Human-Centered Systems Engineer

Fixing slow, busted
workflows
people hate.

I find the work people shouldn't still be doing manually, then design and build a better system around it.

The goal is simple: less manual work, fewer handoffs, fewer mistakes, and systems people actually use.

See the systems ↓ Connect on LinkedIn ↗ Schedule a call
Andy Dentone
Husband. Dad of two boys.

Built to be used, not demoed

The proof is what happened after launch.

My favorite systems are the unglamorous ones that quietly become part of how an organization operates.

7–10 days → instant Financial reporting automation
Monthly production use for roughly a year.
6 hours → ~20 min Feed Spokane operations
Relied on weekly for more than two years.
2+ years daily Construction fleet system
QR-driven fleet and maintenance tracking.

Selected work

Real systems solving real operational problems.

These are not tutorial projects. They were built around actual constraints, actual users, and work that needed to get done.

7–10 days
→ instant
Financial planning & insurance · Monthly use ~1 year

Turn recurring PDFs into an interactive report on demand.

A financial planning and insurance team received recurring PDF reports, then manually pulled key figures into spreadsheets so the numbers could actually be analyzed.

I built a standalone browser-based reporting tool. They drop in one or many PDFs and immediately get a full interactive report - no recurring spreadsheet assembly, no week-long delay.

The technical win matters. The bigger win is that the team still uses it every month because the new workflow is easier than the old one.

PDF processing Data extraction JavaScript Interactive reporting Workflow redesign
6 hours
→ ~20 min
Feed Spokane · Weekly production use 2+ years

Redesign the operation, not just the software.

Feed Spokane had a coordination problem that could leave people waiting for hours. It wasn't a single broken app. It was the way scheduling, intake, volunteers, and real-world movement fit together.

I mapped the process and rebuilt the workflow around scheduled arrival windows, faster intake, better coordination, and less reliance on people remembering the next step.

Waits that could reach six hours dropped to roughly 15–20 minutes. The system has remained part of Feed Spokane's weekly operations for more than two years.

Process discovery Scheduling Workflow architecture Automation Operational design
2+ years
daily
Compass Construction · Fleet & maintenance

The right architecture was a QR sticker and a spreadsheet.

Compass Construction needed a practical way to manage its fleet and keep maintenance needs visible without forcing field staff into another complicated system.

I built a QR-based fleet management workflow using stickers on the vehicles and a structured Google Sheets backend. Employees interact with the record from the vehicle itself and can surface maintenance needs where the work happens.

I could have overbuilt it. I didn't. Compass has used the system in daily operations for more than two years.

QR workflows Google Sheets Mobile UX Maintenance tracking Production longevity

More systems

Different tools. Same pattern.

Find the friction. Understand the humans. Connect the pieces. Make the manual work disappear.

01 · PHYSICAL + DIGITAL

TapTimeClock

NFC and QR check-in/out that turns a tap into identity, timestamps, confirmation messaging, official records, and reporting.

View live project ↗
02 · AI + WORKFLOW

FileSentinel

A document-collection system designed to stop skilled staff from repeatedly chasing clients for missing files - secure requests, state tracking, reminders, escalation, and contextual AI follow-up.

View live project ↗
03 · DATA + PRODUCT

SPED.directory

A vertical search and discovery platform organizing thousands of specialized education providers into structured, searchable listings with onboarding and monetization systems around the data.

View live project ↗

“I don't automate for the sake of using sophisticated technology. I build the simplest reliable system that solves the actual problem and gets used.”

How I work

Start with the friction. Technology comes second.

01

Find where the work actually gets stuck.

Staff retyping data. Reports taking days. Follow-up living in someone's head. Tools that technically work but don't work together.

02

Design around the people doing the work.

The technically clever solution is worthless if the real users avoid it. The front end should usually feel simpler than the system behind it.

03

Use the smallest stack that earns its keep.

AI when judgment or language helps. APIs and webhooks when systems need to move together. Custom code when off-the-shelf tools stop short. A spreadsheet when a spreadsheet is enough.

04

Ship something people can rely on.

I care about adoption, edge cases, failure paths, and whether the system still makes someone's job easier months or years later.

What I work with

The messy middle between business and technology.

I'm usually most useful when a problem crosses several disciplines and somebody needs to own the whole path from “this is driving us crazy” to “it's working.”

AI & Agents LLMs, voice AI, conversational systems, contextual messaging, human-in-the-loop workflows.
Automation Workflow architecture, APIs, webhooks, events, scheduling, messaging, orchestration.
Business Systems CRM, operations, customer journeys, reporting, intake, handoffs, process redesign.
Development HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Apps Script, lightweight internal tools, data-driven interfaces.
Integration SMS, email, voice, forms, calendars, documents, databases, third-party platforms.

Where I fit

Give me the ugly workflow.

I'm interested in roles where I can combine technical problem solving with customer or operational reality - especially when the job is to understand the problem, design the system, and help get the thing working.

AI Solutions Engineer Automation Solutions Engineer Solutions Engineer Customer Solutions Engineer Customer Success Engineer Technical Implementation Consultant Solutions Consultant GTM Engineer Revenue Systems / RevOps Automation AI Enablement / Professional Services

Andy Dentone

Need someone who can own the messy middle?

As a builder, entrepreneur, and systems problem solver, I start by asking questions and listening closely to the people doing the work and living with the broken process.

The goal is to understand what is happening, what should be happening, and where things are breaking down - then build a better system people will actually use and can rely on.

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© 2026 Andy Dentone · Spokane, Washington Child of God. Husband. Dad of two boys. · LinkedIn ↗

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© 2026 Andy Dentone · Spokane Valley, WA