Automation and Operations
Which processes to automate first: a simple scoring method
Score each process on hours, clarity, data readiness and risk, check payback, then automate the top one or two. Worked example and pass/fail test.
Workflow Automation
Automation Care and Build Plan
One new workflow or a block of change hours each month, with your existing automations watched and fixed when they break.
Once a team starts automating, the list of ideas keeps growing. Existing workflows also break when a tool or API changes. Automation Care and Build Plan handles both each month. We build one new workflow or spend 12 hours on changes. We also monitor up to 15 workflows and fix breakages. A monthly written report keeps the plan on track.
- One new workflow or 12 change hours every month
- Failure monitoring and alerts for up to 15 workflows
- Monthly written report on runs, failures and the next build
$1,775/mo
3-month minimum, paid upfront
Up and running in 10–20 working days
What it is
Automation Care and Build Plan is a monthly service for teams using Zapier, Make or n8n. Each month we build one new workflow of up to 12 steps across three systems, or spend 12 hours on changes. We also monitor up to 15 workflows, fix breakages and report back.
Why businesses buy it
Ordering each new automation separately means new scoping, a new checkout and a new wait every time. Meanwhile, the workflows you already rely on can stop working when a connected tool changes its API. Often nobody notices until a customer or colleague complains. This plan gives you a steady monthly rhythm instead. You keep a running list of processes to automate, and we work through it one month at a time. Failure alerts mean breakages are caught and fixed early. The monthly report shows runs, failures and estimated hours saved.
Problems this solves
Every new automation needs its own scoping and checkout
Each month includes one new workflow of up to 12 steps across three systems, or 12 change hours. You keep one running list of ideas, and we agree the next build together in writing each month.
Workflows break silently when a connected tool changes
Failure monitoring and alerts cover up to 15 of your existing workflows. When a tool or API change breaks one, we find the cause and fix it during business hours.
Nobody can say what the automations are actually doing
A monthly written report shows runs, failures, estimated hours saved and the next build. Your named owner replies with questions and approves the next build.
A good fit if
You keep finding new processes you want to automate.
You already run workflows in Zapier, Make or n8n that the business depends on.
Workflows have broken before when a tool or API changed, and nobody noticed for a while.
One person on your side can own the list of what to automate next.
Not the right fit if
You need one complex workflow built, then nothing more. See AI Multi-Step Workflow Automation.
You want to move your existing workflows to n8n first. See Zapier or Make to n8n Migration.
You are not yet sure which processes are worth automating. See AI and Automation Opportunity Audit.
You need a customer-facing AI agent, such as a chatbot or voice agent. See AI Voice Receptionist or AI Website Chatbot.
How it works
- Onboarding covers access to your automation platform and connected systems, and your list of processes to automate next.
- We set up failure monitoring and alerts for up to 15 of your existing workflows.
- Each month we build one new workflow of up to 12 steps, or spend 12 hours on changes. New work is tested end to end first.
- When a tool or API change breaks a monitored workflow, we fix it.
- Each month ends with a written report that proposes the next build for you to agree.
What you provide within 72 hours
Your portal lists these the moment you order. Delivery starts the working day after everything is in and your access is checked.
- Admin access by invite, or a key you control, to your Zapier, Make or n8n account.
- Access by invite, or a key you control, to each system the workflows connect to.
- One named owner who sets priorities and approves new workflows.
- A running list of the processes you want automated next.
The 72-hour rule. Send everything on your checklist, including access, within 72 hours of ordering so your build starts on time.
Timeline
Start
Order placed. Platform access, system access and your process list due within 72 hours.
Onboarding
Existing workflows reviewed and failure monitoring set up for up to 15.
Month 1
First new workflow built and tested, or change hours used on your priorities.
As needed
Breakages from tool or API changes fixed during business hours.
Month end
Written report, with the next build agreed in writing.
After month 3
The minimum term ends. Continue month to month, or cancel.
| Option | Delivery time | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | 10–20 working days | $5,325 |
What you receive at handover
- Each month: one new workflow of up to 12 steps, or 12 change hours
- Each month: failure monitoring and alerts for up to 15 workflows
- Each month: fixes for breakages caused by tool or API changes
- Each month: a written report and the next build agreed
- If you stop: every workflow stays in your own platform account, and you keep the reports
Expected benefits and how to measure them
- Helps your team keep automating without restarting a project each time
- Can catch failed workflows before customers or colleagues notice
- Gives a monthly view of runs, failures and estimated hours saved
- Workflow failures
- Count failed runs from your platform's run history and the monthly report, month on month.
