The Process

How Consumer Core Solutions engagements work

Six steps from "let's talk" to "we're done." Same shape for every engagement — the audit, the QA build, the training build. Fixed fee, fixed timeline, no surprises.

The six-step process

Every engagement follows the same shape. Knowing the shape ahead of time eliminates the "what happens next" anxiety that makes most consulting feel opaque.

1
Week 0 · Free
Discovery call
A 30-minute conversation. No pitch, no commitment, no cost. We figure out together whether one of the engagements makes sense — or whether something else is the right next step.

What you get out of it

  • An honest read on what your actual problem is
  • A clear recommendation on which engagement (if any) fits
  • A follow-up summary email so you have something to reference
2
Within 24 hours of the call
Statement of Work
If we're a fit, you get a pre-filled SOW within 24 hours. It locks in scope, deliverables, timeline, fee, and payment terms. Signed electronically.

What's in the SOW

  • Scope of services + explicit out-of-scope items
  • Deliverables list (the actual artifacts you'll receive)
  • Week-by-week timeline
  • Total fee + payment schedule (50% on signing, 50% on delivery)
  • Confidentiality, IP, termination, governing law
3
1–2 weeks after signing
Kickoff
A 60-minute kickoff meeting with your team. We align on the data request, set the weekly working-session cadence, introduce stakeholders, and confirm the engagement plan.

What's set up at kickoff

  • Shared workspace (Google Drive, Notion, or SharePoint) for materials
  • Standing weekly working session (typically 45 minutes)
  • Data request document with target completion in 5 business days
  • Primary point of contact on your side and mine
4
Throughout the engagement
Working sessions
Weekly 45-minute working sessions to review progress, surface decisions, and adjust. Asynchronous communication between sessions (email or Slack) for quick questions. Risks and blockers get flagged the day they emerge, not on the next call.

What working sessions look like

  • 10 minutes: status against the week's plan
  • 25 minutes: substantive work — review drafts, make decisions
  • 10 minutes: next week's plan and anything blocking it
  • Notes captured in the shared workspace within 24 hours
5
Final week
Delivery
All deliverables finalized in the shared workspace. For the audit, that's the written report plus the executive presentation. For the builds, that's the program materials plus the train-the-trainer or handoff session with the person who'll own it after I step back.

What gets delivered

  • All artifacts in their final form (no draft watermark, no "TODO" placeholders)
  • Executive presentation or final review meeting
  • 30/60/90-day playbook so the program lives after handoff
  • Owner identified on your side — you don't end up with orphaned deliverables
6
After delivery
Handoff and step-back
The engagement ends when the deliverables are owned by your team and the final invoice is paid. No surprise add-ons, no creep into ongoing retainer territory. If you want a follow-up check-in 30/60/90 days out, that's available — but it's a separate, optional conversation, not the default.

What's available post-engagement

  • One-time 30-minute health-check call at 30, 60, or 90 days (free)
  • Ongoing Advisory monthly retainer (separate engagement, only if you want it)
  • Email access for clarifications (no charge for short questions)

Payment terms

Same payment structure for every engagement. No retainers, no hourly billing, no surprise scope-creep invoices.

On SOW Signing
50%
Due within 15 days of SOW execution
On Delivery
50%
Due within 15 days of final delivery
Net Terms
15
days from invoice date

Payment methods: ACH, wire transfer, or credit card via a secure payment link sent with each invoice.

Change orders: If you want to add scope mid-engagement, we quote it separately in writing before any work begins. There are no surprise charges added to the final invoice.

Early termination: Each SOW has a pro-rated termination schedule. If you need to stop the engagement, you pay only for the work-to-date based on the SOW's stated termination ladder.

What we commit to

Fixed fee, no surprises

The SOW locks in the total fee. No hourly billing, no surprise change orders, no "we ran over" invoices.

Fixed timeline

The engagement starts and ends on the dates we agree to. If we're going to miss, you hear about it the day we know, not at the end.

You own the deliverables

Upon final payment, the deliverables are yours. Your QA Lead owns the QA program. Your trainer owns the training program. We step back.

Honest read, always

If we find something material mid-engagement — a risk, a wrong assumption, a recommendation to stop — you hear it that day. We don't sit on findings to manage optics.

Confidentiality

Mutual NDA signed alongside the SOW. Your data, your interviews, your internal politics — none of it leaves the engagement.

No retention pressure

The engagement ends when it ends. We don't push for an extension you don't need. About 60% of clients return for a different engagement later; the rest go independently and that's fine.

Ready to start the conversation?

Book the 30-minute discovery call. Step one of the six-step process. No commitment, no cost, no pitch.

Book the Call