The process discovery and human–agent design layer of forward-deployed AI work
Forward deployed engineers are brought in to ship agents on real workflows. The most frequently skipped part of that job is finding out how the work actually gets done. That is the part I do.
Where I fit
I am not a forward deployed engineer and I do not build production multi-agent systems. I am a senior service designer with 15+ years inside complex enterprises. I partner with engineering teams so what they build rests on an accurate process map.
What I take on inside an FDE or AI transformation engagement
- The "human API". Interviews that surface tacit knowledge that is not written down anywhere.
- Reality maps. The multi-step, loop-heavy process, not the clean SOP.
- Four-bucket sorting. Delete, plain code, agentic or human-in-the-loop for every step.
- Agent definition. Scope, exception handling, human decision points and integration points with existing systems of record.
- Measurement. Cycle time, straight-through rate, cost per transaction and exception rate, before and after.
Ways to work together
Start with a Process Diagnostic on one workflow, commission an Agentic Prototype Definition, or bring me in as Embedded Process Support for the length of a larger programme. See all services.
Questions
What is a forward deployed engineer, and where do you fit?
A forward deployed engineer (FDE) embeds inside a client organisation to build and deploy AI agents on real workflows. I'm not an FDE and I don't build production agents. I'm a service designer who does the process discovery, redesign and measurement that forward-deployed work depends on, and I work alongside engineering teams.
Do you build the agents?
No. I define the agent's scope, exception handling, human decision points, success metrics and integration points with your existing systems of record, and hand over an engineer-ready specification. Your engineering team or partners build it.
What is human-in-the-loop design?
Deciding which steps an agent should never take alone, such as approvals, payments, negotiation and sign-off, and designing the handoff so a person can review, challenge and override. It is a service design problem as much as an engineering one.