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ABOUT THE FIRM
Brian Coutu Consulting is a Rhode Island firm that helps small businesses and nonprofits improve how they operate and put AI to productive use. Based in Cranston, we work with organizations across the state, in person where it's useful.
Brian has spent more than 20 years where technology meets the everyday work of an organization. He started in customer service and systems support, and has since run technology for nonprofits and schools, advised small and midsize businesses as a consultant, and led CRM and customer-operations work for organizations that serve the public sector.
Along the way he learned what makes a change last: processes people can follow, systems that fit how the work actually happens, honest evaluation of vendors and advice, and respect for the privacy rules that come with health, education, and payment information. He has also seen projects go off track, and knows what it takes to step in and set them right.
He has been the person inside the organization who lives with a system long after the consultant leaves, the consultant responsible for delivering it, and the customer deciding whether it's worth the investment. That perspective shapes how the firm works: we look past the obvious symptom, focus on how the pieces fit together, and recommend changes your team can sustain.
WHY AI IS A MAJOR PART OF OUR PRACTICE
AI now gives small teams capabilities that used to require larger staff: preparing first drafts, organizing incoming information, summarizing feedback, and making internal knowledge easier to find. Used well, it frees people for work that needs their judgment.
Used carelessly, it creates new risks. Our role is to help you find where AI fits, test it on real work, set sensible guardrails, and get your team comfortable using it. The question we keep coming back to is simple: does this help the people doing the work?
Here are a few places we could start.
Identify where AI can do useful work, choose the right tools, pilot on a real task, and prepare your team to use it with confidence.
Map how work moves, remove duplicate effort, connect the systems you already pay for, and build focused tools where there's a real gap.
Clarify your message, manage inquiries and relationships consistently, and build reporting that shows what's working.
