Questions buyers ask
The hard questions, answered plainly.
Buying KEI&S
I only need my ERP fixed. Can KEI&S help?
Yes. We can work on the immediate system problem without a full transformation programme. If we see wider issues, we will tell you, with no obligation.
What exactly am I buying?
Whatever you need: a specific Fix, a Diagnostic, a Design, a Build, ongoing Improvement, or learning through KEI&S Business School. Each is scoped and quoted separately. None is a prerequisite for another.
What happens during the Diagnostic?
We interview leadership and key staff, watch how important work actually happens, review your tools and reports, and score all 30 cells of the Operating Grid. You receive a report, a scorecard, current-state maps of priority processes and a prioritised roadmap.
Do I get process maps, SOPs, policies and dashboards?
Yes, where they are needed. Process maps and the RACI come from Design. SOPs, policies, templates, dashboards and training come from Build. We don't produce documents for the sake of it; each one must be used in daily work.
Do you implement technology?
Yes. Directly through Fix, or as part of Build. We buy mature products first, integrate systems that must connect, and build only where a real gap remains. We are not tied to any software vendor.
How long does it take?
A Fix can take days. A full Diagnostic typically takes 2–4 weeks, Design 3–6 weeks and Build 6–16 weeks depending on scope. We confirm timelines in each proposal.
How much does it cost?
Each engagement is scoped and quoted before work starts. The online Business Health Diagnostic and the first conversation are free.
What is expected from me?
A named sponsor, access to people and records, timely decisions and staff time for workshops and training. Change needs leadership involvement; we can't install it around you.
After KEI&S
What happens after KEI&S leaves?
You keep the Client Operating Manual, the SOP library, configured systems, dashboards and a management rhythm your team already runs. Improve is available but optional.
How do I measure success?
The Operating Grid is scored before and after. You also agree the KPIs that matter in Design, and those are tracked on the dashboards we install.
Common objections
I already have an ERP.
Then you have a tool. The question is whether the business around it is designed: owners, rules, approvals and reviews. Most ERP frustration comes from processes that were never defined, not from the software.
My accountant handles this.
Your accountant handles the Money function well. The Grid covers five others, and the processes that feed finance start in Market, Customer and Delivery.
My staff know what to do.
They probably do, today. The test is whether a new hire, a second branch or your absence for a month changes that. If knowledge lives in people, it leaves with them.
We are too small.
Below about ten people, informal works. From there, complexity grows faster than headcount. The free Business Health Diagnostic will show honestly if it's too early.
We can't afford consulting.
Start with the free online Business Health Diagnostic, or fix one specific problem first. Nothing commits you to more.
I only need Odoo, or only a CRM.
If your processes are already clear, an implementer is the right choice. If not, the software will copy the confusion. The Diagnostic shows which situation you are in.
We don't need documentation.
You need what documentation does: work done the same way by different people. We keep documents short and only write the ones people will use.
Everything works.
Then the free Business Health Diagnostic will confirm it quickly. The usual sign is whether it works without you.
My business is unique.
Your offer is unique. How you win customers, deliver, collect cash and make decisions follows patterns the Grid is designed to map.
We tried automation and it didn't work.
Automation copies whatever process it is given. We design the process first, then automate the parts that are stable.
Why can't you just give us the software?
Because software without owners, rules and reviews gets bought and then abandoned. We install the software as part of the system, not instead of it.
Why do we need a Diagnostic?
You don’t always. If you know what is broken, we fix it. A Diagnostic is for problems that keep coming back or that you can’t pin down.
How do we know this will pay back?
The Diagnostic estimates where time, cash and control are being lost, and the scorecard gives a before-and-after measure. We won't promise returns we can't evidence.
KEI&S or someone else?
Sometimes another kind of firm is the better choice. Here is when.
| Alternative | What they do | What KEI&S does | Choose them instead when |
|---|---|---|---|
| ERP, CRM or Odoo implementer | Configure a specific product. | Designs how the business should run, then selects and configures tools to fit. | Your processes are already defined and you only need the software set up. |
| Management consultant | Analyse and recommend. | Diagnoses, designs and installs, and stays for adoption. | You need strategy, market entry or transaction advice. |
| Business coach | Develop the leader. | Builds the operating system around the leader. | The main constraint is leadership habits, not how the business is organised. |
| Accountant | Record and report the numbers. | Designs the processes that produce reliable numbers across all six functions. | You need bookkeeping, tax or audit. |
| Outsourced COO | Run operations for you. | Designs operations your own team can run. | You need an operator in the seat, not a system. |
Next step
Start with what is actually happening.
Tell us what is happening in your business. We will help identify the appropriate next step.
Explore KEI&S Business School →