Ops Quickie: AI isn't the threat. Flying blind is.
Ops Quickies – snackable episodes on tech, tools, and systems. 🍿Flat demand, tighter budgets, squeezed margins. And AI is adding uncertainty on top of it all. But the real risk? It’s flying blind. If you don’t know what’s profitable, where time’s going, or what’s around the corner, every decision is a gamble.In this Quickie, Harv lays out how visibility and control de-risk your business – and why data beats gut feel when markets wobble. When the foundations are tight, AI becomes an amplifier, not a threat. If you're wondering how to make your professional service business more resilient, this one's for you.
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How to Run Annual Planning Like a CFO (Even If You’re Not One) with Adam Cooper
Most teams treat annual planning like a spreadsheet exercise.Finance builds the numbers. Everyone else nods along. Then the plan gets filed away until next year.But real planning isn’t about producing a static budget – it’s about creating a rhythm that connects finance, operations, and delivery all year round.In this episode of The Handbook: The Ops Podcast, Harv sits down with Adam Cooper, founder of ACC Finance Solutions and host of The Fractional CFO Show, to unpack how finance can become your business’s operating rhythm – one that brings clarity, accountability, and foresight to every decision.Here’s what we cover:How to use finance as your sat nav, not your rear-view mirrorBuilding a monthly rhythm that links financials, KPIs, and team accountabilityCreating a planning cycle that goes beyond budgets – with scenarios, reforecasts, and 3 - 5 year goalsManaging cash flow and runway with discipline (and less stress)Why financial storytelling matters – and how it helps the whole business make smarter choicesIf your annual planning still feels like a finance ritual, this episode will help you reframe it as an operating plan for the year ahead – one that helps your team navigate, adapt, and grow with confidence.Additional Resources:👉🏽 Follow Adam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamfcooper/ 💰 Check out ACC Finance Solutions: https://www.accfinancesolutions.com/ 🎧 Listen to The Fractional CFO Show: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2275917/episodes 👨🏽 Follow Harv on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harvnagra/ 📈 Measure your business maturity and find out how to get to the next level: https://bit.ly/assess-business-maturity 📬 Stay up to date with regular ops insights. Subscribe to The Handbook: The Operations Newsletter: https://www.scoro.com/podcast/#handbook ➡️ This podcast is brought to you by Scoro, where you can manage your projects, resources and finances in a single system. Sign up for a free trial or a demo at https://scoro.com/demo – and for the VIP treatment, tell them Harv sent you.
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Ops Quickie: PSA vs ERP – Same Same...or Totally Different?
Ops Quickies – snackable episodes on tech, tools, and systems. 🍿So many acronyms, but what do they mean!? This one’s for anyone wondering: what’s the difference between a PSA and an ERP? And which one does your business actually need?Harv breaks down how both systems bring your operations together – but are built for completely different worlds. ERPs power product-based businesses with inventory, supply chains, and manufacturing. PSAs, like Scoro, are built for service businesses that sell time and expertise.If you’ve ever been told you “need an ERP” – this one’s worth a listen before you sign anything.And if you’ve got a question about ops tech, PSAs, or Scoro, drop Harv a message on LinkedIn. He might just turn it into the next Quickie.
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Beyond Experiments: What It Really Takes to Operationalize AI with Luke Alexander
AI has stopped being a side project – it’s rewriting the rules of how professional services businesses operate – and – stay competitive.Luke Alexander, Chief Digital & AI Officer at Four, has led an ambitious AI transformation in his business. From rolling out Microsoft Copilot across 300+ staff to launching client-facing AI services, Luke’s approach to embedding AI is bold, practical, and refreshingly human.In this episode, Luke and Harv unpack what it really takes to move from AI experiments to AI integration – and the leadership, structure, and mindset that make it work.Here’s what we dive into:• How Four operationalized AI across teams (and why fluency beats training)• The three categories of AI value – assistive, automated, and transformative• Why senior leadership buy-in is the single biggest success factor• How to overcome the “AI shame” still holding some teams back• The impact of AI on agency structures, staffing, and the future of junior rolesIf you’re still just experimenting with AI – but haven’t figured out how to truly embed it into the way you operate, this episode shows what that next stage looks like in practice — and what it demands from leadership.Additional Resources:👉🏽 Follow Luke on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lukealexander/ 4️⃣ Check out Four’s website: https://www.four.agency/ 👨🏽 Follow Harv on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harvnagra/ 📈 Measure your business maturity and find out how to get to the next level: https://bit.ly/assess-business-maturity 📬 Stay up to date with regular ops insights. Subscribe to The Handbook: The Operations Newsletter: https://www.scoro.com/podcast/#handbook ➡️ This podcast is brought to you by Scoro, where you can manage your projects, resources and finances in a single system. Sign up for a free trial or a demo at https://scoro.com/demo – and for the VIP treatment, tell them Harv sent you.
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Ops Quickie: MCP – the Missing Link Between Ops & AI?
Ops Quickies – snackable episodes on tech, tools, and systems. 🍿This one’s for anyone curious about the next big shift in how AI connects with the tools you already use: MCP. Model context protocol.Harv breaks down what it is (a universal connector for AI), why it matters for ops leaders, and how it could turn your favourite LLM into the control center for your business systems.He also shares how Scoro’s new MCP server unlocks practical (and pretty mind-blowing) use cases – like summarising client meetings straight into Scoro tasks, or pulling insights across Scoro, Slack, Gmail, and other tools in one prompt.MCP is brand new, but it’s going to change how we work. Tune in to get ahead of the curve.
Running a serviced based business, an agency or consultancy isn’t just about great client work. It’s about keeping everything behind the scenes running smoothly. That’s where The Handbook comes in. Our goal? To help you take your business to the next level of business maturity.This podcast is for operations and service-business leaders who are juggling it all – people, processes, finance, tech, and everything in between. Every other week, we dive deep into a specific challenge that businesses face as they grow in headcount and complexity. You'll get practical insights and real-world advice from experts who’ve been there, solved the problems, and know what works.If you’re looking for smarter ways to scale, streamline, and strengthen your business, you’re in the right place. Welcome to The Handbook community, your go-to guide for better business operations.And don’t forget to sign up for The Handbook newsletter – we’ll send you the key takeaways from each episode straight to your inbox: scoro.com/podcast/#handbook The Handbook: The Operations Podcast is brought to you by Scoro.
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