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SOP-100: Master Operations Inventory & Checklist

The Automation Surgeon's Practice Management System
Version 4.0
Owner Founder
Purpose This document serves as the practical operations checklist for running the Automation Surgeon practice as a full-time venture. It balances foundational treatments with high-value custom AI solutions and AaaS platform development.

1. Key Objectives

  • Strategic Growth: Build toward AaaS model while delivering immediate client value
  • Revenue Diversification: Mix of foundational treatments, custom AI solutions, and high-value projects
  • Scalable Foundation: Systems that support growth from solo founder to team-based delivery
  • Quality & Positioning: Maintain enterprise-grade quality and premium market positioning

Strategic Context: This document provides tactical operations checklists. For the strategic framework on building an M365-native solopreneur enterprise, see SOP-48: M365-Native Solopreneur Enterprise Playbook.

2. Current Operating Mode: Five-Tier Service Delivery

2.1. Tier 1: AI-Powered & Operational Treatments

  • 25 productized treatments organized by complexity and business function
  • AI-Native treatments ($2,500-$3,000): Premium positioning using Azure AI Services
  • Complex Operational ($1,500-$2,000): Multi-system integration, moderate complexity
  • Standard Operational ($1,000-$1,500): Single workflow, quick delivery
  • Tool selection: Determined per project - n8n for connector-rich workflows, Azure Functions for AI/custom logic, Logic Apps for Microsoft-centric environments, or hybrid approaches
  • Hosting: Client-hosted default; managed hosting available
  • Timeline: 1-2 weeks

2.2. Tier 2: Professional Automation Projects

  • Flexible custom work combining multiple treatments or custom integrations
  • Investment: $3,000-$10,000 per project
  • Timeline: 2-4 weeks
  • Common scenarios: Multi-treatment bundles, custom extensions, complex integrations
  • Tool selection: Platform-agnostic based on requirements

2.3. Tier 3: Custom AI Solutions

  • Bespoke intelligent systems built primarily on Azure stack
  • Investment: $15,000-$50,000 per project
  • Timeline: 4-12 weeks
  • Technology: Azure Functions, AI Services, Logic Apps, custom databases
  • Hosting: Managed hosting recommended

2.4. Tier 4: Enterprise Transformation

  • Company-wide digital transformation projects
  • Investment: $25,000-$100,000+ per project
  • Timeline: 8-16 weeks
  • Scope: Full Azure stack, strategic consulting, comprehensive solutions

2.5. Tier 5: Managed AI Platform (AaaS)

  • Fully managed hosting on our Azure subscription
  • Investment: $1,500-$5,000/month (based on Azure costs + management hours)
  • What we host: n8n instances, Azure Functions, Logic Apps, AI systems, databases
  • Management: 4-10 hours/month per client depending on complexity

3. Weekly Time Allocation (Full-Time Operations)

3.1. Core Time Blocks

Monday-Friday (Business Hours): - 8:00-10:00 AM: Strategic work (business development, content creation, thought leadership) - 10:00-12:00 PM: Client calls (diagnostic calls, project updates, consultations) - 12:00-1:00 PM: Lunch / Administrative tasks - 1:00-4:00 PM: Client delivery work (treatment development, AI agent implementation) - 4:00-5:00 PM: Client communication, proposal development, follow-up

Flexible Blocks: - 2-4 hours weekly: Deep focus work for complex AI solutions - 2-3 hours weekly: Personal LinkedIn content and engagement - 1-2 hours weekly: Strategic partnerships and networking

Total Weekly Commitment: 40-50 hours

3.2. Priority Matrix

High Priority (Must Do): - Patient treatment delivery - Diagnostic calls (lunch breaks) - Invoice processing - Patient communication

Medium Priority (Should Do): - Lead generation - Content marketing - Process documentation - Tool optimization

Low Priority (Nice to Have): - Social media engagement - Networking events - Advanced tool research

4. Essential Tools & Systems

4.1. Core Business Tools

Patient Management: - CRM: Pipedrive (recommended) or SharePoint Lists - Communication: Microsoft Teams/Slack - Treatment Plans: DocuSign or HelloSign - Invoicing: Wave Accounting

