AI Automation for Owner-Operators

Grow Your Business
Without Growing Your Headcount.

Custom AI Automation Systems for Owner-Operators

Not a software subscription. Not a consulting engagement. A dedicated automation partner who builds what your business actually needs — and stays to make sure it works.

See What We'd Build for You →
2 Weeks
To a working prototype,
not months*
90 Days
Typical time to
measurable savings
20+ Yrs
Enterprise operations
experience behind every build

*When client systems and data are accessible

Jack Berkery spent 20 years inside the companies that set the operational standard. He built Adapted Machine because smaller companies deserve the same systems.

Industries Jack has worked in
Healthcare Life Sciences Digital Health Water Management Consumer Goods Hospitality Health IT
Our Mission

We exist to give owner-operators the operational edge that used to belong only to the enterprise.

Most automation tools are built for companies with IT departments, implementation budgets, and dedicated software teams. You don't have that — and you shouldn't need it.

You built a business that works because you made it work. Adapted Machine automates business operations without hiring — AI systems that fit how you already operate, connect to the tools you already use, and run without a team to manage them. You get the leverage. You keep the control.

We believe every founder deserves the same operational leverage as the Fortune 500.

We believe automation should fit your business — not require you to rebuild your business to fit the software.

We believe the companies that will win the next decade aren't the biggest ones. They're the most adapted ones.

The Problem

You're Caught Between Systems
That Don't Fit

Too Small for Enterprise Consulting

Enterprise consultants won't touch you. Boutique firms give you frameworks, not solutions.

Too Complex for Off-the-Shelf

Off-the-shelf tools break the moment your workflow has real nuance. You hit the ceiling in 30 days.

Too Lean to Hire Your Way Out

Another FTE adds overhead, benefits, management. And they still can't automate the work.

How It Works

Custom Automation That Actually Works — In Weeks, Not Months

1

Step 1: Diagnose — Find the Bottleneck

We map exactly how your work gets done today — every decision point, every exception, every workaround. Not your ideal process. Your real one.

2

Step 2: Build — Custom to Your Operations

Using AI-native tools, we build custom automation tailored to your business. Working prototype in days, not months.

3

Step 3: Operate — Running From Day One

We maintain, monitor, and evolve your systems as your business grows. Every engagement follows a build-then-subscribe model: a fixed build fee to get you to production, then a monthly subscription so the system keeps improving as your business does. You get a partner, not a vendor.

Built For

Real Results for Real Businesses

Results from initial client engagements. Individual outcomes vary based on system complexity, data quality, and organizational readiness.

Consulting

Payment Reconciliation Automation — Regional Consulting Firm

Automated a complex payment reconciliation process running biweekly. Hours of manual work eliminated every cycle — no more errors, no more late nights.

Hours of manual work eliminated
Electrical

Timesheet Automation — Specialty Electrical Contractor

Automated timesheet processing across multiple job classifications and pay structures. What used to take hours of reconciliation now runs without a single manual touchpoint.

Zero manual entry
Property Services

Property Tax Appeal Automation — Commercial Property Services

Built a full property tax appeal workflow — intake to filing to status tracking — in under two weeks. A process that required constant oversight now runs end-to-end.

Full workflow built in under 2 weeks
How We Work

What Makes Us Different

We Learn Before We Build

We map how the business actually operates before we write a line of code. Not the idealized version — the real one, with every exception and workaround included.

Your Problem Wins. Every Time.

We don't build impressive systems. We build systems that solve your actual problem. When those two things conflict, you win.

Fast Isn't Reckless. It's Proof.

When we scope, build, and deploy in days, you learn something true about us: we understood your problem. Speed is how we prove it.

We Deliver What We Promise

What we promise and what we deliver must match — in how we scope, how we communicate, how we handle a problem at 11 PM. No gap.

We Don't Deliver and Disappear

The relationship deepens over time. Every engagement teaches us something that makes the next build faster and every future client better served.

We Say What's True, Not What's Easy

We tell you what's true, not what you want to hear. The question we don't want to ask is usually the most important one.

