Works. Proposal
Prepared for
Lucas Nicoll · Nicoll Industries
15 September 2026

Works. × Nicoll

A plan for Nicoll Industries, built from our conversation on 15 September.

What we heard
"This might be the time to invest, and do something that puts us ahead of the game."

Commercial plumbing since 2004, with a lean office team: Lucas, Kate, Dan and two project managers. AI is already in use for contracts and case law, one chat at a time. The goal is to take on more work and cut the menial tasks.

The opportunity is not another subscription. It is the whole path work takes through the business.

Works.// What We Heard
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Where the time goes today

Six jobs done by hand.

Our read from the conversation. The Audit tests it, and finds where the time really goes.

01

Contract review

Every scope of work read against the tender offer, clause by clause, by you.

Lucas
02

Estimating

Takeoffs and rates run through CavSoft by one subcontract estimator.

Estimator
03

Procurement

Supplier quotes compared one by one in a spreadsheet built for each job.

PMs
04

Site paperwork

ITPs, toolbox talks and handover manuals assembled from scratch each time.

PMs
05

Reporting

Xero reports sit behind full access, so the numbers wait on you.

Lucas · Dan
06

Admin & data entry

The same details keyed again between email, Excel and Xero.

Kate · Admin
Works.// Where The Time Goes
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The unlock

The contract review you were doing when I called.

When you rang back you were striking through a scope of work against your tender offer, line by line. That exact comparison is work AI does well today, and it is the first workflow we would scope.

The target workflow

Scope vs offer

The system reads both documents and flags every clause where the scope says you will and your offer says you won't.

The second opinion

Two models. One mediator.

Two AI models review the contract independently. Where they disagree, a third weighs in. You see the full picture, not one chat's opinion.

What stays human

You make the call

AI prepares the review and shows its reasoning against the clauses. Nothing is accepted, signed or sent without you.

Scoped in the Audit against your actual contracts and templates. The same pattern extends to the nasty letters, demands and case-law checks you already run through ChatGPT by hand.

Works.// The Unlock
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Governance

Your numbers, your call.

You told us what matters: the business's IP stays with you. We build the system so each person sees exactly what you decide they see.

Scoped access per person

Dan gets the reports he needs from Xero without holding the Xero login. You set the boundary; the system enforces it.

We work inside your systems

Works operates on logins you grant, in the tools you already run: Xero, CavSoft, Excel. We do not copy your data into our own systems.

Works with any AI model

Claude, ChatGPT or both. The architecture is set up to work with any model, so you are never locked to one subscription.

Your team holds the keys

You approve what each person's AI can access before it is switched on. We train an internal owner to run the system after handover.

Works.// Governance
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What Works installs

An AI-ready business runs on four layers. We install all four.

Four connected layers turn scattered AI use into infrastructure your team owns.

01

Architecture

Where AI sits, what it can access, and how it connects to the business.

The foundation
02

Context

The knowledge AI needs before anyone asks it to do the work.

Source of truth
03

The Brain

Living company knowledge that stays current as the team works.

Stays alive
04

Skills

The repeatable workflows that return time to the team.

Runs on top
×

Tools

Chosen last. The value sits in the system, not the software logo.

Downstream
Works.// The Four Layers
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How the engagement works

The engagement, end to end.

Step 01

Audit

1–2 weeks

Map the work, rank the opportunities and build the 90-day plan.

Step 02

Embed

90 days

Set up the system, deliver the workflows and train an internal owner.

Step 03 When needed

Build

Scoped

Build a custom solution only when a workflow needs one.

Step 04

Optimize

Ongoing

Keep the workflows and company knowledge current after handover.

One sequence. One install. Your team owns it.

Works.// The Approach
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Audit

We start with the work. Not the tools.

Duration1–2 weeks, incl. 1 day on site
Investment$5K
OutputDiagnostic + 90-day plan

What we do

  • A full day on site at your Brisbane office, sitting with you, Kate, Dan and the project managers
  • Track real jobs from tender to handover and measure where the time goes
  • Review Xero, CavSoft and the spreadsheets, and what can connect to what
  • Identify the quick wins, and the work that needs stronger foundations first

What you get

  • Workflow maps with the hours each step really takes
  • The workflows to implement first, ranked by evidence and value
  • A written read on CavSoft and Xero integration, including scoped reporting for Dan
  • A 90-day Embed plan listing each workflow and its expected outcome

The Audit is a low-risk first step. You keep the workflow maps and the plan, whether or not Works delivers the next phase.

Works.// Audit
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Embed

90 days inside the business.

A Works operator joins your team for 90 days, inside the systems you already use.

What gets installed during the 90 days

  • Company knowledge organised so AI can use it
  • Typically 6–10 workflows delivered
  • Training tailored to each role
  • An internal owner trained to run the system
How each workflow ships
01Build it.
02Run it.
03Improve it.

Each workflow is tested on real work by the people who will own it after handover.

Works.// Embed
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Blind case study · Boutique homebuilder

$10.5M additional revenue capacity unlocked.

A boutique homebuilder wanted to grow without adding headcount. The Audit unlocked the capacity already inside the business.

Overview

Boutique homebuilder

A growing, design-led business with strong demand and a lean team.

Situation

Growth was trapped in admin

Repeatable work across proposals, design administration and quality assurance was constraining capacity.

Result

105–120 days saved each year

Nine workflows mapped. The client approved the 90-day sprint and moved into implementation.

Works.// Blind Case Study · Boutique Homebuilder
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Investment

Clear pricing. Set by the Audit.

The Audit determines the implementation scope.

Stage
What it covers
Duration
Investment
Audit
Full-day on-site mapping, opportunity ranking and the 90-day roadmap.
1–2 weeks
incl. 1 day on site
Fixed$5K
Embed
System setup, typically 6–10 workflows, training and handover. Payable upfront or monthly.
90 days
Range$30–40K
Build
Custom builds for the workflows that need them
Scoped
ScopedOn spec
Optimize
Ongoing support, workflow library updates and continuous improvement
Ongoing
Per month$4K

The Audit confirms the Embed price before you commit.

Works.// Investment
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Lock in the Audit.

We spend one day on site with your team. The diagnostic and ranked 90-day plan arrive within weeks, not months.

Nicoll keeps the diagnostic, workflow maps and roadmap whether or not Works delivers the next phase.

Book the Audit
What you get
A ranked, evidence-based plan showing which AI opportunities to pursue first.
On site1 day
Investment$5K
Works.// AI that Works.
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