Automation Platform: - Primary: n8n (self-hosted or cloud) - Backup: Zapier for simple integrations - Testing: Postman for API testing

Project Management: - Task Tracking: Microsoft To Do or Trello - Documentation: OneNote or Notion - Time Tracking: Toggl or built-in Wave

4.2. Marketing & Lead Generation

Founder Thought Leadership: - Personal LinkedIn: 3-5 posts weekly showcasing expertise and case studies - Speaking Engagements: Webinars, podcasts, industry events - Technical Blog: Monthly deep-dive articles demonstrating capabilities - Direct Networking: Strategic activation of professional network

Digital Presence: - Website: Professional site with service tiers and case studies - Company LinkedIn: Amplifies founder content and provides corporate presence - Lead Capture: Calendly for diagnostic calls - Social Proof: Named case studies, video testimonials, Microsoft AI-102 certification

4.3. Financial Management

Banking: Bluevine Business Account Accounting: Wave Accounting Expenses: Business credit card tracking Tax Planning: Quarterly estimated payments

5. Patient Qualification Checklist

5.1. Target Patient Profile

Revenue: $2M-$10M annual revenue (mid-market focus) Size: 20-75 employees (sweet spot for transformation impact) Industry: Legal, Healthcare, Construction, Architecture, Professional Services Location: No geographic restrictions (remote-first) Symptoms: Operational inefficiencies, manual processes, scaling bottlenecks, compliance challenges

Technical Posture: - Uses multiple SaaS platforms requiring intelligent orchestration - Appreciates enterprise-grade security, scalability, and architecture - Ready to invest in strategic operational transformation - Open to managed hosting or client-hosted based on technical capacity

5.2. Qualification Questions

Budget (BANT): - Do they have budget for $1,000-$3,000 treatments? - For larger projects: $5,000-$50,000+ budget available? - Are they open to managed hosting ($1,500-$5,000/month)?

Authority: - Can they sign contracts and approve payments? - Do they have access to necessary systems? - Who else is involved in the decision?

Need: - What specific symptom are they experiencing? - How much time/money is this costing them? - Integration Complexity: How many different applications does this process touch? - AI Requirements: Do they need intelligent processing (document extraction, natural language, computer vision)? - Tool Preference: Do they have platform preferences or are they open to recommendations?

Timeline: - When do they need this solution delivered? - What's driving the urgency? - Are they realistic about 1-2 weeks for treatments, 2-4 weeks for projects, 4-12 weeks for custom AI?

5.3. Red Flags (Avoid These Patients)

  • Scope creep requests during diagnostic phase
  • Budget constraints below $1,000
  • Internal politics or multiple stakeholders without clear decision maker
  • Unrealistic timeline expectations (wanting custom AI in 1 week)
  • No clear symptom or problem to solve
  • "Tool-Focused" Mindset: Patient believes owning the tool is the same as having an effective system and doesn't see the value in architecture or strategic implementation
  • DIY Insistence: Patient wants to build it themselves and just needs "advice" (consulting not our model)

6. Treatment Menu & Service Inventory

For complete treatment descriptions with Symptom/Diagnosis/Cure/Tools/Expected Recovery, refer to SOP-00_Core_Principles.md

6.1. AI-Native Treatments ($2,500-$3,000 each)

  1. Knowledge Hub - Azure OpenAI + AI Search for intelligent company knowledge base
  2. Intelligent Document Processor - Azure AI Document Intelligence + Functions for automated data extraction
  3. AI Safety Officer - Azure AI Custom Vision + Functions for 24/7 safety monitoring
  4. 24/7 AI Dispatcher - Azure AI Speech + OpenAI for intelligent after-hours call handling

6.2. Complex Operational Treatments ($1,500-$2,000 each)

Sales & Marketing: - CRM Enrichment (Apollo.io/Clearbit integration) - Meeting Intelligence (Calendly to Notion/Airtable sync)

Finance: - Stripe to QuickBooks Sync - Automated Expense Reporting (AI-powered)

Operations: - Automated Onboarding (multi-platform provisioning) - Time-Off Approval (Slack-based workflow) - Internal Support Ticket (Slack to Jira/Trello)

