Technology & AIAnalysis
AI Adoption in Mid-Sized Firms: Start With the Workflow, Not the Model
AI pilots in mid-sized firms succeed when they start from a painful workflow, not a promising model. A practical way to choose your first three.
Owen Hartley
Partner, operations and technology, Maia Lafortezza
Owen Hartley leads the firm's operations and technology practice. An industrial engineer by training, he spent twelve years running distribution and manufacturing operations before moving into advisory work. He redesigns workflows, operating rhythms and supply chains for logistics, manufacturing, healthcare and service businesses, and helps clients choose and implement technology, including practical AI, where it pays back. He is based in Milan.
Articles by Owen Hartley
OperationsAnalysis
The Hidden Cost of Approval Chains: Reclaiming a Day Every Week
Nobody designs an approval chain; they accumulate. How to find the ones costing your team a day a week, and what to replace them with.
Technology & AIPlaybook
Building a Data Foundation Your Board Can Trust
Before dashboards and AI, agree on definitions. How to build a data foundation the board will actually rely on.
OperationsPlaybook
Supply Chain Resilience Without the Enterprise Budget
Resilience is not only for enterprises with risk departments. Five practical moves for mid-sized firms.
Technology & AIChecklist
Vendor Selection Without Regret: A Due-Diligence Scorecard
Software decisions outlive the people who make them. A due-diligence scorecard for choosing vendors without regret.
OperationsAnalysis
Process Before Software: Why Automation Projects Stall
Most stalled automation projects are process problems wearing a technology costume. Fix the workflow first.
OperationsPlaybook
Building an Operating Rhythm Your Team Will Actually Keep
The weekly, monthly and quarterly meetings that keep a growing team aligned, with agendas you can copy.
Technology & AIAnalysis
The Honest Math of Automation ROI
Automation business cases often count savings twice and costs once. An honest way to calculate the return.
OperationsAnalysis
Lean for Service Businesses: Lessons From the Factory Floor
Lean thinking was born on factory floors, but service firms waste just as much. Where to look first.