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A small team around a meeting table, one standing to talk while the others listen

FDEs for workflow automation

Use cases / Workflow automation

Some processes touch many systems, several teams and an inbox. FDEs for workflow automation are forward deployed engineers who join your team, part of the week or for a fixed period, and automate one such process end to end. You tell us who you need. We send people who fit.

Send your requirement
  • No deposit to get started
  • Every requirement read by us
  • A best-fit shortlist, not a pile of CVs
  • One agreement, one invoice

Why automation projects stall

The happy path is easy the exceptions are the job

Workflow tools make the first steps look simple. Then come the exceptions: a missing field, a customer who replied by email instead of the form, an approval stuck with someone on leave. That is where most automation quietly hands the work back to a person.

A forward deployed engineer starts by mapping how the process really runs, exceptions included. They automate what is routine, use AI to read messy inputs, and give people a clear queue for the rest.

Tell us the role and the hours. We send you a shortlist of people who fit.

  • No deposit to get started
  • Every requirement read by us
  • A best-fit shortlist, not a pile of CVs
  • One agreement, one invoice
Send your requirement

What the work covers

What FDEs for workflow automation build

  • Process mapping Sitting with the people who run the process, writing down every step and exception, and agreeing which ones to automate first.
  • Cross-system orchestration Reliable steps across CRM, ERP, ticketing and email, with retries, safe reruns and a record of every run.
  • AI for messy inputs Reading emails, attachments and free-text forms into structured data, with confidence thresholds that send unclear cases to a person.
  • Exception queues One place where people see what needs a decision, with context attached, instead of digging through inboxes.

How hiring an engineer for your process works

  1. 01

    Send your requirement

    Tell us the one process, the team that runs it, the systems it touches and who signs it off. It is free, and there is no deposit.

  2. 02

    Get a shortlist

    We read every requirement ourselves and look for people who fit. Then we send a shortlist: each person's CV and a short note on why they fit.

  3. 03

    Talk to them and choose

    You talk to whoever you like and choose. Bring a real example of a case that goes wrong, and ask how they would handle it. You do not have to hire anyone.

  4. 04

    Pay only when someone starts

    One agreement and one invoice with us, on terms agreed in writing before anything starts. Talent never pays.

Constraints

Built to be trusted by the team that runs it

  • People talking at the far end of a long wooden meeting table in afternoon light
    Auditability Every automated decision is logged with its inputs, so anyone can see why a case went the way it did.
  • People talking at the far end of a long wooden meeting table in afternoon light
    Human approval Steps that move money, change contracts or contact customers in new ways keep a person approving them.
  • A man smiling across a table while a colleague in the foreground talks
    Failure handling When a system is down or an input is odd, the case goes to a queue. It never silently disappears.
  • A man smiling across a table while a colleague in the foreground talks
    Change management The team that runs the process helps design it, so the automation fits their work rather than fighting it.

Tell us the role and the hours. We send you a shortlist of people who fit.

  • No deposit to get started
  • Every requirement read by us
  • A best-fit shortlist, not a pile of CVs
  • One agreement, one invoice
Send your requirement

An automation vendor or a forward deployed engineer

RPA or automation vendor

  • Strong on screen-based bots and licensed platforms
  • Bots can break when a screen changes
  • Limited help with messy inputs
  • Ongoing licence and maintenance costs

Forward deployed engineer

  • Uses APIs first, screens only where needed
  • Adds AI for emails and documents
  • Builds exception queues people actually use
  • Hands over code and runbooks you own

For companies

Tell us who you need.

Send your requirement. It is free and there is no deposit. We read it ourselves and send you a shortlist of people who fit. You pay only when someone starts.

Send your requirement
  • No deposit to get started
  • Every requirement read by us
  • A best-fit shortlist, not a pile of CVs
  • One agreement, one invoice

Fees, how it works and related use cases

Get started

Tell us what you need.

Send your requirement. We send you a shortlist of senior leaders who fit. One agreement and one invoice, with the terms agreed in writing before anything starts.

  • No deposit to get started
  • Every requirement read by us
  • A best-fit shortlist, not a pile of CVs
  • One agreement, one invoice
Which side are you on?

Send your requirement

  • No deposit to get started
  • Every requirement read by us
  • A best-fit shortlist, not a pile of CVs
  • One agreement, one invoice

Apply to join

Talent never pays to apply, be shortlisted or be placed.

Availability, days per week

FAQ

Questions people ask

Should we use Zapier or a similar tool?

Where it fits. For simple steps these tools are fine. For processes with many exceptions or strict audit needs, the engineer usually writes code your team can test.

How do we choose which process to automate?

High volume, clear rules for most cases, and a team that wants it. Most companies can name one straight away.

What if the automation makes a mistake?

Confidence thresholds, approval steps and audit logs keep mistakes small and visible. Running it beside the manual process at first catches them before you rely on it.

Will people lose their jobs?

That is your decision, not ours. In practice, teams usually move time from retyping to the cases that need judgement.

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