Managed Operations - One team, one system. VA, automation and CRM managed together
Assist IQ's managed operations service combines a trained virtual-assistant layer, Make.com automation and a live CRM into one done-for-you service for small businesses. We build the system, keep it running and report what it handled. The aim is simple: repeatable enquiries, follow-up and administration move without the owner manually joining every step.
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Who this is for
You are running a business of three to twenty people. You have tried to get organised with software before, and three months later the CRM is a mess of stale contacts and the follow-up sequence nobody maintains. Leads are falling through the gap between your inbox, your phone, and the spreadsheet that was meant to replace both.
You do not need more apps. You need someone to build a system that actually runs, and to stay and operate it instead of handing you a login and a training video.
This service is built for:
- Local service businesses (trades, clinics, letting agents, cleaning companies, salons) who are losing jobs to competitors who reply faster
- Owner-operators who are the business bottleneck, handling enquiries, chasing documents and updating the CRM themselves because there is nobody else to do it
- Businesses that have already bought the CRM and are not getting anywhere near the value from it
- Teams that want the outcome a part-time ops hire would produce, without adding a salary to the payroll
If you need a whole-business AI overhaul or a bespoke knowledge system built around your documents and records, that is the Business Operating System engagement. This service is the productised version: a defined operational layer, running from month one.
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What is included
| Component | What it does | How it runs |
|---|---|---|
| Virtual assistant layer | Handles enquiries, follow-up messages, qualification and basic admin on your behalf, 24 hours a day | AI operator configured to your voice and your processes |
| Automation backbone | Connects your tools so nothing gets dropped between systems: new lead fires follow-up, job complete fires review ask, missed call fires a text within 60 seconds | Built in Make.com, maintained and updated by us |
| CRM | Set up properly, kept clean and used as a live sales system rather than a contact graveyard | We configure, maintain and update it; you see the contacts and conversations |
| Missed-call text-back | Every missed call gets a personalised text response immediately, with a link to book or reply | CRM automation, firing on every missed call |
| Review collection | After a job is marked complete, the review request fires automatically, with a follow-up if there is no response in 48 hours | Make.com sequence, tuned per business |
| Weekly GBP posts | Your Google Business Profile stays active, which matters for both Google search and AI answer engines | Drafted and published by us on a set weekly schedule |
| Monthly attribution report | One page showing where your calls and enquiries came from that month | Sent to you by us; the churn defence |
This is not a list of features. It is the six automations that have the highest measurable impact on lead conversion and owner time, running as a managed service rather than a DIY toolkit.
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How it works
Step 1. AI Ops Review (£750, 45 minutes)
We look at how your business runs today: where leads come in, how follow-up happens, what gets dropped, and what the owner is spending time on that an operator could handle. We tell you honestly whether this service is the right fit, and if not, what would be.
Step 2. We configure your system
We build the automations, set up the agreed the CRM environment and configure the virtual-assistant layer to your voice, hours and processes. Timing depends on access, integrations, data and approval rules, so the written plan gives a realistic sequence for your business.
Step 3. We run it
From day one your follow-up is firing, your missed calls are being handled, and your CRM is being kept clean. You check the monthly report and approve anything that needs a human decision. The operator handles the rest.
The first meaningful change should be visible in the workflow itself: an enquiry acknowledged, a record updated or a follow-up triggered according to the agreed rule. The baseline and report show whether the system is actually moving work.
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Proof
ScottishWill is the clearest example of the method. It is a real Scottish will-writing service run on this same operating model: guided intake gathers what is needed, deterministic logic produces the legal document, and controlled automations move the case through checks and fulfilment. No LLM touches the legal document. That is not a managed-ops demo. It is a production business, and it demonstrates what a properly connected operating layer actually does.
HALO Intervention Services moved established paper-based well-intervention processes into electronic operations designed around proper completion, traceability and less manual effort. The same automation principles shaped its ISO 9001 and management system. Read the approved case study.
The combination Assist IQ foregrounds is VA handling plus automation plus a live CRM, all as one managed service. Buying those elements separately can leave a business with a freelancer, an automation nobody maintains and a CRM nobody updates. The value sits in making the three layers work together and giving the whole system an owner.
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Honest limits
This service is the right tool for a defined operational layer. It is not the right tool for every business, and we will tell you that on the first call.
It is not right for you if:
- Your main problem is that you do not have a product people want to buy. AI operations does not fix a demand problem.
- You need bespoke AI built around your documents, knowledge base, contracts or compliance records. That is the Business Operating System engagement, priced differently and scoped differently.
- You want a set of prompts and a login. That is a different service. This one is done-for-you, managed by us, ongoing.
- You are not willing to set aside 30 minutes per month to review the attribution report and approve any changes to your process. The system needs a human in the loop. That human is you.
We also will not promise you a guaranteed position in ChatGPT or Google. Nobody can promise that. If that is part of what you are hearing from other agencies, read about what AI visibility actually means and what it does not.
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Questions we get asked
What does it cost?
Managed operations is scoped around the role, systems, controls and ongoing support your business needs. We do not publish a generic monthly figure because a narrow receptionist workflow and a compliance-heavy operating system are not the same job. The £750 AI Ops Review produces the written scope and order of attack before any wider engagement is proposed.
For businesses whose needs go beyond the six core automations, for example a more complex intake workflow, a custom document handling sequence or integration with an industry-specific tool, we scope that as a separate build before quoting. Nothing bespoke gets added to the monthly fee without a conversation.
How is this different from hiring a virtual assistant?
A virtual assistant is a person who can apply judgment, build relationships and adapt to changing context. Managed AI operations handles defined, repeatable movement such as acknowledgements, reminders, record updates and routing. The two can work together: automation removes routine steps, while a VA or employee handles exceptions, sensitive conversations and decisions that need human understanding.
Do I need to know the CRM already?
No. We set up your sub-account, we maintain it, and we keep it as a live system rather than an admin burden. You will have a login and you can see everything that is happening, but you do not need to configure or maintain it yourself. The interface you will use day to day is your phone and your inbox. The operator handles the CRM layer.
What happens when something changes in my business?
You tell us. We update the system. Every client gets a monthly check-in where we review what is working, what has changed, and what needs updating. If something needs changing outside that cycle, you send a message and we handle it. The monthly retainer covers ongoing management, not just the initial build.
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Ready to see it working?
Book the £750 AI Ops Review. We will look at how your business runs today, identify the workflows most worth automating and provide a written plan showing whether this service is the right fit.
A real operational review of where you are, what the system would do and what should remain human.
Explore how the AI side of the system works on our AI Employees page, see what AI Receptionist looks like for inbound call and lead handling specifically, or read about AI Visibility if your main problem is that people are not finding you in the first place.
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Assist IQ is a trading name of PCMG Consulting Services Ltd, registered in Scotland (SC852814). Based at 5 St Murdochs Crescent, Arbroath, Angus, DD11 5DA. We serve businesses in Arbroath, Angus, Dundee, Aberdeen and across Scotland and the UK.
Related services: Home · AI Employees · AI Receptionist · AI Visibility · Proof and case studies
Tell us about your business
Tell us what keeps landing back on your desk. We’ll look at how the work really moves, where it gets stuck, and which part is worth fixing first.
The AI Ops Review is £750. It gives you a written plan, a clear order of attack, and an honest view of what should stay human.
No prep. No data handover. Start with the problem, not the software.