Following our discovery meeting, we've prepared this personalised discussion document for your directors. It outlines how an AI Business Analysis (AIBA) can transform your multi-company operations.
Sage Intacct multi-company consolidation + AI-powered automation, tailored for construction, plant hire, and aviation operations.
I've recorded a short video walking through this proposal, the key findings from our meeting, and exactly how the AIBA process works for a business like yours. I'd recommend watching this before sharing with the directors.
Duration: ~8 minutes • Covers: Meeting recap, constraint diagnosis, AIBA process, investment options, and next steps.
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On our discovery call, we explored your current technology landscape, operational challenges, and growth ambitions. Here's a summary of the key themes.
Approximately 12 companies spanning plant hire and construction (core), an aviation division with 15-20 aircraft (buy/sell, maintenance, charter), property companies, directors' capital entities, and a mining company. Currently operating on 10 separate Pastel instances with no consolidated reporting.
The Whimbrel operations system is deeply embedded and non-negotiable — the directors built it over 8 years and consider it a competitive advantage. Any solution must integrate with Whimbrel, not replace it. As Ashley noted: "It's a not negotiable. It will stay."
We don't ask "What do you want to automate?" We ask "Where does your business model break?" Based on our conversation, we've identified four primary constraints affecting Stu Davidson & Sons.
"We have had some data integrity issues, particularly in the bigger company."— Ashley Bezuidenhout, Accountant
"It's very paper heavy. They don't really have a computerized system for keeping service records."— Chris, on aircraft maintenance
"Change is sometimes slow."— Lisa, Finance/Admin Manager
"Don't go and build models and whatever yet. Let's just get the basics together."— Lisa, on the pragmatic approach
Based on industry benchmarks for multi-entity construction businesses of your scale, we estimate the following monthly cost of maintaining the status quo. These are conservative figures — the actual cost may be significantly higher.
How we calculated this: Manual processing overhead is based on estimated hours spent on duplicate data entry across 10 Pastel instances, intercompany reconciliation, and manual consolidation. Revenue leakage accounts for delayed invoicing cycles in construction (where payment terms are already 30-60 days). Duplicate entry errors are based on industry error rates of 1-3% in manual data capture. Early payment discounts assume standard supplier terms that cannot be captured without real-time cash visibility across all entities.
AIBA is our structured consulting framework designed to pinpoint exactly where AI and automation can enhance your business. It systematically identifies opportunities to streamline processes, improve decision-making, and boost performance — without disrupting what's already working.
Unlock productivity gains across your 12 companies
Early AI adoption gives you a definitive market advantage
Solutions aligned with your unique Whimbrel + Pastel setup
Systems that grow with you to R150M+ without proportional cost
Businesses that don't adapt to technology don't survive
Your AIBA will focus specifically on: (1) multi-company financial consolidation across your 12 entities, (2) Whimbrel integration and AI-powered business intelligence, (3) aircraft maintenance digitisation, and (4) construction operations optimisation. We respect that Whimbrel stays — our job is to make everything around it work better.
Even before the full AIBA, our initial conversation revealed several high-impact opportunities that could deliver immediate value.
Replace 10 separate Pastel instances with a single Sage Intacct environment. Real-time consolidated reporting, automated intercompany transactions, and one-click financial statements across all 12 entities.
High ImpactMobile app for hangar mechanics to capture service records digitally. Eliminates paper-based tracking, creates searchable aircraft maintenance history, and supports compliance documentation.
High ImpactNatural language business intelligence on top of your existing Whimbrel data. Ask questions like "What was our fuel cost per hour on the N2 project last month?" and get instant answers.
Medium TermAI-powered deduplication and standardisation across your databases. Fix misspellings, merge duplicate records, and establish data quality rules to prevent future degradation.
Medium TermWe offer a phased approach so you can prove value before committing to larger transformation. All pricing is in South African Rands, excluding VAT.
The comprehensive AIBA maps every constraint, quantifies ROI, and delivers a prioritised implementation roadmap with a 12-week action plan.
Implement the top 2-3 highest-ROI automations identified in the AIBA. Prove value fast with measurable results.
Fractional Chief AI Officer (FCAIO) engagement. Continuous optimisation, system health monitoring, and strategic AI roadmap execution.
Pricing Disclaimer: All figures presented are indicative and not fixed. This project operates on a time-and-materials basis. Actual costs are determined by the final agreed scope, any additional out-of-scope work requested, and actual hours consumed. A detailed statement of work with fixed milestones will be provided upon engagement. Hourly rates: Consultant R975/hr, Senior Consultant R1,850/hr (excl. VAT).
We've designed a simple three-step path to get from this discussion document to tangible results. The ball is in your court.
Share this proposal with Stuart and the co-directors. We recommend a 30-minute internal review session. Lisa, Ashley, and Chris can provide context from our discovery meeting. Watch the Loom video above for a personal walkthrough.
Once the directors have reviewed, we'll schedule a focused 45-minute session with all decision-makers present. This is where we answer questions, discuss priorities, and align on the scope of the AIBA engagement. No obligation.
Upon agreement, we begin the 10-week AI Business Analysis. Week 1 starts with a kick-off meeting and baseline questionnaire. You'll have a comprehensive roadmap, prioritised projects, and a 12-week action plan by Week 10.
A note on timing: You mentioned planning a Pastel cloud migration at the end of March. This creates an ideal window — before committing to a cloud migration of 10 separate Pastel instances, it's worth understanding whether consolidating to a single Sage Intacct environment would be more cost-effective and future-proof. The AIBA will give you that clarity.