Content: - Content Repurposing (AI-powered, hybrid n8n + OpenAI) - YouTube to Blog Post (AI-powered transcription and formatting)

6.3. Standard Operational Treatments ($1,000-$1,500 each)

Sales & Marketing: - Automated Lead Magnet (form to CRM to content delivery) - Google Ads to CRM (direct lead pipeline) - Social Media Mention (brand monitoring) - Testimonial Capture (automated permission workflow)

Operations: - Daily Standup Bot (Slack-based team updates)

Productivity: - Email to Task (Gmail to project management) - Cloud Storage Organizer (intelligent file organization) - Data Backup (automated daily backups) - Website Uptime Monitor (5-minute checks, instant alerts) - AI Article Summarizer (AI-powered reading assistant) - Invoice Follow-up (tiered reminder escalation)

6.4. Tier 2: Professional Automation Projects ($3,000-$10,000)

Common packages: - Multi-Treatment Bundles: 3-5 treatments combined with 15-20% discount - Custom Extensions: Standard treatment + specialized business logic - Complex Integrations: 4-6 system orchestration with custom data mapping - Treatment + Development: Operational treatment + custom API or processing

6.5. Add-Ons & Professional Services

Implementation Services: - Platform Migration (Zapier/Make to Azure/n8n): $500-$2,000 - Data Mapping/Normalization: $200-$500 per endpoint - Team Training (90 min): $300 - Custom Analytics Dashboard: $500-$1,500

Support Options: - 14-Day Support: Included with Tier 1 (bug fixes only) - 30-Day Support: Included with Tier 2 - Monthly Retainer (10 hours): $2,000 - Managed Hosting: See Tier 5 pricing

7. Treatment Delivery Checklist

7.1. Pre-Treatment Setup

Diagnostic Call (30 minutes): - [ ] Identify specific symptom - [ ] Confirm budget and timeline - [ ] Assess technical requirements - [ ] Send treatment plan within 24 hours

Treatment Kickoff: - [ ] Signed contract and 50% deposit - [ ] Patient onboarding questionnaire - [ ] System access and credentials - [ ] Treatment timeline and milestones

7.2. Development Phase (7 hours)

Week 1: - [ ] System analysis and mapping - [ ] Workflow design and testing - [ ] Patient feedback and adjustments

Week 2: - [ ] Final development and testing - [ ] Documentation creation - [ ] Training video recording

7.3. Delivery Phase (2 hours)

Treatment Handoff: - [ ] Loom video walkthrough - [ ] Written documentation - [ ] System access and credentials - [ ] 14-day follow-up care period

Follow-up: - [ ] Final invoice (50% balance) - [ ] Patient satisfaction survey - [ ] Case study creation - [ ] Referral request

8. Weekly Operations Checklist

8.1. Monday

  • [ ] Review week's priorities
  • [ ] Check patient treatment status
  • [ ] Schedule diagnostic calls
  • [ ] Update CRM with new patients

8.2. Tuesday-Thursday

  • [ ] Active treatment development (1 hour)
  • [ ] Patient communication (30 minutes)
  • [ ] Lead follow-up (30 minutes)
  • [ ] Content creation (30 minutes)

8.3. Friday

  • [ ] Treatment status updates
  • [ ] Invoice processing
  • [ ] Week review and planning
  • [ ] Process improvement notes

8.4. Weekend

  • [ ] Deep treatment work (4-6 hours)
  • [ ] Content creation (2 hours)
  • [ ] Tool optimization (1 hour)
  • [ ] Next week planning (30 minutes)

9. Success Metrics

9.1. Financial Targets

  • Monthly Revenue Target: $10,000-$20,000 (blended across all tiers)
  • Quarterly Revenue: $50,000-$75,000
  • Annual Target: $200,000
  • Average Deal Size: $5,000 (blended)
  • Treatment Profit Margin: 60-70% for treatments; 50-60% for custom AI
  • Patient Acquisition Cost: <$500
  • Revenue Mix Target:
  • Tier 1 Treatments: 40-50% of revenue
  • Tier 2 Projects: 15-20% of revenue
  • Tier 3 Custom AI: 25-35% of revenue
  • Tier 5 AaaS Recurring: 10-15% of revenue (growing to 30% by Year 2)

