Free 30-minute workflow review

Your team is buried in manual work. I build AI systems that get it off their plate.

I help business owners implement AI and automate processes to cut labor costs, recover lost revenue, and give managers numbers they can trust. In 2 to 6 weeks, not quarters.

Hospitality, healthcare, manufacturing, finance, real estate, and more. Built by an operator, not a vendor.

Portrait of Zack Shields, AI and automation consultant for business owners
−93%
Manual count time

Hospitality inventory

+18%
Bookings

Travel & STR

68%
Claims auto-resolved

Healthcare RCM

99.4%
Reconciliation matched

Finance ops

The labor problem

You don't have an AI problem. You have a time and money problem AI should already be solving.

  1. 01

    The problem

    Your team spends hours on counts, claims, reconciliation, follow-up, and data entry. That burns payroll, hides errors, and leaves managers guessing.

  2. 02

    Why most AI fails

    Pilots never stick. Dashboards nobody trusts. Chatbots that make more work. Tools bought for the demo, not for the people who run the business every day.

  3. 03

    What actually works

    Systems that watch the work, catch the exceptions, and handle the rest. Your team only touches what needs judgment. Built to survive real operations, not a pilot week.

How I help

Four ways I cut labor costs and recover revenue.

Each engagement ships a working system in 2 to 6 weeks. The technology is always secondary to the time and money it saves.

  • Hours back, variance tightened

    Inventory & Variance Intelligence

    POS-connected inventory systems that auto-detect variances, flag loss, and turn weekly counts from hours into minutes.

    • 12-min counts
    • ±2.5% variance
    • <1 stockout/mo
  • Humans only handle exceptions

    Data Entry & Review Automation

    Automations that move data between systems, flag what looks wrong, and leave your team with a short exception list instead of a full inbox.

    • Exception-only review
    • Auditable trails
    • Fewer errors
  • Less reconciliation, more decisions

    Reconciliation & Close Acceleration

    Intelligent layers over your existing platforms that match, enrich, and pre-process information so the close happens faster.

    • Cleaner handoffs
    • Faster closes
    • Less rework
  • Confidence instead of gut feel

    Visibility & Decision Support

    Role-appropriate dashboards and reporting built on clean data. Managers operate with confidence instead of spreadsheet chaos.

    • Role-based views
    • Clean KPIs
    • Acted-on reporting
Results

Real workflows. Real labor saved. Real revenue recovered.

Systems in production across industries. Not pilots. Not pitch decks.

  • Hospitality

    Reclaim dozens of hours per month on counts and variance work.

    • −93% manual count time
    • Variance ±14% → ±2.5%
    • <1 stockout/mo
  • Healthcare

    Claims triage that surfaces only true exceptions for staff.

    • 68% auto-resolved
    • −44% cycle time
    • No added headcount
  • Travel & STR

    Lead follow-up and guest messaging built for non-technical teams.

    • <2 min lead response
    • +18% bookings
    • Always-on coverage
  • Finance

    Automated reconciliation that shortens the close.

    • 99.4% matched
    • −78% exceptions
    • −3 days to close

Featured build, hospitality

Bar Inventory SaaS, built end to end

A POS-connected inventory system that auto-detects variance, flags loss and over-pour, and turns weekly counts from hours into minutes. Designed by someone who has run bar operations.

  • Manual count time

    −93%
    ~3 hours12 minutes
  • Stockout incidents

    −87%
    8 / month< 1 / month
  • Inventory variance

    Tight
    ±14%±2.5%
Read the full case study
Inventory dashboard
Inventory by category dashboard with low stock alerts
AI Auto-Complete modal for unknown SKUs
Theoretical vs actual liquor variance table
Process

A practical build process.

Clear discovery, scoped implementation, and adoption support. Built for adoption, not demos.

  1. 01Week 0

    Free workflow review

    We look at one real process in your business, where AI or automation could save time or money, and whether it is worth building.

