Available for project and part-time work

AI, Automation
& Operational Data
Specialist
for NZ Industry

I take you from the problem to a working solution: business analysis first, then AI agents, automation and real-time reporting that remove manual work. End to end, from first workshop to measured results, for manufacturing, energy and health organisations in New Zealand.

Luis Silva, New Plymouth, New Zealand. 20+ years inside Powerco, Taranaki DHB, Methanex and Winstone Pulp, and builder of the AI products Semantic Robot and AIGuardU. I have done these roles for real. I am not learning your business on your budget.

Book a 30-Min Process Review See Proof
AI Agents Business Analysis LLM Apps & RAG Industrial AI Process Automation OSIsoft PI System Power BI Power Platform
How I Can Help

Remote-first, on-site when it matters. No junior staff, no subcontractors, no overhead. You get a senior practitioner from day one.

80%
Typical reduction in manual reporting time after BI implementation
20+
Years working inside NZ health, manufacturing and energy organisations
100%
Independent, no vendor relationships, no commissions, no bias
3
Specialist sectors with deep operational experience from the inside
Applied AI

AI Built, Not Just Advised

Half of New Zealand business leaders name AI as their biggest technology opportunity, yet many organisations are still stuck in trials (Datacom, 2026). Closing that gap takes someone who has shipped AI into the real world.

Semantic Robot

A semantic monitoring engine I built at eimprovers, licensed by parental control apps including FaceAlert. AI that understands meaning, running in commercial products.

AIGuardU

Founder. Real-time sentiment and concern analysis of children's AI conversations, designed privacy-first: content is analysed and discarded immediately, never stored.

Pilot to production

AI agents, LLM apps and RAG built with modern AI-assisted engineering, so you see a working solution quickly, then a hardened one your team can rely on.

AI Consulting Industrial AI on PI System Data
End-to-End Approach

From Problem to Production

One senior person accountable from the first workshop to measured results. No handoffs between analyst, architect and developer, so nothing gets lost in translation. Engage me for the whole journey, or for any single stage.

  1. 01

    Understand

    Business analysis first: stakeholder workshops, current-state process mapping and the real problem behind the request.

    You getProblem statement and current-state map
  2. 02

    Quantify

    Size the prize: what the current way of working costs, options compared, and ROI in terms a board can approve.

    You getBusiness case and prioritised options
  3. 03

    Design

    Requirements, data and solution design, choosing the right answer independently: AI, automation, reporting or simply a better process.

    You getRequirements and solution design
  4. 04

    Build

    Hands-on delivery of AI agents, automation, Power BI and integrations, using AI-assisted engineering to show working results early.

    You getWorking solution, tested on your data
  5. 05

    Embed

    Change support, training, documentation and handover, so your people actually use it and can run it.

    You getA solution your team owns
  6. 06

    Measure

    Track the benefits against the business case and improve whatever is not delivering.

    You getMeasured results
Start With a 30-Min Process Review Business Analysis
What I Do

Core
Capabilities

Not what I know in theory. What I have delivered inside operational organisations across health, manufacturing and energy in New Zealand.

AI Agents & LLM Applications

Outcome: AI that does real work in your operation, not just demos

Designing and building AI agents and LLM applications on your own data and systems, then taking them from pilot to production with the testing and guardrails real operations need.

  • Custom AI agents and AI-driven workflows
  • RAG: AI answers from your own documents, with sources
  • LLM apps on Claude and OpenAI models
  • AI connected to business and operational systems
  • Evaluation, guardrails and human review
AI consulting

Business Analysis

Outcome: projects that actually deliver what the business needs

Translating business problems into clear requirements so technology projects do not cost twice as much and deliver half of what was expected.

  • Requirements elicitation and documentation
  • Gap analysis and current-state mapping
  • User story development
  • Business case preparation
  • Stakeholder workshops and facilitation
Business analysis consulting

Business Intelligence & Reporting

Outcome: faster decisions, fewer errors, no more manual spreadsheets

Turning data your organisation already has into dashboards and reports that save hours every week and surface the information that actually drives decisions.

