Practical AI systems
your team actually uses.
Independent consulting on workflow design, automation, internal tools, and reporting. Built around how your team really works, not the demo.
- Experience
- 12+ years
- Operations & AI
- Engagement
- 2 to 6 weeks
- Avg scoped build
- Based in
- Orlando, FL
- Remote & on-site
Zack Shields
AI Automation Builder & Consultant
Tools chosen to fit the workflow, not the demo
Zack Shields
Independent consultant, Orlando FL
Twelve years operating real businesses, before building AI systems.
I've run the workflows I now help teams automate: follow-up, client comms, 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 tools, not strategy decks.
The goal is not to bolt AI onto a process and hope. It's a thin operating layer with clear inputs, reliable outputs, and exception handling, built so the people who use it daily actually trust it.
- 12+ years in operations leadership
- Real estate, hospitality, and sports analytics
- Independent consulting since 2023
- Speaker on AI adoption in operating teams
Built from operations experience.
Operating context plus hands-on build work. Understanding the workflow, shipping the system, helping teams adopt it.
12+
Years operating
Across business, ops, sales, leadership
$1B+
Real estate transaction volume supported
Built CRM, follow-up, pricing, and lead management systems
70+
AI build patterns shipped
Custom SaaS, voice agents, lead management, dashboards, automation
100%
Solo build to handoff
No agency telephone game; same person ships and supports
Where I help teams move faster.
Strategy is only useful when it ships. Engagements run from workflow discovery through build, training, and adoption.
- From discovery to daily use
AI implementation
Workflow discovery, tool selection, build, training, and iteration so the system survives real users and real edge cases.
- LLM selection
- RAG & retrieval
- Adoption design
- Reliable handoffs, not demos
Workflow automation
Repetitive handoffs turned into reliable workflows with approvals, exception handling, and system to system integrations.
- n8n & Zapier
- Approvals & exceptions
- CRM workflows
- Spreadsheets, leveled up
Internal tools
Dashboards, portals, and custom apps for when spreadsheets and off the shelf tools stop fitting how your team actually works.
- Custom apps
- Operator dashboards
- Role-based access
- Decisions with clean data
Reporting & visibility
Cleaner KPIs, dashboards, and reporting workflows so managers stop making calls in the dark and start moving with confidence.
- KPI design
- Live dashboards
- Data hygiene
A practical build process.
Clear discovery, scoped implementation, and adoption support. No dragging your team through vague consulting.
- 01Week 0
Free 30-minute review
A walk through of your systems, handoffs, bottlenecks, and where AI or automation could create real leverage.
- Workflow map sketch
- Opportunity list
- No obligation
- 02Week 1
Roadmap & build plan
A prioritized plan covering workflows, integrations, data needs, and adoption risks before anything is built.
- Scoped requirements
- Tooling decisions
- Cost & timeline
- 03Weeks 2 to 4+
Build, train, iterate
Implementation, rollout, documentation, and training so the system moves from prototype to daily use.
- Working systems
- Team training
- 30-day support
A bar inventory SaaS, shipped end to end.
A category-aware inventory platform with AI auto-complete on unknown SKUs, low stock alerts, and theoretical-versus-actual variance reporting. Built so a bar manager can run weekly counts in minutes, not hours.
Project at a glance
- Industry
- Hospitality
- Role
- Solo build
- Status
- In production
- Stack
- Next.jsSupabaseOpenAIStripeVercel
Operating impact
Manual count time
-93%~3 hours12 minutesStockout incidents
-87%8 / month< 1 / monthInventory variance
Tight+/- 14%+/- 2.5%
Built across real workflows.
Industries where I've operated, hired, and built. Useful when the work requires understanding the floor, not just the diagram.
Real estate & rentals
Lead capture, follow-up, pricing, guest messaging, and operator notifications, built for non-technical users.
Hospitality operations
Inventory, purchasing, waste visibility, and manager dashboards that work for back of house teams.
Sports & analytics
Forecasting, knowledge retrieval, and decision support using model selection, RAG, and reporting logic.
Clear engagement options.
Start with a review, scope a build when there's a fit, or book hours when you need senior technical guidance.
Tier
Workflow review
Walk through your workflows and AI opportunities before deciding what to build.
- Live workflow audit
- Opportunity map
- Honest fit assessment
- No obligation
Tier
Project build
Full implementation for AI workflows, automations, internal tools, or dashboards.
- Discovery & roadmap
- Build & deployment
- Training & docs
- 30-day support
Tier
Consulting
Focused support for AI adoption, technical review, or implementation guidance.
- Senior technical guidance
- Architecture review
- Adoption support
- Flexible scheduling
Frequently asked questions.
What services do you offer?
AI implementation, workflow automation, internal tools, dashboards, and CRM automation. Most projects start with workflow discovery, 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: frequency, handoffs, data quality, exceptions, and adoption risk. The best opportunities are usually repetitive, high-friction workflows where better systems improve speed, consistency, or visibility.
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.
Do I need technical knowledge to work with you?
No. The work is designed for operators, managers, and frontline users, not just technical teams.
What is included in the free consultation?
A focused 30-minute workflow review. We discuss the process, tools, pain points, and where AI or automation may create real leverage.
Book a free 30-minute review.
We'll talk through your systems, handoffs, and where AI or automation might be worth building. If there's a fit, the next step is a scoped plan.
- Free
- Cost
- 30 min
- Length
- None
- Pressure