9.2. Operational Metrics

  • Treatment Delivery Time: 1-2 weeks for Tier 1
  • Patient Satisfaction: 4.5/5+ rating
  • Referral Rate: 30%+ of patients
  • Repeat Business: 40%+ of patients
  • Tool Selection Accuracy: >90% (right platform chosen for job)
  • Managed Hosting Uptake: 20%+ of clients choose managed hosting option

9.3. Time Efficiency Metrics

  • Diagnostic to Close: <14 days
  • Treatment Development: <15 hours (Tier 1)
  • Project Development: <40 hours (Tier 2)
  • Patient Communication: <3 hours/week
  • Administrative Tasks: <4 hours/week
  • AaaS Management: 4-10 hours/month per client

10. Emergency Procedures

10.1. Technical Issues

  • n8n server down: Use Zapier backup
  • Patient system access lost: Immediate communication
  • Data loss: Restore from backups
  • Integration failure: Manual workaround

10.2. Patient Issues

  • Scope creep: Refer to contract terms
  • Payment delays: Follow-up process
  • Dissatisfaction: Immediate response and resolution
  • Legal disputes: Document everything

10.3. Personal Time Conflicts

  • Full-time job demands: Reschedule patient work
  • Health issues: Communicate delays early
  • Family emergencies: Set expectations
  • Vacation planning: Block calendar in advance

11. Monthly Business Review

11.1. Financial Review

  • [ ] Revenue vs. targets
  • [ ] Profit margin analysis
  • [ ] Cash flow review
  • [ ] Expense optimization

11.2. Operational Review

  • [ ] Treatment delivery metrics
  • [ ] Patient satisfaction scores
  • [ ] Process efficiency analysis
  • [ ] Tool performance assessment

11.3. Strategic Planning

  • [ ] Market opportunity analysis
  • [ ] Service offering evaluation
  • [ ] Pricing strategy review
  • [ ] Growth planning

12. Quarterly Strategic Review

12.1. Business Performance

  • [ ] Revenue growth analysis
  • [ ] Profitability trends
  • [ ] Market position assessment
  • [ ] Competitive analysis

12.2. Operational Excellence

  • [ ] Process optimization opportunities
  • [ ] Technology stack evaluation
  • [ ] Knowledge asset assessment
  • [ ] Team development planning

12.3. Strategic Initiatives

  • [ ] New service development
  • [ ] Market expansion planning
  • [ ] Partnership opportunities
  • [ ] Investment planning

14. Sales Protocol Status

Primary Sales Protocol: SOP-36 (60-Minute Manual Sales Loop) - Targets Professional Services Firms and Healthcare/Clinics - Detailed execution steps with industry-specific pain points - Multi-channel outreach approach - Comprehensive pain signal analysis

Archived Sales Protocol: SOP-37 (Specialist-Wedge Sales Protocol) - ARCHIVED - Previously targeted SaaS CTOs, MSPs, Digital Agencies - Lacked detailed execution steps - Focused on $5K-$15K projects (too high for initial volume) - White-label/B2B2C approach didn't fit direct Professional Services/Healthcare model

Current ICPs: Professional Services Firms (law, accounting, consulting, architecture, engineering) and Healthcare/Clinics (dental, medical, physical therapy, veterinary, chiropractic, mental health)

15. Conclusion

This operations model is designed for sustainable growth toward the AaaS vision. Focus on delivering exceptional value, building strategic relationships, and establishing AutomationSurgeon as a recognized leader in AI-powered business transformation.

Remember: You're not building a traditional consulting practice. You're creating a strategic AI transformation platform that leverages your expertise to deliver measurable business impact and competitive advantage to mid-market companies.

Value Proposition: "We deliver AI-powered business transformation through 25+ proven treatments and custom solutions - from intelligent document processing to complete enterprise platforms - choosing the right tools and approach for your specific needs."

Document Control: - Created: [Current Date] - Reviewed: [Review Date] - Approved: [Approval Date] - Next Review: [Next Review Date]

Version History: - v2.0: Updated with medical terminology and 12-prescription menu - v1.0: Initial document creation