Investment

What Does This Actually Cost?

For a $10M business, a monthly retainer with Adapted Machine costs less than a single mid-level hire — with none of the overhead, benefits, or management time. Most clients see measurable time savings within 90 days.

The Honest Comparison
Mid-level hire (fully loaded) $100K+/yr
Benefits & overhead 30–40% on top
Time to real productivity 3–6 months
Can they automate the work? Probably not
Adapted Machine retainer Less. A lot less.
Most clients see measurable results within 90 days.
Jack Berkery, founder of Adapted Machine, AI automation consultant
Jack Berkery
Founder & Chief Architect
About

Built by Someone Who's Been in Your Seat

Adapted Machine is a Chicago-based AI automation company founded by Jack Berkery. We work as a process automation consultant for founder-led companies that have outgrown off-the-shelf tools — designing and building custom AI systems that fit how your business actually operates, not the other way around. Adapted Machine has delivered automation systems across healthcare operations, electrical contracting, professional services, and commercial property management. The firm's Diagnose-Build-Operate methodology delivers working prototypes in days, not months.

Jack Berkery has spent 20+ years running operations, sales, and technology at companies ranging from $10M to $12B. He's been the person in the room when enterprise systems worked — and when they didn't.

He built Adapted Machine because he knew founder-led companies deserved better tools. Not someday. Now.

President, LiquiTech CEO, Doctors Plastic Surgery CSO, EMOPTI SVP, Intelligent Medical Objects Wolters Kluwer Health Hearst Health Kellogg MBA · Northwestern BA Economics · UCLA
FAQ

Common Questions

What is custom AI automation? +

Custom AI automation is the process of building AI-powered systems designed specifically around how your business operates — rather than forcing your operations to conform to off-the-shelf software. Adapted Machine builds these systems for owner-operators.

Who is Adapted Machine for? +

Adapted Machine works with owner-operators — businesses where the people running day-to-day operations feel the inefficiency directly and have the authority to fix it. If you've outgrown off-the-shelf tools but don't have the budget or need for enterprise consulting, you're the right fit. Industries include healthcare, professional services, specialty trades, and property management.

How long does it take to build a custom AI system? +

Most clients see a working prototype within two weeks. Full deployment varies by complexity, but Adapted Machine is built for speed — our three-step process (Diagnose, Build, Operate) gets you to production faster than traditional consulting.

What makes Adapted Machine different from tools like Zapier or Make? +

Zapier and Make are templates. Adapted Machine builds custom systems from scratch that fit exactly how your business works today — your data, your logic, your edge cases. No workarounds, no shoehorning.

How much does custom AI automation cost? +

Pricing varies based on scope and complexity. Adapted Machine offers a free diagnostic to identify your highest-impact bottleneck before any engagement begins. Contact Jack directly to discuss your situation.

How is an engagement structured? +

Every Adapted Machine engagement follows a build-then-subscribe model. A fixed build fee covers scoping, design, and delivery — paid in milestones tied to real progress, not time. Once your system is live, a monthly subscription covers ongoing maintenance, monitoring, and continuous improvement as your business evolves. There are no one-time project engagements — the subscription is where the relationship deepens and the system earns its keep.

What industries does Adapted Machine serve? +

Adapted Machine has delivered systems in healthcare, life sciences, digital health, professional services, electrical contracting, commercial property management, and consumer goods — any owner-operator with operational complexity that off-the-shelf tools cannot handle.

What is the Diagnose-Build-Operate process? +

Diagnose identifies your highest-impact bottleneck. Build creates a custom AI system specific to your operations. Operate ensures the system runs reliably from day one with ongoing support.

Is Adapted Machine right for my size company? +

Adapted Machine is built for owner-operators with real operational complexity — businesses that have outgrown basic tools but don't have the budget or need for enterprise consulting. If you're managing growth with manual processes and workarounds, you're the right fit.

Get Started

See What We'd Build for You

Tell us about your biggest operational bottleneck. We'll show you what's possible.

No sales pitch. No spam. Jack reads every submission personally.