What to Expect When You Work With Optimus
Working with Optimus means starting with your process, not a piece of software. We find where time is lost, agree whether AI genuinely helps, and only then build anything. This page lays out exactly what that feels like: how we start, how long it takes, what it costs, and what changes on a normal Tuesday once we are done.
It is written for the leader of a UK service business, a broker, a claims operation, a law firm, a customer service team, who is curious but cautious. You have seen the hype. You want to know what actually happens if you pick up the phone.
How do we start?
We start with a free 30-minute discovery call. No pitch, no jargon, no obligation. You tell me where the work piles up and where the errors creep in, and I ask the sharp questions that come from having run operations like yours for 25 years. You leave that call with a practical next step you can use whether you hire us or not.
If there is a fit, we agree a focused piece of work and a fixed price before anything begins. You are never surprised by an invoice.
What happens in the first few weeks?
We run an audit of the work, not a survey of your software. The first stage is mapping how a task actually flows today, where it starts, who touches it, where it waits, and where it breaks. This is the SOS approach: Strategy, Operations, Service, in that order. We fix the operation before we reach for a tool.
If your worry is specifically whether AI search engines and assistants can find and recommend your business, that has its own fixed-price way in: the AI Visibility Audit. It scores where you stand across the main AI engines, hands you a 90-day plan, and is often how clients start before we go deeper into the operation.
A focused audit takes two to four weeks. You come out of it with a clear map, the handful of places AI or automation will genuinely pay back, and a costed plan. If you want to understand the method in more depth, read more about what an AI consultant actually does and the SOS framework.
How much of my team's time will this take?
Less than you are probably bracing for. We need a few hours from the people who know the process best, usually a couple of short sessions plus a look at how the work moves today. We build the rest around your team, not on top of it. The aim is to take work off your people, so it would be a poor start to bury them in meetings.
What will it cost?
A focused audit is a few thousand pounds. A full implementation runs into five figures, depending on what we are building and how much of it. The honest answer is that it depends on scope, so we scope it with you and fix the number up front.
The question that matters more than the price is the return. A well-chosen project should pay for itself within three to six months through time saved, errors removed, or capacity freed up. If the maths does not work, we will tell you before you spend anything. You can see how we think about this on our page covering what AI consulting costs in the UK.
What actually changes day to day?
The repetitive, rules-based work gets quieter. The tasks that happen every day, follow a clear set of rules, and eat hours of skilled time, those are the ones we target first. Your people stop spending mornings on the same manual chase and spend that time on the judgment calls only they can make.
Nothing changes overnight, and nothing changes without you seeing it first. We work in phases, you sign off each step, and a human stays in the loop on anything that touches a customer or a decision that matters. You stay in control of your own operation throughout.
Who will I be dealing with?
Me. Chris Latham, the founder. I am not a salesperson who hands you to a junior once the contract is signed. I spent 25 years in motor claims and insurance operations, and I completed the Oxford Artificial Intelligence Programme in 2025, so I can translate between the technology and the shop floor. You get an operator who has done the job, not a slide deck.
What if AI is not the answer?
Then we say so, plainly. Sometimes the real fix is a process change and no tool at all. We would rather give you that answer and keep your trust than sell you something that does not earn its place. Being told you do not need this yet is a perfectly good outcome of a first conversation.
Ready to find out what is possible?
Book a free discovery call. We will talk through where the work bottlenecks, find where AI could genuinely help, and agree whether there is a fit. Worst case, you leave with one practical idea you can action yourself. Book your call here.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to work with Optimus?
A focused audit is a few thousand pounds. A full implementation runs into five figures depending on scope. We agree the number before any work starts, and we will tell you if the likely return does not justify it.
How long before we see anything useful?
You get a practical next step from the first free call. A focused audit takes two to four weeks. A single automation typically goes live in eight to sixteen weeks, and we work in phases so you see results early.
How much of my team's time will this take?
Less than people fear. We need a few hours from the people who know the process, usually a couple of short sessions plus access to how the work flows today. We do the heavy lifting around that.
What if AI is not the right answer for us?
We will say so. Sometimes the fix is a process change, not a tool. We would rather tell you that and keep your trust than sell you software you do not need.
Who will I actually be dealing with?
Chris Latham, the founder, leads the work. You are not handed to a junior after the sales call. You get someone who spent 25 years inside motor claims and insurance operations before doing this.
Book your free discovery call.
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