    • Workflow map
    • Opportunity list
    • No obligation
  2. 02Week 1

    Roadmap & build plan

    A prioritized plan covering workflows, integrations, data needs, and adoption risks. Scoped to outcomes, not to features.

    • Scoped requirements
    • Tooling decisions
    • Cost & timeline
  3. 03Weeks 2 to 6

    Build, train, iterate

    Implementation, rollout, documentation, and training so the system moves from prototype to daily use. Plus 30 days of support.

    • Working systems
    • Team training
    • 30-day support
Engagement

Clear engagement options.

Start with a free review, scope a build when there is a fit, or book hours when you need senior guidance.

Tier

Workflow review

Free30 minutes

We look at one real process in your business, where AI or automation could save time or money, and whether it is worth building.

  • Live workflow review
  • Opportunity map
  • Honest fit assessment
  • No obligation
Most common

Tier

Project build

$2,500–$15,000typical range

Full implementation for automations, internal tools, or dashboards. Covers discovery through 30-day support. Fixed price per project.

  • Discovery & roadmap
  • Build & deployment
  • Training & docs
  • 30-day support

Tier

Consulting

Hourlyas needed

Focused support for AI adoption, technical review, or implementation guidance when you need senior help without a full build.

  • Senior technical guidance
  • Architecture review
  • Adoption support
  • Flexible scheduling
FAQ

Frequently asked questions.

  • What do you actually do?

    I help business owners implement AI and automate processes so teams spend less time on manual work and stop leaking money. Most projects start with a free workflow review, then move into a scoped build, training, and iteration.

  • How do we know what is worth automating?

    We map the work as it happens today and score it on four dimensions: frequency (how often it runs), friction (how painful it is), error exposure (cost of mistakes), and revenue sensitivity (does it touch money, claims, or compliance). The best opportunities sit at the intersection of all four.

  • How long do projects typically take?

    A focused automation can move quickly. A custom internal tool needs more discovery, testing, and rollout. Typical engagements are 2 to 6 weeks, scoped after reviewing the actual process. Project builds typically range from $2,500 to $15,000.

  • Do I need technical knowledge to work with you?

    No. The work is designed for operators, managers, and frontline users, the people who will actually run the system. Technical teams are welcome but not required.

  • What is included in the free consultation?

    A focused 30-minute workflow review. We look at one real process, where AI or automation could save time or money, and give you an honest picture of fit, even if that answer is "not yet."

  • What industries do you work in?

    Hospitality, healthcare, manufacturing, finance, real estate, travel and short-term rentals, and other operations-heavy businesses. The common thread is repetitive manual work, real error exposure, and managers who need visibility they can trust.

Portrait of Zack Shields, AI and automation consultant
Zack Shields leading a working session with operators around a boardroom table
Zack Shields delivering a keynote on AI and operational systems

Zack Shields

Operator who builds AI systems, based in Orlando, FL

Connect on LinkedIn
The operator behind the systems

Twelve years operating real businesses, before building the systems that run them.

I've run the workflows I now help teams automate: follow-up, client communications, pricing, reporting, training, day-to-day execution. The work I do today is the work I wish I had access to a decade ago: practical operating systems, not strategy decks.

The difference between a tool and a system is whether it survives real users, edge cases, and quarterly priorities. I build the thin operating layers that do. Clear inputs, reliable outputs, and exception handling designed by someone who has been on the other side of the dashboard.

  • 12+ years operating real businesses: hospitality, real estate, sports
  • Built and shipped bar inventory SaaS in production
  • AI systems for healthcare claims and finance reconciliation
  • Independent consulting since 2023, based in Orlando, FL
Free consultation

A free 30-minute workflow review. No pitch.

We'll look at one real process in your business, where AI or automation could save time or money, and whether it is worth building. Honest answer either way, even if that answer is “not yet.”

Free consultation. No pitch, no obligation. I'll reply within one business day to schedule the call.

Free
Cost
30-min call
Format
Reply in 1 day
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