Cogs Consulting — Project Intake

01

The problem

Plain language is best here. You do not need to know how it should be fixed — that part comes later.

01 Your name

This one I do need.

02 Email

This one I do need.

03 Business name Optional

04 What's eating your time, or what question can't you answer right now? Optional

The thing that made you get in touch. A paragraph is plenty.

05 What kind of help are you after? Optional

Rough is fine. If you are not sure, pick the last one — the questions just get slightly broader.

One-off analysis — I need to understand somethingA system — I need something to run on its ownNot sure / probably both

06 Walk me through what happens today when that needs doing. Optional

Who opens what, in what order, and where it gets stuck. The boring detail is the useful part.

07 What would "fixed" look like? Optional

What you would want to be true. It does not need to be technical or realistic.

02

The systems

Exact product names matter more than anything else you can tell me here. Connecting to a documented system and working around a locked one are very different jobs.

08 What software and tools are involved? Optional

Names if you know them — the actual product, not the category. Include the spreadsheets and the paper. This is the answer that most affects what the work costs.

09 Is there data you want analysed? If so, what kind? Optional

Sales records, job logs, timesheets, survey responses — whatever you have. Rough volume helps if you know it. If this is purely a build job with no data attached, say so and skip ahead.

02

The data

What matters here is whether the data you have can actually answer the question you are asking. Often it can, partly. I would rather find that out now than after you have paid me.

08 Is there data you want analysed? If so, what kind? Optional

Sales records, job logs, timesheets, survey responses — whatever you have. Rough volume helps if you know it. If this is purely a build job with no data attached, say so and skip ahead.

09 What period does it cover, and how far back does it go? Optional

A year of data answers very different questions than three months. If you are not sure how far back it goes, an estimate is fine.

10 Has anyone looked at this before? What did the numbers seem to say? Optional

Including gut feel. If you already have a theory, say so — I would rather test it than accidentally reinvent it.

11 Is there a decision riding on this, or is it more general curiosity? Optional

Both are legitimate answers. They are just different jobs.

03

The shape of the work

Two last things about the shape of the work. Nothing here is a commitment.

10 Is anything forcing a date? Optional

A season, an audit, a contract ending, someone leaving. If nothing is forcing it, that is a useful answer too.

11 Have you tried to fix this before? What happened? Optional

Including things that half-worked, or software you bought and stopped using. This tells me what not to suggest.

12 One-time, or ongoing? Optional

You can change your mind later. This only tells me what shape to quote.

One-time — build it or analyse it and hand it overOngoing — I want something maintained or updated regularlyNot sure yet

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Saving

Your answers are recorded. Reading them now to see whether anything needs a follow-up.

Working

04

A few follow-ups

Your answers are saved. These are based on what you wrote — all optional, same as the rest.

That's everything

Thanks — this is genuinely useful. I read every one of these properly rather than skimming, so give me a day or two. If something in your answers needs clarifying before I can be useful, I'll email rather than book a call.

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