Dylan LaValley Start a conversation
Business analysis, improvement & software training Missoula, MT / working anywhere

Make better decisions. Make work easier.

I help small businesses investigate a question, test a practical change, and put it to work. My background is in finance, operations and continuous improvement.

Start with a free fit conversation. We agree on a useful result, the checks and a fixed quote before paid work.

Let’s talk See a workflow example

How I can help.

Numbers to understand. Work to improve. A tool to put to use. You don’t need to know the solution before we talk.

Business Analysis & Improvement

Understand more.
Make better decisions.

When this helps

You need a clearer picture of your numbers, an answer to a business question, or a better way to get work done.

What we do

Investigate the question, map how work happens, compare options and define what would make a change worthwhile. Test or implement an improvement when that is the agreed scope.

What you leave with

  • A checked answer, decision brief or agreed practical improvement
  • Evidence, tradeoffs, success measures and limitations
  • A clear explanation and next steps you can use

For example: understanding product margins, improving a monthly report, or making job handoffs easier.

Talk through a business question

Software & AI Setup and Training

Make your tools
useful every day.

When this helps

You want to get more from a tool you have, or help choosing and using software or AI for specific tasks.

What we do

Investigate where people get stuck, choose useful tasks, configure the tool and test it with realistic examples. Help your team learn through practice.

What you leave with

  • The agreed setup or small working prototype
  • Templates, practice examples, and simple instructions
  • Normal and failure checks, practice and agreed follow-through

For example: using existing software features or reviewing AI-assisted drafts before sharing them.

Get help with a tool

A clear scope. A fixed quote. The free conversation checks fit. Substantive investigation is paid work. You receive deliverables, timing, acceptance checks and a price before committing. Ongoing support is optional.

Buy an assessment, a focused test, or implementation and training. An assessment can be the complete project. Major migrations and custom integrations receive a separate scope.

Less chasing.
A clearer process.

  • Trigger Request arrives by email Becomes a rule
  • Re-keying Attachment re-typed into the tracker AI-assisted
  • Wait Sits unnoticed in an inbox Becomes a rule
  • Decision Manager approves the exception Human owns it
  • System CRM updated by hand Becomes a rule
  • Chase Missing info, chase the customer AI-assisted
  • Copy Re-copied into a report sheet Becomes a rule
  • Judgment “Is this one in scope?” Someone decides Human owns it
Automatic rule AI-assisted Human judgment

Picture a customer asking for a quote. The details get copied between an inbox, a tracker and your team. We map the steps so you can see where work gets stuck.

Then we simplify the handoffs: software handles repeatable steps, AI can help prepare information, and your team keeps the decisions. This is an illustrated example, not a client result.

See one improvement
in action.

A customer asks for a quote. Watch the request move from an email to a clear next step. If their phone number is missing, the work pauses for your team to check it.

A scripted illustration, not a live customer system. No real customer information is used.

Illustrated workflow · fictional customer request
  1. Input Customer asks for a quote
  2. AI-assisted Organize the request details
  3. Rule Check name and contact details Missing phone number
  4. Team review when flagged Your team checks what’s missing Not needed, details are complete
  5. Rule Add the request to your job list
  6. Record Ready for your team to follow up

Choose an example to see what happens.

A clear next step.
A team that knows what to do.

For a real project, we agree on the change, test it with your team and show people how to use it. You keep a map of the process, any agreed setup, simple instructions and a named owner for follow-up.

A clear result.
A defined path.

Start at the stage that fits. Agree the result and its checks before work begins; continue only when the evidence supports the next step.

  1. 01

    Frame the question

    Use a free fit conversation to identify the goal, owner and constraints. Agree a scope, fixed quote and acceptance checks.

  2. 02

    Assess and decide

    Investigate the numbers or process. Compare options, costs and assumptions. A checked recommendation can be the whole project.

  3. 03

    Test the change

    If agreed, try a focused improvement or prototype. Check normal work, exceptions and the measure that matters.

  4. 04

    Put it to use

    Implement and train when included. Hand over usable materials, review responsibilities and the follow-through we agreed on.

Business first.
Practical by nature.

I’m Dylan LaValley, based in Missoula, Montana. My background is in finance, operations, and continuous improvement. I enjoy understanding how a business works and helping people put useful changes into practice.

We start with your goals, the people doing the work, and the tools you have. AI is one option when it helps.

A useful starting point:

  • A business question you want clearer numbers for
  • Something you want to make easier or more consistent
  • A tool you want your team to use better
  • A change you’re preparing for as the business grows
  • Someone on your team who can help try the improvement

You don’t need a technical brief or a finished diagnosis. We’ll talk through the situation, decide whether I can help, and agree on a manageable project.

Tell me what you have in mind

Fair questions.

What does it cost?

The first fit conversation is free. For paid work, I’ll propose a clear scope and fixed quote. You’ll know what’s included, the timing, and the price before committing. Any extra work is agreed separately.

Do we have to know exactly what needs fixing?

No. Bring a business question, a goal, a recurring difficulty, or a question about a tool. We’ll decide on a sensible starting point. An analysis or recommendation can be the whole project. If deeper investigation is needed, we can scope it as a separate paid engagement.

Do we need new software or AI?

No. We start with the tools and processes you have. Sometimes a clearer handoff or an unused software feature is enough. If a new tool would help, we discuss its cost and upkeep before choosing it.

What if our business already works well?

That’s a good starting point. You might want to make a task easier, help staff use a tool, or prepare for growth. We focus on the change you want while keeping what serves you well.

What would you need from our team?

Someone who knows the work, a few relevant examples, and time to try the change or practice with the tool. We agree on that involvement when we scope the project. For the first conversation, a non-confidential description is enough.

What happens after the project or training?

You keep the agreed analysis, setup, or materials, with guidance on how to use them. We define any follow-up in the proposed scope. Ongoing support is optional and agreed separately.

What would you like
to make easier?

Tell me what you’d like to understand about your numbers, what takes too much effort, or which tool you’d like help using. A few sentences are enough.

  1. 01Send a short description of what you have in mind.
  2. 02We have a free fit conversation to see whether I can help.
  3. 03If there’s a fit, you receive the deliverables, checks and fixed quote before committing.
Tell me what you’d like to make easier

Opens your email app. Please share a non-confidential description; there’s no need to send customer records or sensitive documents.

You can also email dylan.lavalley@gmail.com directly.