  • Power BI dashboard design and build
  • KPI definition and reporting frameworks
  • Data consolidation and modelling
  • Operational reporting automation
  • Executive reporting and board packs
Power BI consulting

Process Improvement

Outcome: reduced manual effort, lower operating cost, fewer errors

Identifying where manual work, duplication and inefficiency are costing you money or capacity, then redesigning and automating those processes practically.

  • End-to-end process mapping
  • Waste and bottleneck identification
  • Process redesign and optimisation
  • Automation opportunity assessment
  • Implementation and change support
Process automation consulting

Digital Transformation Advisory

Outcome: better technology decisions without the big firm overhead

Independent advice on what technology to implement, when and how. No vendor bias. If technology is not the answer, I will tell you that too.

  • Technology option evaluation
  • Vendor selection support
  • Implementation planning and oversight
  • Microsoft Power Platform advisory
  • Digital strategy development

Financial Modelling & Business Cases

Outcome: investment cases that hold up to board-level scrutiny

As a registered financial adviser with an engineering and technology background, I build business cases that quantify ROI in financial terms your leadership team can evaluate and approve.

  • Business case development
  • ROI and cost-benefit analysis
  • Total cost of ownership modelling
  • Financial projections and scenario analysis
  • Board and leadership presentation support
Proof

Results, Not Promises

These are the kinds of outcomes I deliver. Specific problems, practical solutions, measurable results.

Manufacturing: Petrochemical
Weekly reporting time cut from 12 hours to under 45 minutes
The Problem

Operations team spent a full day and a half each week manually compiling production data from multiple systems into spreadsheets for management reporting. Data was often inconsistent and decisions were made on information that was already 48 hours old.

What I Did

Connected OSIsoft PI System data to Power BI, built automated operational dashboards with live data, and eliminated the manual extraction and consolidation process entirely.

93% time saving
Health: District Health Board
Clinical reporting turnaround reduced from 5 days to same-day
The Problem

Clinical managers were waiting up to five working days for standard performance reports, relying on an IT team to manually extract and format data. By the time reports arrived, the operational window to act had often closed.

What I Did

Designed and built a self-service Power BI reporting environment connected directly to the clinical data warehouse, with role-based access so managers could view their own data on demand without IT involvement.

Same-day visibility
Energy: Electricity Distribution
Field team administration reduced by 6 hours per person per week
The Problem

Field technicians were spending significant time on manual job reporting, document retrieval and compliance paperwork, all on paper or through clunky legacy systems. Time on admin meant less time on the network.

What I Did

Implemented a Power Apps mobile solution integrated with SharePoint and the asset management system, giving field teams digital job cards, instant document access, and automated compliance capture on their devices.

6 hrs saved per person/week
Identify Your Biggest Automation Opportunity
Tools & Platforms

Technologies
I Work With

Not tools I have read about. Platforms I have configured, built on, integrated and deployed in real operational environments.

OSIsoft PI System

AVEVA PI: Operational Data Historian

Real-time and historical operational data collection, contextualisation and analytics. PI Data Archive, PI Asset Framework (AF), PI Vision, PI ProcessBook and PI Integrator. Deep manufacturing and energy deployment experience.

PI System consulting
Expert

Microsoft Power Platform

Power BI • Power Automate • Power Apps • Copilot Studio

End-to-end implementations including interactive dashboards, automated workflows, custom business applications and AI-powered agents. Microsoft Certified. Practical delivery across health, energy and manufacturing environments.

Power BI consulting   Automation consulting
Expert

Microsoft SharePoint

Intranet • Document Management • Collaboration

SharePoint Online architecture, intranet design and build, document management systems, governance frameworks, and integration with Power Platform and Teams. Deployed as the digital workplace backbone in health and utilities organisations.

Advanced

AI Agents & LLM Engineering

Claude • OpenAI • RAG • Copilot Studio • AI-Assisted Development

Building production AI, not just advising on it: custom agents, retrieval over company knowledge, LLM features inside business apps, and Microsoft 365 Copilot and Copilot Studio where Microsoft is the right fit. Creator of Semantic Robot and founder of AIGuardU.

