Part of ESM Institute Programme in development
augment.by ESM Institute
The programme / In development

From useful experiments to a more capable business.

Begin with your ambition. Build confidence through real work. Use an ESM-informed method to improve, test and learn.

Find your starting pointRegister interest

Begin with the ambition.

What would make a worthwhile difference to your customers and your business? That question stays with you throughout the programme, even when the first exercise is small.

Augment yourself.

Provide context, ask better questions, check responses and retain responsibility for decisions.

Augment your work.

Understand and improve a recurring workflow. Clarify what people should own and where AI may help.

Augment your business.

Explore better customer experiences and new possibilities, then apply the method again with less support.

An ambition carried from the entrepreneur into the businessIllustrative journey: give customers more attention, ask better questions, build a repeatable workflow, and learn what creates value.ILLUSTRATIVE JOURNEYYOUR BUSINESS AMBITIONGive customers more personal attention.Reduce the work that gets in the way.1YourselfAsk better questions2Your workBuild a repeatable workflow3Your businessLearn what creates valueOne real challenge. A method you can use again.

The method you will practise.

The three stages describe growing capability. These eight steps describe the improvement cycle.

  1. 01

    Value

    Choose something worth improving.

    A one-page Value Brief.
  2. 02

    See

    Understand how work actually happens.

    Evidence of the current situation.
  3. 03

    Map

    Connect the work to the customer outcome.

    A simple value-stream map.
  4. 04

    Redesign

    Remove friction and clarify responsibilities.

    A better way of working to test.
  5. 05

    Deploy

    Try a bounded intervention with appropriate checks.

    A working intervention and operating card.
  6. 06

    Prove

    Check value, quality, effort and cost.

    An honest Value Scorecard.
  7. 07

    Learn

    Decide what to embed, improve, reconsider or stop.

    A recorded decision and lessons.
  8. 08

    Repeat

    Apply the method again with less help.

    A Business Augmentation Playbook.

What stays in the business?

A more capable entrepreneur, a tested way of working, an honest record of the evidence and a repeatable habit of improvement. A well-run experiment may establish that an intervention should be changed or stopped.

Pricing, delivery arrangements and support allowances remain to be confirmed. No external accreditation is claimed for this new programme.

The principles behind the method.

Focus on Value

Start with the outcome, not the tool.

Start Where You Are

Use the knowledge, experience and strengths you already have.

Progress Iteratively with Feedback

Try a bounded change, review and adjust.

Collaborate and Promote Visibility

Involve the people doing the work and share appropriate lessons.

Think and Work Holistically

Look at the whole customer journey, not an isolated task.

Keep It Simple

Remove unnecessary steps and tools.

Optimise and Automate

Simplify and improve before automating selectively.

A clear offer

One programme.
Room to keep improving.

The core programme

Guided learning, a bounded practical intervention, evidence review and supported application of the method again.

Optional membership

Continued Exchange participation and peer learning. The core programme is intended to stand on its own.

Further implementation

More complex integrations or additional rollouts would be scoped and agreed separately.

The delivery format, participant time commitment, programme fee, support allowance and responsibility for implementation will be explained before enrolment.

Your questions.

Do I need to be technical?

No coding or service-management qualification is required. You bring knowledge of your business and a willingness to try, check and improve.

Is this another course about AI tools?

The programme uses real business work as the learning environment. Tools support that work, but the aim is a repeatable ability to improve the business.

What happens if I already use AI?

Start from your current experience. The next step may be improving a shared workflow or measuring its value, rather than repeating introductory exercises.

Will you build everything for me?

The core programme is designed around a bounded intervention and a defined support allowance. More complex integration work will be scoped separately. The final package will make those boundaries clear before you commit.

Can I use confidential business information?

Information use depends on your tools, permissions and organisational requirements. Begin with fictional or approved material while those questions are resolved. Do not upload business documents to this public website.

Which AI tool do I need?

The method is not tied to one supplier. Tool choices need to fit the task, your permissions and the support agreed for your participation.

What does AI-native mean here?

A business that routinely considers, tests and improves how people and AI work together. It does not mean using AI everywhere or removing human judgement.

Is the programme available now?

The programme is in development. You can explore the approach and register interest when enquiries open. Pricing, delivery arrangements and included support will be explained before enrolment.

Is this an accredited qualification?

No external accreditation is claimed for this new programme. Any future assessment or accreditation arrangements will be described explicitly.

Do I have to continue with a subscription?

Continued Exchange membership is intended to be optional. The core programme must deliver its agreed scope without an additional purchase.

Find your starting point ↗Programme enquiry information