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Back Forty StudioStart Project

Business Automation & Connected Systems

Less Busywork. Better Business.

We connect your business tools, automate repetitive work, and build systems that keep sales, customers, and operations moving. From follow up reminders to custom workflows, we help your team spend less time managing the process and more time doing the work.

Discuss Your WorkflowExplore Our Services

Built around your business. Connected to the tools you use.

One process. Clear ownership. Connected action.

01Trigger
02Business rules
03Action
04Human review

Operational Problems

The Work Between The Work Adds Up.

Many businesses already have software for sales, accounting, scheduling, and customer management. Employees still spend hours connecting the pieces manually.

Customer inquiries sit in an inbox without a clear owner.

Employees enter the same information in several places.

Quotes go out without consistent follow up.

Teams chase updates through calls, texts, and spreadsheets.

Invoices and payment reminders require manual attention.

Orders or projects become overdue without anyone noticing.

Customer changes fail to reach the right department.

Owners assemble reports from several applications.

We look at where work slows down, where information gets lost, and what your team repeats every day. Then we build a practical system around the process.

Service Overview

Automation Built Around How Your Business Works.

The final scope depends on the process, the tools involved, and the level of ongoing responsibility required. Not every capability is included in every engagement.

Service 01

Sales and Customer Automation

Keep inquiries organized, follow ups consistent, and customers informed without requiring your team to manage every step manually.

A clearer path from the first inquiry to the next step.

Lead capture and routing

Collect inquiries from connected forms and channels, create or update customer records, and assign the next action to the appropriate person.

Sales and estimate follow up

Track outstanding estimates and proposals, schedule follow ups, and stop reminders when a customer responds or the opportunity is closed.

Appointment coordination

Connect scheduling, confirmations, reminders, and rescheduling so customers and employees have accurate information.

Customer communication

Prepare acknowledgments, status updates, and response drafts using approved templates and verified business information.

Client onboarding

Turn an approved proposal or confirmed order into a consistent onboarding process with tasks, document requests, and internal notifications.

Service 02

Business Operations Automation

Connect the processes behind daily operations so employees can act on issues sooner and spend less time checking systems manually.

Better visibility into what needs attention and who is responsible.

Invoice and payment workflows

Prepare invoices from approved records, track payment status, and coordinate reminders according to your business rules.

Order and fulfillment monitoring

Identify orders that need attention, notify the responsible team, and track exceptions until they are resolved.

Inventory and purchasing workflows

Monitor agreed stock thresholds, flag replenishment needs, and prepare purchasing recommendations for review.

Task routing and internal reminders

Assign work when a process reaches the next stage and notify the right person when an action is overdue.

Management reporting

Bring information from connected systems into scheduled reports that highlight activity, outstanding work, and exceptions.

Service 03

Custom Business Systems

When your process needs more than a standard integration, we build the tools and workflows that support how your business operates.

A system built around your process, with room to evolve.

Production and project tracking

Organize jobs, milestones, assignments, and verified progress across departments.

Change orders and approvals

Record requested changes, coordinate pricing and internal review, collect customer approval, and update the appropriate records.

Internal operations tools

Give employees a central place to manage tasks, exceptions, approvals, and information from connected platforms.

Customer and project portals

Provide controlled access to approved updates, documents, invoices, and outstanding decisions.

Connected workflows across departments

Coordinate sales, accounting, production, and customer service around a consistent set of records.

Practical Examples

What This Looks Like In Practice.

These scenarios illustrate how a connected workflow can move work forward. They are examples, not case studies or fixed packages.

An inquiry that gets followed up

Workflow 01 · Ready to run

  1. Trigger

    New Inquiry

    A customer completes the website form.

  2. Record

    Create Lead

    The contact and request are saved together.

  3. Response

    Send Reply

    An approved reply confirms the request arrived.

  4. Ownership

    Assign Follow Up

    The right employee receives the next action.

An order that needs attention

Workflow 02 · Ready to run

  1. Trigger

    Order Delayed

    An order passes its expected processing window.

  2. Check

    Review Status

    Approved holds and known exceptions are checked.

  3. Alert

    Notify Team

    Fulfillment receives a clear action notice.

  4. Outcome

    Resolve Order

    Shipment confirmation closes the alert.

A change during a custom build

Workflow 03 · Ready to run

  1. Trigger

    Change Requested

    A customer asks to change the approved work.

  2. Human Review

    Approve Change

    Pricing and feasibility go to the right person.

  3. Record

    Update Project

    The authorized decision is saved with the project.

  4. Outcome

    Release To Team

    Production receives the approved direction.

Every workflow is configured around the business, its actual tools, responsibilities, and approval requirements.

Connected Software

Your Tools Should Work Together.

A business does not always need to replace its software to improve its processes. We first evaluate what existing platforms can already do, then identify where integrations, automation, or custom development would add value.

If your current software already handles a process well, we build on it. Custom development is used where it adds practical value.

