Automation Project Studio

Turn an automation problem into a decision-ready project before you talk to suppliers.

Describe the process. Innovation Peer identifies the likely technology path, the information still missing, preliminary economics, project risks, and what suppliers would need to evaluate it. Then speak to an Innovation Peer advisor to identify suppliers.

Or start from an example:

Free · Private · No supplier contact without approval.

By continuing you agree to the Terms · Preliminary planning only.

Quick security check

Why automation projects stall

Innovation Peer prepares the project before sourcing begins.

  • Unclear requirements

    Teams jump to technology options without a shared definition of the process, constraints, and success criteria.

  • Weak internal justification

    Sponsors lack preliminary economics, risk framing, and delivery requirements strong enough for internal review.

  • Premature supplier conversations

    Outreach starts before scope, missing inputs, and approval boundaries are ready—creating noisy, inconclusive quotes.

What gets built from your answers

Structured project outputs your team can review before supplier outreach.

  • Project Assessment

    Draft ready
    Pathway
    AMRs / AGVs
    Fit
    Promising — needs validation
    Priority gap
    Aisle / route map with clearances

  • Preliminary Economics

    Range estimate
    Budget class
    ~$250k–$500k CAD
    Labour allocation
    ~$95K/year logistics labour (illustrative)
    Stall / downtime
    ~$42K/year related cost (illustrative)

  • Project Definition

    In progress
    Scope
    AGV/AMR tote loops — warehouse to cells
    Constraints
    Mixed forklift traffic, pedestrian aisles
    Open items
    Route map + handoff stations

  • Supplier Scope Draft

    Internal only
    Roles
    AMR/AGV vendor, Systems integrator, WMS/MES liaison
    Handoff
    Customer-approved package
    Status
    Not shared externally yet

How It Works

Three commercial stages: automate the early project work, add human Advisor Review when you need judgment, then prepare supplier engagement only after you approve sharing.

Automated · Human-reviewed · Free to start

  • Automated

    Start an Automation Project: pathway classification, missing inputs, workspace, and preliminary planning outputs.

  • Human-reviewed

    Innovation Peer Advisor Review challenges assumptions, economics, and scoping gaps before supplier conversations.

  • Before suppliers

    Supplier engagement starts only after customer-approved scope — never via pay-to-rank placement.

Starting an Automation Project and requesting an initial project review are free. Additional project support may be scoped separately. Innovation Peer may receive compensation when a customer approves supplier engagement. Suppliers cannot pay to improve their ranking or bypass project-fit requirements.

  1. Stage 1Free to start

    Start an Automation Project

    Describe an open-ended process challenge. Innovation Peer classifies a likely pathway, identifies missing information, opens a project workspace, and drafts preliminary planning outputs.

    Automated
    Open-ended process description intake; Initial pathway classification; Missing information identification
    Human-reviewed
    No human review required to start — you stay in control of what happens next
    Assess My Process
  2. Stage 2Free for initial review

    Request Innovation Peer Advisor Review

    An Innovation Peer advisor reviews your project inputs, assumptions, and preliminary economics, identifies scoping gaps, and recommends the next project gate.

    Automated
    Structured project inputs and snapshot prepared in the workspace; Preliminary economics and readiness labels from rules-based calculations
    Human-reviewed
    Review of project inputs; Assumptions review; Preliminary economics review
    Request Advisor Review
  3. Stage 3After customer approval

    Prepare Supplier Engagement

    Only after you approve project scope: confirm required delivery roles, review supplier fit, clarify open questions, prepare comparable budgetary pricing, and support supplier evaluation — without pay-to-rank shortcuts.

    Automated
    Draft supplier-ready scope materials from the structured project record; Required delivery-role framing from pathway logic
    Human-reviewed
    Customer-approved project scope; Supplier-fit review; Clarification questions
    Start Project

Workspace progression inside the stages

Inside Automation Project Studio, work usually moves through these five gates — automation first, human review before supplier engagement.

  1. Gate 1

    Assess the Process

    Automated / rules · Start an Automation Project

    Decide whether the opportunity is worth deeper scoping.

  2. Gate 2

    Build the Baseline

    Automated / rules · Start an Automation Project

    Know what still blocks a credible internal review.

  3. Gate 3

    Test the Business Case

    Automated / rules · Start an Automation Project

    Judge whether capital planning should continue.

  4. Gate 4

    Request Advisor Review

    Human review · Request Innovation Peer Advisor Review

    Decide whether the project is ready for supplier preparation.

  5. Gate 5

    Prepare Supplier Engagement

    Human review · Prepare Supplier Engagement

    Enter supplier conversations with controlled information.

Human Advisor Review validates assumptions, readiness, risks, and economics when you want judgment — it is optional, free for an initial review, and does not contact suppliers without your approval.

Project outputs

Preliminary planning outputs for internal review — not final engineering, legal advice, or supplier quotes.

  • Automation Project Assessment

    Pathway fit, process framing, and early risks in one structured view.

  • Missing Information & Assumptions

    What is known, assumed, missing, or still needs validation.

  • Preliminary Project Economics

    Indicative ranges and planning inputs for internal justification.

  • Required Delivery Team

    Integrator, OEM, controls, safety, and other roles the project typically needs.

  • Validation & Readiness Checklist

    What to confirm on site before treating the project as supplier-ready.

  • Supplier-Ready Scope

    Customer-controlled package for approved supplier conversations.

All outputs remain preliminary planning artifacts until reviewed and approved for your next step.

Human Advisor Review

Farzad Amighi · Innovation Peer Advisor

Farzad Amighi works with industrial teams through Innovation Peer Advisor.

Innovation Peer is based in the Greater Toronto Area (Woodbridge, Ontario) and initially focused on Canadian industrial companies.

Automation Project Studio gives customers a structured way to start. Innovation Peer advisors help when the project needs human judgment.

What the review evaluates

  • Project scope and Technology Pathway fit
  • Assumptions and missing information
  • Readiness for internal or supplier-facing discussion
  • Preliminary risks and economics framing

What you receive

An advisor can help review the project scope, challenge assumptions, identify missing information, assess readiness, and prepare the project for supplier-facing discussion. When the customer approves, Innovation Peer can help present the opportunity to potential implementation partners for budgetary pricing and next-step conversations.

That means project data stays private by default. Supplier conversations do not happen automatically. The customer controls what is shared, when it is shared, and with whom.

Request a Project Review

Sample Automation Project

A curated AGV / AMR material-movement example from Automation Project Studio.

AMRs / AGVs

AGV tote replenishment — warehouse to production cells

Problem
Forklift and cart WIP tote moves between storage and production cells create ~18-minute waits, pedestrian conflict, and second-shift cell stalls.
Initial diagnosis
AMRs / AGVs & Internal Material Movement — Promising — needs validation.
Economics range
~$250k–$500k CAD
Key risk
Wi-Fi / fleet network coverage: Dead zones interrupt fleet coordination; coverage along every planned path and charging dock needs a plant walkdown before fleet sizing.
Decision enabled
Confirm whether phase-one AGV/AMR loops merit Advisor Review before any supplier outreach.
Documents started
  • Automation Project Snapshot
  • Missing information list
  • Preliminary economics class
  • Required delivery roles

Have a real automation project in mind? Innovation Peer can review your project and help plan the supplier engagement path.

Request Advisor ReviewContact Innovation Peer
Innovation Peer — Turn an Automation Problem into a Decision-Ready Project Before You Talk to Suppliers