An operational map is a paid diagnostic of how work actually flows through your business, from first contact to paid invoice. At Third Gear Ventures it costs $1,500, takes one to two weeks, and ends with a full workflow map, where time and money leak, a priority build list, and a weekly scorecard. If software is the answer, the map fixes what gets built and what it costs. If it is not, you get told that.
The rest of this page covers what the map looks at, the four things you get, what happens after it, and how to get ready for one.
What the map looks at
We walk the operation end to end: how a lead comes in, how it becomes a quote, how the job gets scheduled and done, and how the invoice gets sent and paid. The point is to see the work the way it really happens, including the spreadsheets, the text threads, and the steps only the owner knows.
The four things you get
- A full workflow map. Every step from first contact to paid invoice, and every tool and person it passes through.
- Where time and money leak. The places work stalls, gets dropped, or gets done twice.
- A priority build list. What to fix, in order, with the biggest leak first, so the first thing you run on is the thing that saves the most time.
- A weekly scorecard. What to track each week, and why.
Together they make a 30-day improvement plan.
What happens after the map
- If a build is the answer. The map fixes the scope and the price before any work starts. A Build and Install runs $4,000 to $12,000 and takes two to six weeks. You own the code, the data, and the accounts, and it is installed inside the business with training.
- If it is not. Sometimes the honest answer is that you do not need a build yet, or that a standard tool fits. You get told that too.
- Afterward. Monthly Optimization is optional at $500 to $2,000 a month.
See what custom software costs for what moves a build toward either end of that range, and how long a build takes for the timeline.
Why the map comes first
Skipping the map feels faster and usually is not. Without it, scope gets discovered in the middle of the build, which is the slowest and most expensive place to discover it. A price given before anyone has looked at how the business runs is a guess. The map is also where scope gets cut, before it is paid for.
How to get ready
- Have the logins and sample documents ready. Real estimates, invoices, and job records make the map faster and more accurate.
- Name one person to answer questions. Usually the owner.
Where this applies
The map is done in person wherever we can get to you, including New Smyrna Beach, Florida and Chattanooga, Tennessee. Builds and installs are done remotely for service businesses anywhere in the United States. See custom software for owner-run businesses for everything we build, and how to choose a developer for what to check before hiring anyone.