Questions before the first workshop

No. The .life TLD is branding only — NOT a self-help, life-coaching or wellness brand, and "Narrative" does NOT mean we are a content / storytelling / media marketing agency. We are an AI robotics strategy and transformation advisory — feasibility and business case, robotics roadmap, technology selection, safety and compliance, and workforce change. We are not a robot retailer, not a course, and not a weapons maker — and we do NOT guarantee specific ROI, throughput or a hands-off factory. Safety-critical work follows recognized standards; people stay in the loop. "Narrative" means the automation roadmap story.

Integrators build and commission cells. We typically sit upstream — clarifying whether a cell should exist, in which phase, with what acceptance criteria, and which integrator fits your constraints. Some clients engage us through full deployment; others hand our roadmap and scorecards to their chosen integrator and stay self-directed. We do not markup integrator contracts or accept OEM referral fees that would bias vendor selection.

When technical validation is required, we partner with your integrator or recommend independent commissioning review — always disclosed, never hidden behind a preferred vendor list tied to commission.

Feasibility and business-case work typically runs C$45,000–C$85,000 per site cluster. Full roadmap packages range C$55,000–C$120,000; multi-site programmes C$95,000–C$180,000. Vendor selection support adds C$25,000–C$65,000 per cycle. Change enablement programmes run C$30,000–C$75,000. Monthly retainer advisory for ongoing roadmap governance runs C$8,500–C$18,000 depending on scope and meeting cadence.

All figures are indicative for budgeting conversations published 14 July 2026 — not binding quotes, not ROI guarantees, and not promises of vendor availability or regulatory approval timelines.

Our studio is in Montreal and a majority of engagements are Quebec manufacturers — Laval, Longueuil, Saint-Eustache, Eastern Townships, and greater Montreal industrial corridors feature heavily. We also serve clients elsewhere in Canada when the advisory scope fits. Bilingual deliverables (French and English) are available; several Quebec clients require French-first board materials and we plan accordingly from kickoff.

Retainer clients typically completed an initial roadmap and want quarterly governance — chairing leadership reviews, updating phase gates when capex shifts, and scoring new vendor approaches against the original criteria. Retainers define monthly advisor hours, response-time targets for email and call requests, and whether on-site days are included. Unused hours may roll forward one month per contract terms. Retainers do not replace integrator maintenance contracts; they govern strategic direction.

Contact form submissions require explicit, unchecked consent before we collect your name, email, and message. We process enquiry data under PIPEDA and, where applicable, Quebec's Act respecting the protection of personal information in the private sector (Law 25). Our Privacy Officer can be reached at [email protected]. During engagements we access client operational data only under contract, store it in Canada unless otherwise agreed, and return or destroy it per project terms. See our Privacy Policy for access, correction, and complaint procedures including the OPC and Commission d'accès à l'information du Québec.

No. We document assumptions, risks, and trade-offs so leadership decides with open eyes. Business cases use conservative modelling; we say so in writing. Safety advisory supports your internal leads and integrators against ISO 10218 and ISO/TS 15066 expectations — we are not a certification body and do not sign off on CNESST compliance. Workplace safety remains a shared responsibility. Vendor performance depends on execution we do not control after selection.

Yes — that is a core part of selection work. We attend with weighted score sheets, pre-read requirements, and permission to ask inconvenient integration questions. We are not there to cheer; we are there to record whether the demo matched the RFP or showcased a canned cell unlike your line. Demos are one input; reference checks and proposal review matter equally.

Food-equipment fabrication, metal fabrication, precision machining, plastics processing, and industrial distribution appear most often in our Quebec portfolio. The advisory method — assess, roadmap, select, change — transfers to other process industries where physical automation decisions stall in leadership debate. We decline engagements whose primary purpose is surveillance of individuals or weapons-related automation.

Single-site feasibility plus roadmap packages often take eight to twelve weeks including on-site walks, leadership interviews, and one revision cycle. Compressed timelines are possible when data access is fast and decision-makers share a calendar. Multi-site harmonisation adds weeks for metric alignment. We publish timeline assumptions in the proposal — not after the fact.

Come with the decision that loops — capex fighting operational pain, three vendors and no criteria, or a pilot that never reached production cadence. Useful context includes approximate revenue band, site count, shift structure, existing automation (if any), union presence, and whether bilingual materials are required. You do not need a polished slide deck; honest constraint description saves everyone time.