- Time to fix a breakage
- Compare alert time with fix time in the monthly report against how long breakages went unnoticed before.
- Hours saved
- Use the estimate in each monthly report and check it against how long the task took by hand.
Before you start: Before onboarding, list your current workflows and any breakages in the last quarter. Note roughly how long each automated task took by hand.
These are things to track, not promised results. Outcomes depend on your data, your team and your market.
Running costs
You pay your own Zapier, Make or n8n plan and any AI model usage, such as OpenAI, directly to those providers. New workflows may add tasks or runs to your plan. We flag any likely increase in the monthly report before building.
Ask about running costsCustom requirements
Add a note at checkout if you need something specific. If it fits within the Scope Card it is simply included. If it goes beyond it, you get a written Change Quote within two working days, and that work starts only once you accept it, with its time added to your delivery date.
Request a custom versionHow billing works
There is no separate maintenance, because the plan itself monitors and fixes your workflows every month. The first three months are paid upfront, then it runs month to month. If you stop, every workflow stays in your own platform account and keeps running. You also keep the monthly reports.
$1,775/mo
The first 3 months ($5,325) are paid at checkout. After that it runs month to month and you can stop any month.
Ask a questionHow this compares
| Do it yourself | Hire a traditional agency | Upmark Labs | |
|---|---|---|---|
| New automations | Built by whoever has time, between other work | Scoped and quoted one project at a time | Ours builds one new workflow, or gives 12 change hours, every month |
| Breakages | Found when a customer or colleague complains | Fixed when you raise a ticket, often billed hourly | Ours monitors up to 15 workflows and fixes tool or API breakages |
| Reporting | Run history you check yourself | Varies by retainer | Ours sends a monthly report with runs, failures and estimated hours saved |
| Cost | Staff time, plus platform plans | A retainer quoted after discovery | Ours is one fixed monthly price with a three-month minimum |
Questions about this product
How do payment and the minimum term work for the Automation Care and Build Plan?
The plan is $1,775 a month. The first three months are paid upfront at checkout, covering onboarding and three months of builds, monitoring and reviews. After that it runs month to month, and you can cancel any month. Platform plans and AI model usage are paid separately to those providers.
What counts as one new workflow in the automation plan?
One workflow of up to 12 steps, connecting up to three systems, with up to one AI step. A workflow larger than that uses two months of build capacity. If you would rather not build something new that month, we spend up to 12 hours on changes to existing workflows instead.
Does unused build capacity roll over to the next month?
No. Each month's workflow or change hours must be used that month. To avoid losing capacity, keep your list of processes up to date. Agree the next build when you reply to the monthly report. If your owner is away, tell us early and we can plan around it.
Which automation platforms does the care plan cover?
Zapier, Make and n8n. We work inside your own account, so the workflows stay yours. New workflows can connect tools such as HubSpot, Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 and Slack. Each can include one AI step. Custom code beyond simple steps is quoted through a Change Quote.
What happens when a monitored workflow fails at night?
The failure alert is logged straight away, and we pick it up on the next business day. Emergency response outside business hours is not included. Where an overnight failure would cause real harm, we can add a fallback step. An example is an alert to your own on-call person.
Can the plan build a customer-facing AI chatbot or voice agent?
No. The plan covers back-office workflows across your existing tools. Customer-facing agents need their own testing, knowledge setup and channel work, so they are sold as separate products. See AI Website Chatbot or AI Voice Receptionist. Once one is live, the plan can automate the steps around it.
What happens to our workflows if we cancel the automation plan?
They stay in your own Zapier, Make or n8n account and keep running. You keep every monthly report. Monitoring and fixes stop when the plan ends, so make sure someone on your team knows where failure alerts arrive. You can restart the plan later if your list grows again.
Guides on this topic
All guides Keep automating, month after month
Order the Automation Care and Build Plan for a new workflow or change hours every month. Your existing automations are watched and fixed when tools change.
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