$5M → $250M+ | 50-person project office
A council gearing up for cyclone recovery, staffed largely by new recruits. We designed core project processes and put every project process one click from the team. Delivered under budget.
Process, systems and AI. Designed, built and run.
Stop firefighting. Start running to plan.
We design the processes, systems and AI that make businesses and projects run smoothly, stay on spec, and stop leaking time and money.
Show me howTrusted by:
Member, New Zealand Defence Industry Association. Official Member, Engineering New Zealand. Business Associate, Aerospace New Zealand.
Problems we solve
You're still doing work software could do
Your best people spend hours moving data between systems that don't talk to each other. We use automation and AI workers to take that load off them and cut out the mistakes. It can start with getting more out of the AI tools you already pay for.
Everyone does the same job differently
When systems are disconnected, people invent their own workarounds. We design, map and optimise your business-critical processes so the job gets done right every time, whoever picks it up.
Your projects run late and over budget
We build the tools, dashboards and processes that keep projects on track, drawing live data from the systems you already run. And we can run the projects for you.
You need ISO certification and don't know where to start
We build quality, risk and information security systems that are built into how you work, not bolted on, and that stand up to the certification audit.
You cannot automate a broken process.
A bad process automated is just a faster bad process. We check and fix the foundation first, then build what runs on top of it.
Understand
We look at how the work actually gets done, not how the manual says it should, so we can see exactly where it breaks.
Plan
We agree what to fix first and what it's worth. You get an operational roadmap, not an IT wish list.
Build
Sometimes that means redesigning a broken process, sometimes a full management system, sometimes just automating something that already works well. We use the software you already have wherever possible.
Make it stick
We get it into daily use, keep it secure, and can stay on to run and improve it.
Who we work with
We work across sectors, with distinct services for engineering and construction, data centres and government. If you run a small business, start here.
SectorsProof and next steps
Hawke's Bay Regional Council
After Cyclone Gabrielle, a council that had managed up to $5M of infrastructure a year had to deliver NZ$250-300M of it, through a project office staffed almost entirely by new recruits.
We mapped the full project lifecycle and put every process one click away, inside software the council already used. Nothing new to buy, no manual to hunt through.
The engagement came in under budget, and the framework was built to be reused elsewhere in the council.
Read the full case study"Touchstone was able to see the wood for the trees and put together a clear and concise vision of our project lifecycle processes."
"Robert is very easy to work with. He quickly understood our challenges, identified business-relevant solutions, and distilled them into practical steps that provided a clear path forward for driving improvement."
Frequently asked questions
What size businesses do you work with?
From owner-operated businesses of five people to large enterprises and government agencies. The size changes what we build; it doesn't change how we approach it, always aiming for the simplest solution that works.
Do we need to buy new software?
Usually not. We work hard to get the most out of the systems you already run, most often Microsoft 365, and only recommend new tools when there's no sensible alternative.
Can you get us ISO certified?
We build the management system and get you ready for audit. The certificate itself is awarded by an accredited certification body, not by us.
Is our data safe if we use AI?
Security is designed in, not added afterwards. We are ISO 27001 Lead Implementer trained and place data handling at the core of the build rather than treating it as a separate conversation.
What's the difference between fixing a process and automating it?
Automation makes a process faster, not better. If the process is wrong, automating it just produces the wrong result more quickly. We check the foundation first, then automate what deserves it.
How does an engagement start?
We start with a free conversation to understand the problem you need solved and to determine whether we are the team to solve it. Then a short piece of work to understand how things run today and agree what to fix first. You get a roadmap before you commit to building anything.
Where do you work?
We have an office in Auckland and a presence in Australia.
Every business has one process that everyone quietly dreads. Tell us about yours.
Stop using your best people as bridges between systems. Let's find where your operations are leaking time and money.
Let's fix it