against the baseline, not a re-drawn one
What the work cost before anything changed, agreed in writing in stage one.
What the business case said the change should be worth.
What was measured afterwards, using the stage-one definition - including the numbers that didn't move.
The method in numbers
Three ways to work with Proofline
Engagements typically begin with an assessment. From there, you can stop with a clear recommendation, move into delivery, or retain us as an ongoing advisor.
AI Opportunity & Readiness Assessment
Find where AI can create value and whether you're ready to pursue it.
Opportunity map
Where AI could materially affect the business.
Readiness profile
What is likely to help or block execution.
Investment sequence
What to do now, later, or not at all.
Also included
AI Transformation
Take the strongest opportunity from business case to measurable operating result.
Implementation roadmap
Sequenced phases, each able to stand alone.
Technology decisions
Build, buy, or partner - with the reasoning shown.
Delivery and adoption
Built with your team, measured against the baseline.
Also included
Ongoing AI Advisory
Senior AI and transformation guidance for leadership teams navigating new opportunities, vendors, investment decisions, governance, and the next wave of AI initiatives.
A senior voice on call
Which vendor claims hold up, and what a proposal should cost.
Investment review
New ideas triaged before they become projects.
Governance upkeep
Policy and controls kept current as the work expands.
Also included
How we work
Senior people, not layers
The people in the room are the people doing the work.
Fixed fees
You know what each stage costs before it begins.
Vendor-neutral
No software commissions. No referral economics.
Evidence before expansion
If the business case isn't there, we'll tell you to stop.
We're probably not the right fit if…
- You need a named technology chosen this quarter
- The objective is a board deck rather than an operating change
- No one internally can be made accountable for the outcome
- The baseline work is considered overhead rather than the point
Not sure where to start?
Start with the baseline.
Get a quick directional view of your organization's AI readiness, or talk with us about where AI could create measurable value.