Available for project and part-time work

Process Automation
& Operational Data
Specialist
for NZ Industry

I turn operational bottlenecks into automated systems that save time, reduce errors, and give your team real-time visibility of the business. Manufacturing, energy and health organisations in New Zealand.

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

Book a 30-Min Process Review See Proof
Business Analysis Business Intelligence Process Automation OSIsoft PI System Power BI Power Platform AI Adoption Financial Modelling
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
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.

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 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
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
Data Analysis & Insights
Outcome: answers to the questions your data already holds

Working with operational and business data to answer specific questions, identify trends and support better decisions. I bring technical depth and business context.

  • Ad-hoc analysis and investigation
  • Data quality assessment and cleansing
  • Statistical analysis and trend identification
  • Excel and Power Query modelling
  • Insight reporting for leadership
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.

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.

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 Integration & Adoption
Microsoft Copilot • OpenAI • AI Strategy • Change Management

Helping organisations move from AI curiosity to practical AI use. Identifying high-value opportunities, integrating AI into existing workflows, deploying Microsoft 365 Copilot, and building staff capability to use AI safely and effectively.

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: process automation, operational analytics and digital transformation for NZ industrial businesses.

I have held the roles I consult on. Business analyst, BI manager, process improvement lead. 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
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 Power Platform, SharePoint and AI integration, 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 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.

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
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
luis@lsconsulting.co.nz
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.