Build the operating system your business needs
Most ecommerce brands spend more time and money running their systems than running their marketing. AI changes the economics of that. You can build a connected business system that fits the way you work — for a fraction of what off-the-shelf platforms cost.
The ratio is wrong
- 01 You build the administration layer first. You have to — you need to be able to serve customers before you can acquire them. But it creates a cost base in time and money that's hard to unwind.
- 02 When budgets tighten, demand generation is the first thing to slow down. Operations feels untouchable — cutting it creates immediate pressure on the people running the business.
- 03 So the administration layer never gets rationalised. The time and money stay locked in operations. The ratio sets in: more resource running the machine, less feeding it.
More spend on running the machine.
Less on feeding it.
I have watched this play out across ecommerce businesses for 25 years. The pattern is consistent. And for most of that time, there was no easy answer — proper operations cost money to build and money to run.
AI changes that. Nearly every administration function in your ecommerce business — PIM, DAM, CRM, MDM, P&L, inventory management — can be replaced with a tool built specifically for the way you work. Not a generic SaaS. Not an expensive integration project. A system you own, built in days, for near zero ongoing cost.
The real saving isn't just the platform subscription. It's the hours spent switching between systems, re-entering data, managing integrations, and training people on tools that don't quite fit. That is where the time goes. That is the overhead AI can collapse.
The constraint isn't budget or technical skill anymore. It's knowing what to build and in what order. That's what this programme is about.
A system, not a course
This is called a programme rather than a course because it's built to adapt. The tools, frameworks and sessions here reflect what's working now — and they'll change as the technology does. New tools are added as they're built and proven on real businesses. What's below is what exists today.
Each tool in the programme addresses a specific part of your business administration: product information, orders, margin, forecasting, creative, reporting. Think of these as the building blocks of your own connected system — your operating system, built for the way you work. You don't need all of them at once. Start where the pain is.
The tools are free. They get you 80% of the way there. The sessions exist for the other 20% — when you need someone to work through the specifics of your business with you, or when you're ready to move to a more advanced layer.
Built on a real business first
Every tool in this programme is built and used on my own brand before it reaches this page. philmckeith.art is my art business — limited edition prints, in-person shows, gallery consignment, Shopify. A real DTC brand with real commercial pressure.
Your business starts somewhere different. A fashion label starts with a material and a sample. A food brand starts with a recipe. Off-the-shelf platforms are built for the average — which means they fit no one precisely. The point is to identify where your product information originates and build the structure around that. Not around someone else's data model.
See philmckeith.art →WHAT ONE SYSTEM REPLACES
PIM V1 — WHAT IT COVERS
- Artworks LAYER 1
- Digital Masters LAYER 2
- Products + CoGS LAYER 3
- Variants LAYER 4
- Image Metadata DAM
- Certificates of Authenticity V2 — COMING
- Shopify Listing V3 — COMING
The tools
Start with what you need. Each tool is free to download or use. The programme expands as new tools are built and proven.
PRODUCT INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
A Google Sheets PIM built for philmckeith.art. Five tabs tracking artworks, digital masters, products, variants and image data — with CoGS, gross margin, gallery and wholesale pricing built in. Free to copy, no monthly cost. Your catalogue structure will look different. The methodology is the same.
MARKETING P&L
A trading-focused P&L that puts marketing spend and contribution margin front and centre. Built to make the case for marketing investment — and to show exactly what it returns.
WEEKLY TRADE PACK
A weekly trading report template covering revenue, margin, channel mix and key variances. The one document your whole team can work from every Monday morning.
DIGITAL ASSET MANAGEMENT
A lightweight DAM you run locally — no monthly fees, no upload limits, no platform lock-in. Your assets, your structure, your naming conventions.
Where are you starting from?
The tools get you most of the way there. Sessions are for when you need someone to work through the specifics with you — whether that's mapping your own OS, troubleshooting a set-up, or planning the next layer.
I WANT A WALKTHROUGH
You've seen the programme and want someone to take you through it end to end. What it is, what it means for your business, and where to start.
Register interest →I'VE STARTED — I HAVE QUESTIONS
You've downloaded a tool, had a go, and hit a wall. Or you want to make sure you're applying it correctly for your specific business.
Book a 1:1 session →I WANT TO LEARN THIS PROPERLY
You want to understand AI-assisted operations from the ground up — not just use a template but build the thinking that underpins it. A structured programme of sessions.
Get in touch →I'M READY FOR THE ADVANCED LAYER
You have the foundations. Now you want to automate, connect data sources, build predictive models, or deploy agents. This is where the GCP work begins.
Start that conversation →