Hudson × Beam AI · July 8 2026
Beam AI's Approach to
AI Transformation
Andrew Baker · Head of AI Strategy
Overview
A structured AI transformation program — joint discovery, analysis, and implementation
AI-Driven
Hudson's knowledge, Beam's methodology
Hudson brings deep operational knowledge of its own processes. Beam brings AI deployment methodology and agent patterns from comparable RPO engagements. Week 1 is a joint effort — mapping where the opportunity concentrates.
Speed
Time-boxed with clear milestones
One week of joint discovery. Three weeks of analysis, demos, and implementation scoping. Each week has a defined output — no open-ended scoping phases.
Outcome-Based
ROI anchored in Hudson's own operational data
The return on investment is not a Beam projection — it is calculated from Hudson's own process data and confirmed transaction volumes. That is what makes it credible internally.
Focus Areas
Compliance & Risk and Finance & Billing offer the highest automation potential — immediately actionable based on RPO benchmarks
Outside-in view based on typical RPO operations. Validated with Andrew on Tuesday — scope confirmed and adjusted before Discovery Week is scheduled.
↑ Business Value
Assess Further
Operations
Priority Deployment
Compliance & Risk
Finance & Billing
Lower Priority
HR Operations
Quick Wins
Client / SLA Reporting
Low Readiness
← Automation Readiness →
High Readiness
Priority Department Business value Automation readiness Hypothetical workflows
Priority Deployment Compliance & Risk High High Right-to-work processing · Background check chasing · Reference verification · Regulatory document handling
Priority Deployment Finance & Billing High High Client invoice processing · Billing exception handling · Contractor payment approvals · AR/AP reconciliation
Quick Wins Client / SLA Reporting Medium High Weekly SLA dashboard compilation · Client performance reporting · Headcount & vacancy reporting
Assess Further Operations High Medium Candidate processing & status tracking · Interview scheduling · Offer management · ATS data management
Lower Priority HR Operations Medium Medium Contractor onboarding documentation · Payroll query management · Internal HR admin
The Engagement
A structured four-week program: Week 1 finds the number, Weeks 2–4 prove it
Week 1 · Joint
Discovery Week
Beam onsite. Structured interviews across all in-scope departments. End of Week 1: ranked opportunity register and pilot recommendation confirmed with Andrew.
Weeks 2–4 · Beam AI
Analysis → Build → Live
W2: full opportunity register, pilot confirmed, build starts. W3: agent in testing on real data. W4: agent live, KPI measured, value chain roadmap delivered. Timeline confirmed based on scope and data access.
Day 2 is the filter. Executive sessions cover all departments in one day. By end of Day 2, Beam and Andrew align on which 2–3 departments to go deep on. Effort concentrates on highest-signal functions — not spread equally across the org chart.
Day 1 · Setup
Orientation and data pull
Confirm scope, sponsors, system access. Pull inbox volumes, ATS data, existing reporting. Hypotheses ranked before first interview.
Day 2 · Broad pass
All departments — executive sessions
One 60-min session per function head. End of Day 2: decide which 2–3 departments to go deep on. Effort concentrates from here.
Days 3–4 · Deep dive
Priority departments only
L2 and L3 sessions for confirmed departments. Two parallel tracks. Pain points captured and scored same-day.
Day 5 · Synthesis
Executive readout
Morning: scoring and clustering. Afternoon: opportunity register presented — ranked, prioritised, and actionable.
W2 · Gap-fill
AI-assisted follow-up
Targeted voice sessions to remote teams not available onsite. 3–5 questions per person. Closes specific gaps from synthesis.
3Interview tiers
27–32Total sessions
5Departments
60 minMax per individual
Tier Participants Duration Format Sessions per dept Total (5 depts) Conducted by Primary output
L1 — Executive Function head per department 60 min 1:1 1 5 Human Strategic priorities, volume picture, hypothesis validation, L2 nominations
L2 — Process Manager 3–4 process owners and team leads 40 min 1:1 or pairs 3–4 12–15 Human Workflow detail, exception types, failure modes, undocumented workarounds
L3 — Operator 4–6 daily users 25 min Groups of 2–3 2–3 10–12 Human / AI async Ground-level process reality, time estimates, informal workarounds
Total 6–8 sessions 27–32 sessions AI async voice sessions deployed in W2 for remote teams and targeted gap-filling from Day 5 synthesis
The Roadmap
Five workflows across two departments represent the highest-value automation opportunities — scope and ROI confirmed from Hudson's own operational data in Week 1
Indicative structure based on RPO industry benchmarks. All figures confirmed and adjusted from Hudson's operational data during Discovery Week before any commitment is made. Assumptions: $25–35/hr fully-loaded ops staff cost, volumes based on comparable RPO firms at Hudson's scale.
