METHODWRIGHTQuestions
Frequently asked questions
The things people ask before a first conversation. If yours is not here, ask me directly.
What does MethodWright actually do?
I find the manual, repetitive work that fills the gaps between the systems a business already runs, measure what it costs, and rebuild it. In practice that means paper forms, shared spreadsheets, information re-entered by hand, and follow-up nobody owns.
Do you replace our existing software?
Usually not. Your core system generally handles the routine flow well, and what I build sits at the seam: capturing the exception cleanly, enriching it from information that already exists, and putting the result somewhere structured enough to report on. But if your system genuinely is the problem, I will tell you that too. I do not resell software and I do not implement replacement systems, so that recommendation costs me work rather than earning it. If someone tells you the answer is a new ERP, get a second opinion first.
What size business do you work with?
Roughly 20 to 250 employees. Above that, companies usually hire someone internally whose whole job is improving how work gets done. Below about 20 the engagement is usually shorter and tighter rather than off the table. Neither boundary is strict.
What industries do you work in?
The focus is manufacturing, wholesale and distribution, transportation and warehousing, construction and trades, and professional services. The industry matters less than the pattern: recurring manual work sitting between systems.
Do you work on site or remotely?
Both. On-site work runs roughly 200 driving miles from Corinth, Mississippi. Remote engagements are available nationwide. Some processes have to be watched in person; many do not.
What does a process assessment involve?
I follow the process with the people who actually run it, in the order it really happens. I time each step to produce a baseline. Then I compile where it stalls, backtracks, waits for a decision, or re-enters information that already exists, and write it up as a findings report you keep, whether or not you build anything with me afterward.
What if you find our process is already fine?
The report says so. A finding of “leave this alone” is a legitimate outcome, and I would rather deliver it than manufacture a project.
What does it cost?
Engagements are fixed scope and fixed price, quoted after a conversation about the specific process. I do not bill hourly, and I do not quote a number before understanding what the work actually is.
How long does an engagement take?
An assessment is usually days rather than months. A build depends entirely on scope. The documented procedure changes first and the software follows, so there is normally something usable well before the end.
What if I already know what needs fixing?
Then say so and we scope that directly. I call it a directed engagement, and you are not required to buy an assessment first. The only thing I keep is a short measurement of the current state before anything changes, usually about an hour, because without it neither of us can say afterward whether the build worked.
Which platforms do you build on?
Whatever you already license. Microsoft 365 and the Power Platform is where I am deepest, and Google Workspace and Zoho are both workable. Cloudflare covers the edge around a public-facing form or site rather than the build itself. Anything built runs in your tenant, on your licenses, holding your data. I do not introduce a platform you would have to buy and maintain without saying so first.
Have you worked in regulated or controlled environments?
Yes. A year of my federal service was spent inside a compliance function, accountable for keeping a building of more than a thousand people inside a mandatory training standard: controlled training material to distribute, proctored standards testing to administer, and an externally imposed requirement that was not negotiable. It is the most tightly governed environment I have worked in, and it shaped how I approach any process with a rule attached to it.
Can you work on a process that has to satisfy an auditor?
Those are often where the most waste sits, because nobody wants to touch a process with a regulator attached. The method does not change: the documented procedure changes first, the record trail stays intact, and every change has to survive being examined afterward. What I will not do is remove a step because it is inconvenient. If a requirement is real, the job is to satisfy it with less manual work, not to satisfy it less.
How do you handle our data?
Access is agreed in writing before work starts and limited to what the work requires. I am accustomed to handling sensitive operational data under controlled conditions and hold a cleared background.
What happens after I submit the questionnaire?
I read every submission myself and reply, normally within two business days. The next step is a twenty-minute conversation about one process. No presentation.
Who will I actually be working with?
Phillip Buse. MethodWright is a solo practice, so the person who assesses your process is the same person who builds the tool.
Still deciding?
Pick the process that irritates you most and bring nothing else. Twenty minutes is usually enough to tell whether there is anything worth doing.