Every UK SME we talk to is leaking time to the same thing: humans re-keying data between tools that do not talk to each other. Orders copied from the website to the accounts package. Leads typed from the form into the CRM. Inventory reconciled by hand at 9 PM on a Sunday. A founder exporting CSVs every Monday morning and wondering why they are still working at 10 PM.
Done-for-you automation fixes that. We map the workflows, build the integrations (native where reliable, custom where not), deploy them on infrastructure you own, and maintain them so they keep running when the SaaS APIs change — which they always do.
What's included in a DFY automation engagement
The shape of a typical engagement. Every project is scoped individually — this is what we reach for by default.
Workflow audit
We watch you (or someone on the team) run the actual daily workflow and flag every manual step. Nothing gets automated until it is mapped.
Build on the right tool
n8n, Make, Zapier, or custom serverless — we pick based on volume, cost, and reliability. Not based on what is cool.
Custom integrations where off-the-shelf fails
When Zapier's "Shopify to Xero" connector corrupts VAT, we build a proper integration that does not.
Error handling & alerts
Every automation has retry logic, dead-letter queues and human alerting so silent failures do not cost you money.
Documentation & dashboards
One-page diagram of every automation, a dashboard showing runs/errors, and a written runbook for the team.
Ongoing maintenance option
APIs change. Integrations break. Optional monthly maintenance so somebody is on the hook to fix it fast.
Who this is for
- Founders watching their team re-key the same data between 3 or 4 tools every day.
- Businesses where "integration" currently means a CSV export, a VLOOKUP, and a prayer.
- Teams using Zapier for everything but paying more in monthly task fees than a proper build would cost outright.
- Operations managers who want automations they can actually trust, with alerts when something breaks.
How we build it
Workflow discovery
Screen share with whoever runs the process. We watch, take notes, and write it up. Output: a list of automations ranked by hours saved per week.
Scope & quote
Written scope with each automation broken out — you can pick all of them or just the highest-impact ones. Tailored quote per workflow.
Build & test
We build in a sandbox, run the automation on real historical data, and show you the before/after before it touches production.
Deploy & document
Automations go live, documentation lands in your team drive, and alerts are wired into email or Slack so failures are visible.
Typical engagement ranges
Honest ranges, not a rate card. Every SoftwareYeah quote is tailored in writing after a free discovery call — these are the bands most projects land in.
A single high-impact workflow — e.g. Shopify orders to Xero with correct VAT, or web form to CRM with scoring and alerting. Entry point for testing the approach.
Map the operations, build the full set together, wire up alerting and dashboards. The usual first engagement once a team is serious about automation.
Optional. APIs change, integrations break — we watch, alert and fix within the same working day. No lock-in contract.
Automation quotes are priced per workflow, not per hour. A "Shopify order to Xero invoice" automation is a very different job to a "lead from web form through CRM scoring to sales rep assignment" one. We scope and price each workflow individually so you can start with the highest-impact ones. See our DFY automation examples.
Frequently asked questions
Why pay a developer when Zapier exists? +
What automations give UK SMEs the biggest return? +
Do you build on n8n, Make or Zapier? +
What happens when an integration breaks because an API changed? +
Can you take over automations a previous developer built? +
Related services
Ready to talk about your project?
Free discovery call. Written scope and tailored quote within two working days. No lock-in contracts, ever.
Book a Free Discovery Call