Familiar platforms we can evaluate

Shopify
QuickBooks
Google
HubSpot
Zapier
Xero
Ecommerce platforms
Customer relationship management systems
Accounting and invoicing software
Email and calendars
Forms and scheduling tools
Inventory and order management
Project and production software
Databases and spreadsheets

These are familiar examples, not a fixed integration list. Compatibility depends on the platform, permissions, subscription plan, and available data.

How We Work

Understand The Process. Build The Right System. Keep It Working.

A project can begin with one valuable workflow and expand later as the business learns what works and where the next constraint sits.

  1. 01

    Discovery and Workflow Review

    We learn how the process works today, who is involved, which tools are used, and where work gets delayed or repeated.

    Outcome: A clearly defined problem and an initial assessment of what is worth improving.

  2. 02

    Scope and System Plan

    We map the proposed workflow, identify required integrations, define approval points, and agree on what the system should do.

    Outcome: A defined scope, responsibilities, implementation cost, and ongoing support expectations.

  3. 03

    Build and Test

    We configure integrations and develop the workflow. Testing includes normal activity, missing information, duplicate events, and common failure conditions.

    Outcome: A working system reviewed against the agreed process.

  4. 04

    Launch and Team Handoff

    We introduce the system to the people using it, explain their responsibilities, and provide practical guidance.

    Outcome: Your team understands what happens automatically and when someone needs to act.

  5. 05

    Monitor and Improve

    Depending on the management agreement, we monitor workflow health, investigate failures, and make agreed improvements as the business changes.

    Outcome: An ongoing point of accountability for the system.

Human Control

Automation With Clear Oversight.

Automation supports responsible operations when ownership, permissions, approvals, and failure handling are clear.

  • Defined approval points for sensitive actions
  • Permissions appropriate to each connected system
  • Records of important workflow actions
  • Failure alerts and recovery procedures appropriate to the scope
  • Clear ownership when an employee needs to intervene
  • Monitoring and maintenance options
  • Testing before production use

Customer messages can use approved templates or require review, depending on the workflow.

Pricing changes, refunds, production changes, and other consequential actions receive approval requirements during planning. No system is free from failure or maintenance.

Business Fit

Is Automation A Good Fit For Your Business?

The strongest opportunities usually involve a repeatable process, a clear owner, and enough ongoing work to justify improving it.

  • Your team repeats the same administrative tasks every week.

  • Information moves manually between several systems.

  • Important follow ups depend on someone remembering.

  • Work passes between departments or employees.

  • Delays or missed updates create customer problems.

  • You have a defined process but struggle to manage it consistently.

  • Someone on your team can confirm how the process should work.

Sometimes the best first step is improving a process or configuring existing software. We help identify that before recommending a larger build. Not every process should be automated.

Investment

A Defined Implementation. Ongoing Support Where It Matters.

We scope the work around the problem, the expected value, and the level of ongoing responsibility required.

Initial implementation

Workflow discovery, system planning, integration, development, testing, and team handoff within an agreed scope.

Ongoing management

Monitoring, troubleshooting, maintenance, and an agreed level of support or workflow adjustments.

Software and usage

External software subscriptions and usage costs are identified during scoping, with billing responsibilities clearly defined.

What affects investment

  • Number of workflows
  • Platforms involved
  • Quality and accessibility of existing data
  • Complexity of business rules
  • Custom interface requirements
  • Transaction volume
  • Support and response requirements

FAQ

Practical Questions Before You Start.

What can be automated?

Repeatable tasks with clear triggers, rules, and accessible information are often suitable. Examples include routing inquiries, coordinating reminders, monitoring order exceptions, and assembling scheduled reports.

Do we need to replace our current software?

Usually we first evaluate the existing setup. Replacement is recommended only when the current tools cannot reasonably support the requirements.

Does every automation use AI?

No. Many workflows run on defined rules. AI can assist with interpreting text, summarizing information, organizing records, or preparing drafts when that adds practical value.

Can you work with our existing platforms?

Often, but compatibility is assessed during discovery based on available integrations, account permissions, subscription plans, and access to the required data.

Will our employees need training?

We provide guidance appropriate to the system and the people using it. Employees need to understand their responsibilities, approval points, and how exceptions are handled.

What happens if a workflow fails?

Failures are handled according to the system design and support agreement, with alerts, ownership, and recovery steps appropriate to the workflow.

Can we start with one process?

Yes. Starting with one clearly defined workflow is often a practical way to establish value before expanding.

How long does implementation take?

Timing depends on scope, integration access, process complexity, and client feedback. We establish a schedule after discovery and scoping.

Who owns the accounts and data?

Ownership, access, hosting, and handoff arrangements are documented in the engagement so responsibilities are clear before implementation.

How is success measured?

We agree on measures that fit the process, such as manual handling time, response time, unresolved exceptions, follow up completion, or reporting effort.

Automation Consultation

Tell Us Where The Work Gets Stuck.

Share a little about your business, the tools you use, and the process you want to improve. We will review the opportunity and help identify a practical next step.

You do not need a technical plan. Start with the problem.

Tell us where the work gets stuck.

You do not need a technical plan. Start with the problem.
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Start With The Process

Build A Better Way To Keep Work Moving.

Whether you need one process connected or a more complete business system, we will help you identify a practical place to start.

Discuss Your Workflow