👍 SMB · Field Services · Illustrative Scenario

Lead response: 6 hours
→ 8 minutes

A 12-technician HVAC and plumbing contractor was losing 40% of inbound leads to faster competitors. Leads came in via web form, phone voicemail, and text: routed to a shared inbox nobody owned. The Aizen Event redesigned the entire lead-to-quote workflow.

8m
Avg response time
3.2×
Close rate increase
$380K
Additional annual revenue
5wk
Assessment to live
Step 01 · Current State

The workflow before the Aizen Event

7 steps, siloed across people and systems. Web forms, voicemail, and texts landed in a shared inbox no one owned. Owner manually calculated quotes. 40% of leads lost before first contact. No follow-up process.

#
Workflow step
Avg. time
Performed by
01
Lead capture
Web form, voicemail, texts, referrals all land in shared Gmail inbox. No structure. Owner/manager checks 2x/day
check 2x
per day
Owner/Manager
02
Lead qualification
Manager reads each inquiry, decides if real lead vs. spam/out-of-area/outside scope. Manual per inquiry
6 min
per lead
Office Manager
03
Callback/response
Manager or owner calls back. Average delay: 6.2 hours. If no answer, no systematic follow-up
6.2 hrs
avg delay
Owner/Manager
04
Job scoping
On first contact, technician asks questions to estimate job type and complexity. Unstructured, varies by tech
20 min
per call
Technician
05
Quote generation
Owner manually calculates quote using mental math and experience. No standardized pricing sheet
25 min
per quote
Owner
06
Quote delivery
Quote emailed or texted manually. No tracking of whether viewed or accepted
5 min
per quote
Owner
07
Follow-up
No systematic follow-up. Owner may call once. Most lost leads never re-contacted
rarely
done
Owner
LEADS LOST (before contact)
40%
AVG RESPONSE TIME
6.2 hours
QUOTES FOLLOWED UP
5%
Step 02 · Aizen Event

Classifying every step.

In the Aizen Event, we map each workflow step to an AI type: Deterministic (rules with predictable output), Probabilistic (learned judgment), or Human Required. Classification drives build vs. defer decisions.

Step AI type Recommendation New state Time saved
01
Lead capture
Manual inbox checks
Deterministic Unified intake: all channels (form, SMS, missed call) route to single structured record in CRM. Auto-acknowledge within 90 seconds. ● Automated immediate
02
Lead qualification
Manual reading and scoring
Deterministic Rules matrix: service type + zip code + job value floor. Out-of-area and out-of-scope auto-declined with referral. Real leads scored and prioritized. ● Automated 6 min
03
Callback/response
6.2 hour avg delay
Probabilistic Immediate SMS with intake questions link. If no response in 10 min, auto-call from owner's number via AI voice. Warm leads queued for owner callback within 8 min. ● Augmented 6 hrs delay
04
Job scoping
Unstructured phone questions
Deterministic Structured intake form with conditional logic: service type → job-specific questions → photos requested. Replaces unstructured phone call for 70% of jobs. ● Augmented n/a
05
Quote generation
Manual calculation, 25 min
Deterministic Pricing matrix: service type × job complexity × parts lookup. Auto-generates quote draft for owner review. Owner approves in 2 min vs. 25 min calculation. ● Augmented 23 min
06
Quote delivery
Manual email/text, no tracking
Deterministic Auto-sends branded PDF quote with e-sign link. Tracks open status. SMS fallback if not opened in 2 hours. ● Automated 5 min
07
Follow-up
No system, rarely done
Deterministic If quote not accepted: Day 2 SMS check-in, Day 5 call queue, Day 10 final offer. Stops automatically on acceptance or decline. ● Automated ongoing
DeterministicRules-based, predictable output
ProbabilisticContextual judgment, human oversight required
Step 03 · Priority Matrix

What to build first. What to defer.

We plot each step by implementation complexity (X) against business impact (Y). Steps in the top-left are Quick Wins: start here. Top-right are Strategic Investments: build after wins are live.

QUICK WIN STRATEGIC INVESTMENT AUTOMATE LATER AVOID / HUMAN ONLY IMPLEMENTATION COMPLEXITY → BUSINESS IMPACT → 1 2 3 6 7 5 4 BUILD ORDER: 1,2,6,4 → 5,7 → 3
QUICK WIN (start here)
1
Lead capture

Low complexity, high impact. Unified CRM intake built in week 1.

