Pain Landscape
Five Pressure Points to Surface
These are hypothesized pain points based on firm profile, industry data, and CIO mandate. The discovery call will confirm which resonate most strongly with Ellis.
Metric frame: Weeks to unified workflows vs. months of multi-platform management
Metric frame: Hours reclaimed per professional per week
Metric frame: % increase in billable utilization across service lines
Metric frame: Adoption rate and time-to-value as CIO performance proof
Metric frame: Adoption velocity vs. industry benchmarks (Top 20 firms)
Discovery
Call Framework & Discovery Questions
60-minute structure. Lead with empathy for the merger integration challenge. Ask, don't prescribe. Follow the pain signal.
Priority Discovery Questions
Pick 6-8 based on where the conversation goes. The category labels help you navigate on the fly.
Platform State
"How are the teams from LaPorte, BGC, and Prinzo currently collaborating? Same tools or different ecosystems?"
Surfaces the fragmentation reality. If they're on 3 different platforms, Workspace unification is the entry point.
Platform State
"What's the current Google Workspace license situation? Is Gemini Enterprise activated across all offices?"
Confirms our assumption about underutilization. If not activated, the opportunity is even larger.
Workflow Pain
"What are the top 3 tasks your professionals spend time on that they wish they didn't?"
Opens the door to admin burden. Let Ellis name the pain — it's more powerful when he says it.
Workflow Pain
"How does document collection from clients work today? What percentage of time goes to chasing?"
Document chase is the #1 workflow pain in accounting firms. Gemini in Gmail + Drive can auto-classify and flag missing items.
AI Readiness
"Has there been any formal AI training or enablement across the firm?"
If no — we're the first. If yes — we build on what exists. Either way, we calibrate.
AI Readiness
"Are people experimenting with AI tools individually? Which ones?"
Shadow AI usage signals demand without governance. Positions our enablement as the safe, managed alternative.
Strategic
"What are your top 3 technology priorities for the next 6 months?"
The answer shapes our entire proposal. If AI isn't in the top 3, we need to understand what is — and whether we can attach to it.
Strategic
"The Prinzo acquisition brought government tech consulting. Is building technology advisory as a revenue line part of your vision?"
Shows we did our homework. If yes, our capabilities serve both internal efficiency AND M&J's client-facing tech practice.
Measurement
"What would success look like for an AI enablement initiative — utilization rates, time savings, client satisfaction?"
Gets Ellis to define the win condition. We build our proposal around his answer.
Decision Process
"If this looked promising, what's your process for bringing in a partner? Who else would need to weigh in?"
Maps the decision chain. Essential for deal velocity — we need to know if managing partner approval is needed.
Engagement Framework
Proposed Approach: Assess → Pilot → Scale
Not a product pitch — an enablement partnership. We help M&J extract maximum value from the platform they already own.
Phase 1 — Assess (2-3 Weeks)
Utilization Audit & Pilot Design
- Audit current Workspace utilization across offices
- Interview 8-12 professionals across service lines
- Identify highest-impact groups for pilot deployment
- Map Gemini capabilities to M&J-specific workflows
Deliverable: Assessment Report + Pilot Design Document
Phase 2 — Pilot (4-6 Weeks)
Targeted Enablement Deployment
- Deploy Gemini enablement in 1-2 target groups
- Custom use-case playbooks (audit, tax, advisory, admin)
- Hands-on workshops — not slide-based training
- Weekly adoption check-ins and friction removal
Deliverable: Adoption Dashboard + Time Savings Report
Phase 3 — Scale (Ongoing)
Firm-Wide Expansion & Advanced Capabilities
- Expand from pilot to firm-wide based on proven results
- Advanced use cases: custom AI agents, workflow automation
- Quarterly optimization reviews and ROI reporting
- AI governance framework and policy support
Deliverable: Continuous ROI Reporting + Optimization Roadmap