Fixed-fee automation audit
Automation audit: find out what to automate first, on which platform, and what it will cost
The automation audit is a fixed-fee engagement that maps your repeating processes, scores each one by hours saved and failure risk, recommends Make.com, Zapier or n8n per process with the reasons, and returns a written build plan with cost bands. It exists so you commit to a platform and a budget with evidence, not a sales pitch. Run by Prem Patel, Make Level 5 Expert, Make Silver Partner and Zapier Solution Partner.
If this is your week, you are in the right place
- Three people recommend three platforms and every one of them sells the platform they recommend.
- You have automations already and no idea what they cost, what they break or whether they should exist.
- The team lists 30 things to automate and nobody can say which five actually matter.
- A quote of "$8,000" arrived with no scope, so you cannot tell whether it is a bargain or a mistake.
What you get, in the order it happens
- Process inventory: every repeating workflow, who runs it, how long it takes, what breaks.
- Scoring: hours saved per month, failure cost, build effort, platform fit. Ranked.
- Platform decision per process: Make, Zapier or n8n, with the reason and the monthly running cost.
- Existing-automation review if you have one: credit or task waste, silent failures, single points of failure.
- Written build plan with cost bands and order of work. Yours to take to anyone, including us.
Packages and price bands
Fixed scope, quoted before work starts. Platform subscriptions are separate. Retainers are priced monthly.
| Package | Price | Timeline | Includes | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stack audit | Fixed fee, quoted after a 15 minute call | 5 to 7 working days | Up to 10 processes inventoried and scored, Platform decision per process, Written build plan with cost bands, 60 minute walkthrough call | Founders and ops leads deciding platform and budget before hiring anyone. |
| Scenario or Zap rescue audit | Fixed fee, quoted after a 15 minute call | 3 to 5 working days | Every existing scenario or Zap inventoried, Failure and waste report, Fix list ranked by risk, Credit or task cost projection | Teams whose automations already exist and already hurt. |
Proof, with the numbers attached
Verify the credentials in the Make partner directory and the Zapier partner directory, both list Nex Automations.
- Transportation invoice automationInvoice cycle cut by 77%, 30 days to 7 days, for a US logistics operator
- Real-time trading alerts< 2s alert latency from TradingView to Telegram and Discord
- Product catalog automation engineVendor messages become listed products with AI-written copy, no manual entry
Questions buyers ask before they hire
What is an automation audit?
An automation audit is a short, fixed-fee engagement that inventories the repeating processes in a business, scores them by hours saved and risk, decides which platform fits each one and returns a written build plan with cost bands. It replaces guesswork and vendor pitches with a document you own.
Make, Zapier or n8n: how do you decide?
Per process, on four things: monthly volume (Make and n8n win at volume), logic complexity (Make and n8n for branching, Zapier for linear flows), who maintains it (Zapier for non-technical teams) and app availability. The audit records the reason next to each decision so it can be challenged.
Is the audit biased towards Make because you are a Make partner?
The audit recommends Zapier and n8n regularly, and says "do not automate this" when the numbers do not justify it. Nex Automations is a partner on both Make and Zapier, and the build plan is written so any competent builder can execute it, which removes the incentive to steer.
What do I get at the end of the audit?
A written document: process inventory, scores, platform decisions with reasons, a review of any existing automations, and a build plan ordered by return with cost bands. Plus a 60 minute walkthrough call. If you go ahead with a build, the audit fee is credited against it.
How much does the automation audit cost?
It is a fixed fee quoted after a 15 minute call, because the price depends on how many processes and existing automations there are. The fee is credited against any build we do afterwards.
Can I do the audit myself?
You can inventory processes yourself and it is worth doing. What is hard to do from inside is the platform-fit and cost-band part, because it depends on knowing how each platform bills, fails and scales. The audit exists for that part.