shortdesk.IO
Service

An embedded automation function for businesses that need one.

A monthly retainer where we own the operational layer of your business. Not a few hours a month, but a strategic engagement, scoped per client, built and evolved over time.

6-monthMinimum commitment
ScopedPer engagement, per quarter
QuarterlyStrategic review + roadmap
What it is

When your business is complex enough that off-the-shelf products don't fit, we step in as the embedded automation team. We build, maintain, and evolve your workflows month over month, around the tools you already use.

Pricing is deliberately not published. The shape of every engagement is different; the right scope and tier comes out of the audit and the proposal conversation, not a checkout.

What you get

Defined monthly project plan, agreed in writing each month.
Build, maintenance, and optimisation of custom workflows.
Monthly delivery report with the metrics that matter for your business.
Quarterly strategic review (60 mins) with roadmap revision.
Slack channel access for day-to-day questions and ongoing direction.
Documentation of every workflow we own, written in plain language.

How the engagement runs

Monthly cadence, quarterly review, embedded rhythm.

Week 1

Discovery sprint

Deeper technical discovery, full tool stack documentation, access provisioning across every system, a written risk register of what could go wrong.

Weeks 2 to 4

First build sprint

The first agreed workflow goes live. Establishes rhythm and trust. Demonstrates value before the first invoice cycle ends.

Monthly

Plan, build, report

Week 1: project plan review for the month, in writing. Weeks 2 to 3: build and ship. Week 4: wrap up, deliver report, agree next month's plan.

Quarterly

Strategic review

60-min review. Roadmap revision for the next 90 days. Tier review. Renewal conversation at month 5 of every 6-month cycle.

Routing

Honest fit, in two columns.

Best fit if

  • Your audit revealed complexity our suites can't cover.
  • You treat automation as strategic, not tactical.
  • Your annual revenue is comfortably above £500k.
  • You've been burned by an agency before, so you know what bad scope looks like.

Not for

  • Anyone wanting hourly billing.
  • Multiple decision makers who don't agree on what they want.
  • Projects that should obviously sit on a Shortdesk suite.
  • Expectations of 24/7 availability.
FAQ

Common questions.

Why isn't there a starting price on the page?

Because the shape of every engagement is different and the wrong scope at the wrong price is worse than no engagement. The right answer comes out of the audit. If price-first matters more than fit, a suite is probably what you want.

How is this different from a Shortdesk suite?

Suites are productised: same workflows, same tools, same playbook, low cost, fast onboarding. Bespoke retainers are custom: your stack, your processes, your edge cases, scoped over time. The audit recommends one or the other based on what you actually need.

What's the commitment?

Six-month minimum, then monthly rolling. 60 days notice to cancel after the minimum. Real engagements take that long to compound; we don't pretend otherwise.

Who actually does the work?

We do, embedded. Bespoke retainers are not contracted out. The same team that wrote your audit writes your roadmap and runs your monthly cadence. We don't take on more retainers than we can keep running clean.

Can we migrate to a suite later?

Yes, and we'll suggest it if the work stabilises into something product-like. Your cost drops, our margin improves, retention goes up. The relationship is the asset, not the project.

Ready?

Let's talk.

Tell us the shape of the work, your rough budget, and what you've tried already. We'll come back inside one business day.