2
Lead qualification

Rules-based, quick value. Integrated with capture.

6
Quote delivery

Deterministic with tracking. Week 2.

STRATEGIC INVESTMENT
3
AI response (callback)

Highest impact. Voice + SMS integration. Phase 2.

5
Quote engine

Requires pricing matrix. Medium build complexity. Phase 2.

7
Auto follow-up

High ROI. Sequential SMS + call queue. Phase 2.

Step 04 · New State

What happened to each step.

The redesigned workflow after the Aizen Event implementation. Every step shows the before design, what changed, and who now handles what.

01
Before
Lead capture
Web form, voicemail, texts, referrals in shared inbox. Owner/manager checks 2x/day. High miss rate.
● Automated
Unified structured intake
All channels (form, SMS, missed call) route to single CRM record. Auto-acknowledge customer within 90 seconds. Instant notification to owner. Zero leads slip through.
02
Before
Lead qualification
Manager manually reads each inquiry and decides if real. 6 min per lead, subjective.
● Automated
Automated rules-based scoring
Service type + zip code + job value floor automatically qualify. Out-of-area leads auto-declined with referral. Priority ranked by score. Eliminates manual review for ~92% of leads.
03
Before
Callback/response
Owner calls back when available. 6.2 hour average delay. No follow-up if no answer.
● Augmented
AI voice callback + SMS intake
Immediate SMS sent with intake questions link. If no response in 10 min, AI voice calls with owner's message offering callback. Warm leads routed to owner queue within 8 minutes. Captures 70% without phone call.
04
Before
Job scoping
Technician asks unstructured questions on call. 20 min, varies by tech.
● Augmented
Structured intake forms
Conditional logic form: select service type → get job-specific questions → request photos. 70% of jobs completed without phone call. For complex jobs, form pre-fills technician prep notes.
05
Before
Quote generation
Owner manually calculates quote from memory and experience. 25 min per quote.
● Augmented
Automated pricing matrix
Service type × job complexity × parts lookup generates quote draft automatically. Owner reviews and approves in 2 min. Consistent pricing. Quote quality improves, human time drops 92%.
06
Before
Quote delivery
Owner emails or texts quote manually. No tracking of opens or acceptance.
● Automated
Branded quote delivery + tracking
Auto-sends branded PDF via email with e-sign link. SMS sent simultaneously. Tracks open rate and signature status. SMS follow-up if not opened in 2 hours. Full visibility into quote lifecycle.
07
Before
Follow-up
No systematic follow-up. Owner may call once. 95% of declined quotes never contacted again.
● Automated
Sequential follow-up workflow
Day 2: SMS check-in. Day 5: call from owner (queued). Day 10: final offer SMS. Stops automatically on acceptance or decline. Recovers ~60% of previously lost deals.
Avg response time
8 minutes ↓ 6hr→8m
Quote acceptance rate
58% ↑ 31→58%
Step 05 · Investment & ROI

The numbers.

Build cost, deployment timeline, and three-year return: based on lead volume, job value, close rates, and measured follow-up effectiveness post-deployment.

Investment breakdown
Discovery sprint$8,500
Phase 1 build (capture + qualification + delivery)$22,000
Phase 2 build (AI response + quote engine + follow-up)$38,000
CRM integration & testing$9,000
Total investment$77,500
Year 1 additional revenue
$380K
Based on closing 40% more leads at average $2,800 job value. Conservative estimate from comparable HVAC contractors.
Payback period
2.4 mo
Full investment recovered within 2.4 months of live deployment (deployment at week 5 of engagement).
3-year cumulative ROI
$1.05M
Net of full investment. Assumes conservative 12% annual revenue growth and ongoing system maintenance at $18K/yr.
Secondary outcomes
Owner reclaimed 12 hrs/week from quote admin and follow-up
Follow-up rate improved from 5% to 94% of quotes
Quote acceptance rate increased from 31% to 58%
Lead response time became competitive with larger regional contractors
// Illustrative scenario note

This case study represents a composite of typical SMB field service workflow engagements. Metrics are based on observed industry benchmarks and comparable implementations. All investment figures are illustrative ranges based on the Otonmi service tiers.

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