These six guides set out the methods behind our advisory work, with worked examples in Canadian dollars that you can check line by line. Each one is built around a decision owners actually face: what a system will really cost, how to compare vendors, when to move beyond accounting software, whether an automation pays back, what to do first, and how to get numbers you trust. The figures are illustrative; the method is the point.
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Have you outgrown your accounting software, or just your spreadsheets?
Most growing Canadian businesses don't need an ERP the moment things feel messy. Measure the hours lost to re-keying and workarounds first, try the middle options, and move to ERP only when the numbers and the risks justify it.
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Which tasks should you automate with AI, and will they pay back?
AI and automation pay back on tasks that are frequent, repetitive and easy to check. Score candidates on volume, minutes and error cost, include human review in the math, test accuracy on a sample of 50 before rollout, and write simple rules about what data may be used.
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The three-year cost of a CRM, worked line by line
The licence fee is usually less than half of what a CRM costs you over three years. Add implementation, migration, integrations, training, admin time, renewal increases and an exit reserve, then compare options on the full number.
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Building an owner's KPI dashboard you can actually trust
A dashboard is only as good as its definitions. Pick 8 to 12 numbers, write exactly how each is calculated and which system it comes from, reconcile revenue against your accounting every month, and refresh on a fixed schedule.
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How to prioritise digital projects when everything looks urgent
A digital roadmap is mostly a list of things you decide not to do yet. Score each idea on value, effort and risk, sequence by dependencies, fund the top few with a contingency, and write down what you are stopping so it stays stopped.
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Building a software scoring matrix that survives the sales demo
A scoring matrix forces a software decision onto evidence. Screen vendors on must-haves first, weight the remaining criteria to 100, score each 1 to 5 with a written reason, and test how sensitive the result is before you choose.
Costing and choosing software
The three-year cost of a CRM. First-year price quotes hide most of the cost. This guide builds a full three-year model for a 12-user team: licences, implementation, migration, integrations, training time, administration, renewal increases and the cost of leaving. It compares two hypothetical options and shows how the cheaper quote can end up more expensive.
Building a software scoring matrix. How to turn requirements into must, should and could, weight criteria to 100, score vendors with evidence, script demos, and record the questions to settle in writing before signing. Includes a worked matrix for three hypothetical vendors.
From accounting software to ERP. The signals that you have outgrown accounting software and spreadsheets, the arithmetic of hours lost, and the middle options, such as connected inventory or field-service applications, that often make a full ERP unnecessary for now.
Automation and AI
Does this automation pay back? A method for choosing AI and automation candidates by volume, minutes and error rate, with payback calculations that count human review time honestly. It also covers testing accuracy on a sample and outlines a simple AI use policy, with links to the privacy commissioners' official guidance.
Planning and measurement
Prioritising digital projects. How to score a long list of projects on value, effort and risk, respect dependencies, lay out a 12-month roadmap by quarter, sequence the budget and write a stop list.
An owner's KPI dashboard. Choosing 8 to 12 KPIs, writing a definition for each, naming the source system, reconciling with accounting and setting a refresh rhythm, with a worked example of two systems disagreeing about revenue.
How to use these guides
- Pick the guide closest to your current decision. You do not need to read them in order.
- Replace our numbers with yours. Every table is designed to be copied into a spreadsheet.
- Note where you are unsure. Those gaps are usually where the real risk sits.
- Ask for a second opinion if the stakes are high. A short hourly review of your own model is often enough.
The assumptions behind the numbers
Every worked example in these guides rests on stated assumptions, and it is worth knowing what they are before you rely on any figure.
- Prices are round and illustrative. A licence at "$90 per user per month" is a convenient number for arithmetic, not a market quote. Use the figures in your own proposals.
- Staff time is costed at a loaded rate. Where a guide counts hours, it multiplies them by a loaded hourly cost that includes wages and benefits. Your accountant can give you the right figure for your team.
- Sales tax is shown separately. Software prices and our fees carry GST/HST based on your province, or GST and QST in Quebec. Whether and how you recover that tax is a question for your accountant.
- Three years is the default horizon. It is long enough to capture renewal increases and short enough to stay realistic.
When your own numbers differ sharply from ours, that difference is information. It usually points to a requirement, a volume or a cost that deserves a closer look.
How the guides relate to our services
Each guide corresponds to one or more services. The CRM cost and scoring guides underpin software selection; the prioritising guide supports the digital roadmap; the automation guide reflects our AI adoption work; the dashboard guide mirrors data and reporting.
If a guide raises a question about your own situation, text (604) 632-4959 or call or email. The first 30-minute consultation is free, and pricing is published.
Frequently asked questions
Can we use these methods without hiring you?
Yes. The guides are written so an owner or manager can apply them directly. If you get stuck or want a second opinion, a few hours of hourly advice is often enough.
Are the numbers in the guides real prices?
No. They are illustrative assumptions in round Canadian dollars, chosen to show the arithmetic. Replace them with the quotes and figures from your own vendors and business.
Do the guides recommend specific software?
No. They are vendor-neutral. The method matters more than any product, and the right product depends on your requirements.