Consulting Practice
Fit extraction before reasoning
Most intake work is structured extraction; a larger model may add cost without improving the handoff.
Model fit
Free Canadian small business workbook
Model vs Workflow Fit Checklist
A worksheet for deciding whether the model, workflow, context, and review path actually fit.
7 pages · PDF workbook · No email required
Preview the complete PDF All 7 pages · Free to explore
Scroll through the full workbook below. Download the PDF for selectable text, printing and your own working copy.
What’s inside
A working guide
for a real decision.
Shift the evaluation from model capability alone to the full operating system required for useful AI-supported work. Use this guide to make the operating choice explicit, test it with evidence, and record who owns the next decision.
Who this is for
Teams turning architecture work into a reusable operating artifact.
Bring the people who own the work
Include the workflow owner, a person who performs the work, a reviewer with authority to approve or stop it, and the relevant data or tool owner.
Includes an explainer, working worksheet, three illustrative examples and practical considerations. This is a planning PDF, not prebuilt automation software.
Use it with your own work
Five questions
to work through.
Choose one workflow. Record enough context to support a decision, then use the worksheet to name the owner, evidence and next review.
Capability fit
What must the model be good at for this workflow?
Context fit
What does the model need to know, and where does that context come from?
Validation fit
How will the system detect weak, unsupported, or risky outputs?
Economic fit
Does the model cost match the value and frequency of the workflow?
Operational fit
Can the model be used inside the required permissions, UI, and approval path?
Illustrative examples from the workbook
Where this becomes practical.
Independent Retailer
Fit a model to stock exceptions
Simple reorder thresholds may be deterministic while unusual supplier notes need language understanding.
Accounting Practice
Fit summarization to verified figures
The model may explain reconciled changes but should not invent or recompute financial state.
- AI-supported role
- Test the least costly model class against the actual task, context, latency, and quality threshold.
- Human authority
- The owner decides which steps need model judgment and which remain deterministic or manual.
- What to measure
- Compare quality, latency, total operating cost, and reviewer correction rate.
Illustrative scenarios, not client results or a promise of performance. The workbook includes additional case-specific prompts.
A useful first step
Use the workbook.
Bring us the next question.
Download and use it without booking a call. If you want help applying it, email Chris with the workflow you’re considering and what you want to improve.
Discuss your workflowFurther reading in the library
General operational guidance only. These resources are not legal, privacy, cybersecurity or regulatory advice.