AI consulting   Industrial AI
Advanced

System Integration

APIs • Data Pipelines • Middleware • ETL

Designing and implementing integrations between operational systems, business applications and data platforms. Including connecting OT data sources such as PI System to business intelligence platforms and enterprise systems.

Advanced

Microsoft 365 & Azure

Teams • Excel • SQL • Azure Data Services

Full Microsoft 365 platform expertise including Teams deployment, advanced Excel and Power Query modelling, SQL querying and reporting, and Azure cloud services for data and analytics workloads.

Advanced
Also experienced with
PI Vision PI Asset Framework PI Integrator Power Query DAX SQL REST APIs Microsoft Copilot Azure Logic Apps Dataverse Power Pages Excel VBA ETL Pipelines OSIsoft PI ProcessBook
Flexible by Design

Work With Me
Your Way

I fit around what your organisation actually needs. A few hours or a few months. A defined deliverable or ongoing support. We agree the scope and fee before any work begins.

Book a 30-Min Process Review
01
Most Common

Defined Project

Agreed deliverables, timeline and fixed fee. Could be a process review, requirements document, dashboard build or business case. You know exactly what you get and what it costs before we start.

Ideal for: organisations with a specific problem and no internal resource to solve it properly.

02
Ongoing

Part-Time Retainer

A set number of days per month, agreed in advance. Senior BI, analytics or process improvement capability without a permanent hire or big firm overhead.

Ideal for: SMEs needing regular analytical or advisory support on a lean budget.

03
Cover or Backfill

Short-Term Contract

Covering a gap during recruitment, leave or a transition. I step into BA, BI lead or process improvement roles quickly. No long onboarding because I have done these roles for real.

Ideal for: organisations mid-project that have lost a key resource.

04
Lightweight

Advisory Review

A structured review of a technology decision, business case or process before you commit significant money. High value, low overhead, no ongoing obligation.

Ideal for: leaders wanting a trusted second opinion before a significant decision.

Sector Knowledge

Sectors Where I Have
Worked From the Inside

Not theoretical. I have held senior operational and technology roles in these industries and understand their constraints, their politics, and their real problems.

Health

Clinical workflows, health data systems and reporting for DHBs and health organisations. I understand the compliance environment and the operational reality of health sector technology.

Experience: Taranaki District Health Board

Manufacturing

Operational data, production reporting, PI System and process automation in petrochemical and forestry environments. Comfortable with the operational complexity of industrial settings.

Experience: Methanex NZ | Winstone Pulp

Energy & Utilities

Asset management reporting, field operations data and digital workplace transformation in a large NZ lines company. Familiar with regulated infrastructure environments.

Experience: Powerco

Financial Services

Registered financial adviser background means I apply genuine financial rigour to business case development and investment analysis across all sectors I work in.

Experience: Registered Financial Adviser, NZ FMA
Why Work With Me
Specialists get paid more. I have chosen mine: applied AI, process automation and operational analytics for NZ industrial businesses.

I have held the roles I consult on. Business analyst, BI manager, process improvement lead. And I build AI products myself. I am not learning these disciplines by doing your work. I bring 20 years of operational experience, complete flexibility on engagement model, and a direct, no-nonsense approach to every project I take on. If I cannot genuinely help you, I will tell you.

Luis Silva, process automation and data consultant based in New Plymouth
Luis Silva
Senior Consultant, New Plymouth NZ
About

Luis Silva

Why Hire Luis Over a Cheaper Freelancer
I have done these roles for real, inside the organisations you work in
Sector-specific depth. Most generalist consultants learn your industry on your time. I spent years inside Powerco, TDHB, Methanex and Winstone Pulp before consulting. I already know how these organisations think, where they struggle, and what actually works.
Rare technical combination. OSIsoft PI System expertise is uncommon outside large engineering firms. Combined with hands-on AI engineering, Power Platform and SharePoint, the range of problems I can solve in one engagement is wider than most.
No overhead, no juniors. You engage me and you get me. Every hour is senior. No project managers adding cost, no juniors doing the actual work after a senior closes the deal.
Financial rigour built in. As a registered financial adviser I build business cases that quantify ROI in terms your board can approve, not just a list of technical benefits.
20+
Years in operational technology roles
4
Major NZ organisations worked inside
3
Specialist sectors with deep experience

My background spans Computer Science, Industrial Engineering, building AI products and financial advisory. I work on a part-time and project basis, taking on a small number of engagements at a time and giving each one genuine attention. If I take on your project, it gets done properly. If I cannot genuinely help you, I will tell you that before you spend a dollar.

