How We Start
BeforeAnythingGetsBuilt,YouNeedtoKnowWhat'sActuallyBroken.
Phase 0 is Neulinc's fixed-fee workflow and AI governance assessment. It maps your operational risk, identifies where automation and AI can replace fragile processes, and produces a concrete roadmap — before any implementation begins.
WHY PHASE 0 EXISTS
Most AI and automation engagements fail not because the technology doesn't work — but because they were built on top of processes that were already broken.
Phase 0 exists to prevent that. Before we design anything, build anything, or recommend anything, we establish a clear picture of what your environment actually needs. What's exposed. What's fragile. Where the highest-risk workflows are hiding. And what a realistic, sequenced path to fixing them looks like.
The result is a deliverable you own — not a sales pitch for the next engagement.
WHAT HAPPENS DURING PHASE 0
Intake & Scoping Call
We begin with a structured conversation to understand your organization's operational context, the workflows in scope, your team size, and your primary risk concerns. This call defines the boundaries of the assessment so the work that follows is focused and practical.
Workflow Mapping Sessions
We conduct structured working sessions with your team to document how critical workflows actually operate — who does what, with what data, and where the handoffs happen. Most organizations have never seen their own processes laid out this way. The map alone surfaces risk that was previously invisible.
Risk & Gap Analysis
We analyze the mapped workflows against a governance and security framework — identifying where documentation is absent, where access controls are missing, where AI exposure exists, and where a single point of failure could create an operational or compliance incident.
Roadmap & Deliverable Review
We present findings and the implementation roadmap in a structured review session — walking your leadership team through what we found, what it means, and what a sequenced path forward looks like. No jargon. No pressure. A clear picture of where you stand and what comes next.
WHAT YOU RECEIVE
- ✓Workflow Risk MapA documented view of every workflow reviewed — who owns it, how it operates, and where the risk points are.
- ✓AI Replacement Feasibility AnalysisA clear assessment of which workflows are strong candidates for AI augmentation or replacement — and which ones aren't.
- ✓Secure Implementation RoadmapA sequenced, prioritized plan for replacing high-risk workflows with secure, governed systems — scoped to your organizational capacity and timeline.
- ✓AI Usage & Governance Policy DocumentA draft organizational policy governing how AI tools are used internally — covering acceptable use, data handling, access controls, and oversight responsibilities.
- ✓Executive Risk & Control SummaryA board and leadership-ready summary of findings, risk exposure, and recommended next steps — written for non-technical decision makers.
HOW LONG IT TAKES
Phase 0 is typically completed within 2–3 weeks from the intake call, depending on team size and the number of workflows in scope. There is no ongoing engagement required. You receive your deliverables, own them outright, and decide what comes next — with no obligation to continue with Neulinc.
INVESTMENT
For qualifying nonprofits and municipal departments, Phase 0 engagements are scoped with organizational capacity in mind. Start the conversation — we'll tell you honestly whether and how we can help.
WHO PHASE 0 IS FOR
Running critical operations on processes your team has outgrown — and need a clear picture of where the risk actually lives before committing to a larger engagement?
Funders asking harder questions about data governance and compliance? Phase 0 gives you the documentation and policy foundation to answer them.
Facing public accountability standards your current workflows weren't designed to meet? Phase 0 maps exactly where the gaps are — in a format your leadership and legal counsel can act on.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
We begin with a scoping call, conduct structured workflow mapping sessions with your team, perform a risk and gap analysis, and close with a deliverable review session where we walk your leadership through findings and the implementation roadmap. Most organizations complete the full engagement in 2–3 weeks.
Minimally. Workflow mapping sessions are structured and time-bounded. We work around your operational schedule. Most organizations complete Phase 0 with two to four hours of staff time across the entire engagement.
No. Phase 0 assesses your current environment as-is. Organizations at every technology maturity level — from spreadsheet-driven operations to partially automated workflows — benefit from the assessment. We meet you where you are.
That's a completely normal outcome. The roadmap is sequenced — it identifies what needs to happen first, second, and third. Some organizations begin with Digital Foundations work before any AI deployment. The assessment tells you what order makes sense for your specific environment.
Phase 0 is built for small to mid-sized organizations — typically those running $1M–$50M in annual revenue or equivalent operational scale, with workflows complex enough that a breakdown would have real consequences. If your team is making decisions with sensitive data, serving clients or beneficiaries under compliance obligations, or running processes that only a few people fully understand — you're in the right scope.
You receive your deliverables and decide what comes next. If you choose to continue with Neulinc, the roadmap becomes the foundation for implementation — no redundant discovery, no starting over. You leave with a complete picture of your risk posture and a concrete plan you can execute with confidence.
Phase 0
Start With What You Know.
Phase 0 gives you a complete picture of your operational risk before anything gets built. Fixed fee. No retainer. No obligation beyond the assessment.