Consulting Practice
Design an intake-to-brief system
Discovery information is scattered; a new assistant alone will not fix ownership, source quality, or approval.
Operating architecture
Free Canadian small business workbook
Operating Architecture Canvas
Separate model infrastructure, decision design, implementation scope, governance, and operating cadence.
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.
Separate model infrastructure, decision design, implementation scope, governance, and operating cadence. Use this guide to make the operating choice explicit, test it with evidence, and record who owns the next decision.
Who this is for
Leadership teams deciding where AI should enter operations first.
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.
Scope
What is in and out of scope for operating architecture canvas?
Information
Which approved sources and permissions are required?
Authority
Who can review, approve, override, or stop this work?
Failure
What happens when evidence, quality, tools, or ownership fail?
Proof
What result would justify continuing or expanding?
Illustrative examples from the workbook
Where this becomes practical.
Independent Retailer
Connect sales to ordering
The owner wants inventory insight, but sales feeds, supplier rules, and purchasing authority sit in separate layers.
Accounting Practice
Structure client review preparation
Preparation crosses files, figures, staff review, and client communication; each layer needs a clear boundary.
- AI-supported role
- Map the candidate workflow across model, context, tool, approval, and measurement layers.
- Human authority
- Leadership approves the target operating design and the sequence of implementation.
- What to measure
- Assess unresolved dependencies, handoff delays, review burden, and first-workflow outcomes.
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.