Francis Lee brings 30 years of APAC operations management to AI adoption. The question is not what AI can do in theory — it is where in your specific workflow AI cuts time, error, or manual effort. That takes someone who has run operations, not just read about them.
That distinction matters when the work is designing AI agents for an operations team that has never touched a technical tool in their workflow. Francis does not need the client to explain what a packing line is, what a maintenance schedule looks like, or why a plant manager will not adopt a tool that adds complexity to an already pressured day. He already knows. That changes both what he designs and how he sells it.
His credentials: PMP, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, AI Agent Practitioner (SUTD & GSDC accredited), Certified Prompt Engineering (Agile Asia), MBA, BEng (Mechanical, NUS). His track record: three decades of operational roles across 15+ countries, a USD 1M+ pharma automation project, and a USD 1M+ Vietnam market opened from scratch in 9 months.
The operations leaders I work with have already been burned by a tech-first AI project. They are not sceptical of AI — they are sceptical of people who cannot explain what they are building in plain language.
Francis Lee · Managing Principal, Groundwork SolutionEach engagement type starts with the specific problem — not a predefined methodology. The form of the work follows from what the operation actually needs.
An AI agent built for a specific task in a specific workflow: document processing, reporting, customer-facing Q&A, internal knowledge retrieval, or procurement decision support. Francis runs the full cycle — discovery, design, build, and handover — with the operations team involved throughout, not just at the end.
A structured process audit for operations teams that know they have manual bottlenecks but are not sure where AI can help. Francis audits the current workflow, maps the friction points, identifies the highest-value automation candidates, and builds the implementation roadmap. No tools purchased until the map is clear.
Fixed-fee workshops designed for operations and management teams of 5 to 20 people. Not a lecture on AI — a structured session where the team works with AI tools on their actual problems and leaves with a specific recommendation, not a general awareness. Available across APAC and globally.
View workshop formats →All workshops are delivered in-person or remotely, depending on team location and preference. Francis travels across APAC for in-person engagements. Remote delivery is available for all three formats. Pricing is fixed-fee per workshop, agreed in advance — no day-rate ambiguity.
Not just advising on AI — building it. A live presentation on designing and deploying an AI Agent workflow.
Before any workshop or engagement, Francis uses a structured readiness assessment to determine where AI can realistically be applied — and where it cannot. This is the public version of that tool: 18 questions that give operations managers a clear picture of where they stand before committing to a technology initiative.
The checklist produces three outcomes: Ready to automate (book a discovery call), Getting there (download the Workflow Audit Template), or Start with the basics (attend a workshop). Each outcome comes with a specific recommended next step.
Developed from field use across manufacturing and operations clients globally.
What the checklist covers:
The starting point for every AI engagement is a specific process problem — not a general desire to "explore AI." What takes too long, generates errors, or requires more people than the task should need? Describe it, and Francis will tell you honestly whether AI is the right tool and what the engagement would look like.
Enquiries from any country. Based in Singapore, available across APAC and globally.
Francis is an active member of Singapore's growing AI practitioner network.
A community helping non-technical professionals build practical AI workflows into their daily work — without learning to code.
Visit AI Native Circle →A not-for-profit community offering free AI workflows, prompt templates, and practical guides for non-technical professionals.
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