Priority 1 departments — Compliance & Risk and Finance & Billing — account for the majority of the opportunity. Week 1 confirms whether the benchmark holds, and which workflows to build first.
# Workflow Department Vol. / week Manual hrs / week Est. annual FTE cost Build time Confidence
1 Right-to-work & compliance document processing Priority 1 Compliance & Risk ~500 docs ~165 hrs $215K 3 weeks High
2 Client invoice processing & billing exceptions Priority 1 Finance & Billing ~600 invoices ~150 hrs $195K 3 weeks High
3 Background check chasing & reference verification Priority 1 Compliance & Risk ~400 follow-ups ~80 hrs $104K 2 weeks High
4 Contractor payment & AR/AP approval routing Priority 1 Finance & Billing ~200 approvals ~50 hrs $65K 2 weeks High
5 Client SLA & KPI report compilation Quick Win Client / SLA Reporting ~12 reports ~48 hrs $62K 4 weeks Medium
Total — top 5 workflows ~1,712 / wk ~493 hrs / wk $641K
benchmark estimate
Confirmed and adjusted from Discovery Week — Hudson's number, not Beam's
Deliverables
From discovery to detailed implementation plan in four weeks — working demos by Week 3, full scope of work by Week 4
Week Deliverable What it contains
Week 1
Discovery
Discovery complete — all information collected Pain points captured across all in-scope departments. Interview output documented. Hypotheses validated or redirected. Initial opportunity ranking presented at end-of-week readout.
Week 2
Analysis
Process mapping, opportunity register & automation map Full process map per priority department. All pain points categorised, scored, and clustered. Automation opportunity map — top 12–18 workflows ranked by volume, FTE cost, and readiness. Automation map shows how workflows connect as an agent network.
Week 3
Demo & Build
Top 5 workflow demos — Top 3 in active development Working demos of the top 5 automation opportunities — built on Hudson's real data where access permits. Top 3 workflows confirmed with Hudson and moved into active development. Beam delivery team embedded.
Week 4
Implementation
Top 3 detailed concepts, scope of work & project plan Detailed implementation concept per top 3 workflow — agent architecture, integration requirements, HITL design, KPIs. Full scope of work with fixed deliverables and milestones. Project plan for phased rollout across remaining opportunity map.
To Begin
Three requirements to begin the engagement
01
Critical — gating item
The internal ops / shared-services owner
The person who owns back-office operations and budget day to day — not the client-side contacts already engaged. Without this name, Discovery Week cannot be scheduled.
02
Scope
Which departments are in
Working assumption: Compliance & Risk, Finance & Billing, Client / SLA Reporting, Operations, HR Operations. Confirm, remove, or add — scope may narrow to 2–3 based on Andrew's input.
03
Timing
When is Discovery Week
Two weeks notice to coordinate across function heads. What week in Q3 works?
The one non-negotiable output of today: a name — or a date by which Andrew will provide one. Everything else can be resolved by email. This cannot.
Immediate Next Steps
Actions from today
Hudson
  • Name the internal ops owner. The single output that matters today.
  • Confirm department scope. Add, remove, redirect. One email.
  • Simple data pull. Shared inbox volume, ATS pipeline volume, any existing MI reports. Standard exports — no API required.
  • Block Discovery Week. Once scope and owner confirmed, coordinate function heads for a 5-day window.
Beam AI
  • Refine hypotheses. Process hypothesis list built from RPO benchmarks and any data Hudson shares — done before Day 1.
  • Prepare interview schedule. L1, L2, L3 sessions sequenced and ready once scope confirmed.
  • Scope the pilot pattern. First workflow scoped from existing Beam patterns — configurable from Week 2.
  • Prepare prototype. Where data access permits, working demo on one Hudson process ready for Day 5.