Co-founder, eimprovers
Built Semantic Robot, a semantic monitoring engine licensed by parental control apps
Founder, AIGuardU
Privacy-first, real-time AI conversation monitoring for families
Computer Science & Industrial Engineering
Dual Bachelor's degrees, Chilean universities
Registered Financial Adviser
New Zealand Financial Markets Authority, FSP registered
Microsoft Certified: Power Platform
Power Platform Fundamentals, Microsoft Partner
NZTech Member
New Zealand Technology Industry Association
Business Intelligence & Digital
Powerco
Digital workplace transformation, analytics, field operations technology
Health Intelligence & Systems
Taranaki District Health Board
Clinical reporting, health data systems, digital workflow improvement
Operational Intelligence
Methanex New Zealand
OSIsoft PI System, operational reporting, analytical systems in petrochemical manufacturing
Process Automation
Winstone Pulp International
Process improvement and automation in pulp and timber manufacturing
Financial Advisory
Independent Practice, New Zealand
Registered financial adviser, financial modelling and investment analysis
Business Mentor
Business Mentors New Zealand
Mentoring founders and business owners across operations and strategy
FAQ

Common Questions

What does LS Consulting do?

LS Consulting helps New Zealand organisations remove manual work and get value from their data. That means AI agents and LLM applications, industrial AI on PI System data, process automation with Microsoft Power Platform, Power BI reporting and business analysis. Luis Silva delivers every engagement personally.

Do you build AI solutions, or just advise on them?

Both, and building is the difference. I built Semantic Robot, a semantic monitoring engine licensed by parental control apps, and founded AIGuardU, a privacy-first AI monitoring product. For clients I design and build AI agents, LLM applications and retrieval over your own documents, and take them from pilot to production.

Can you take a project from idea to delivery?

Yes. I work end to end: business analysis, business case, design, build, adoption and measuring the benefits. Because one person carries the project through every stage, nothing is lost between analysis and delivery. You can also engage me for a single stage, such as requirements or a business case.

How do you keep our data safe when using AI?

Solutions are designed so your data stays under your control: enterprise model agreements, only the minimum data sent to a model, access that mirrors your existing permissions, and people approving the decisions that matter. Privacy-first design is how I built AIGuardU.

Where are you based, and do you work outside Taranaki?

I am based in New Plymouth and work with organisations across New Zealand. Work is remote-first, and I come on-site when it genuinely helps the project.

How do you charge?

Defined projects have an agreed scope and a fixed fee before any work begins. Ongoing support is a part-time retainer of a set number of days per month. Short-term contracts and one-off advisory reviews are also available. You always know the cost before you commit.

Are you tied to any software vendor?

No. I am independent, with no vendor relationships and no commissions. Recommendations are based on what your organisation needs, starting with the tools you already own.

What size of organisation do you work with?

Both SMEs that need senior analytical or automation capability without a permanent hire, and larger health, energy and manufacturing organisations that need a specialist for a project, a backfill or a second opinion.

What happens in the 30-minute process review?

You describe the manual process, reporting problem or system gap that is costing your team time. I give you an honest view of whether and how it can be fixed. There is no commitment and no sales pitch.

Get in Touch

Book a 30-Min
Process Review

No commitment, no sales pitch. Tell me the bottleneck you are dealing with and I will tell you honestly whether and how I can help. Most people leave the first call with clarity on their biggest automation opportunity.

Email
[email protected]
Phone
+64 274 841 467
Location
New Plymouth, available nationwide
Response
Within one business day
Tell Me Your Biggest Bottleneck

Describe the manual process, reporting problem or system gap that is costing your team time or causing errors. I will respond within one business day with an honest assessment.

No obligation. No sales process. Just an honest conversation.

Message Received

I will be in touch within one business day.