Persona AI Systems · Dan Gardner
About Services Risk Management Buddy RFQ Intel Contact
PERSONA · SYSTEMS · RISK · INSIGHT

I build persona-driven insight systems for messy, real-world hardware work.

I’m Dan. I help people in manufacturing, EMS, and hardware untangle complexity: BOM risk, lead times, lifecycle, AML, quoting, and strategy. I don’t sell hours. I sell clarity — structured, narrative, and ready to act on.

About This Work

I’ve spent years inside an EMS environment building tooling, mental models, and narrative systems to see the whole picture: supply chain, BOM health, risk, quoting, and execution. Out of that came a set of personas, engines, and methods: COPR, the Copper Method, Quick Quote, Risk Management Buddy, and more.

This site is a simple front door into that ecosystem. I keep the footprint intentionally small: a handful of high-value sessions and insight services that respect both of our time. No giant platforms, no retainers, no 60-hour consulting weeks.

If you’re staring at a hairy mix of BOMs, forecasts, lead times, or “we can’t ship because…” stories, that’s where my work tends to help.

FRAMEWORK
COPR · Constraints-Oriented Product Realization
COPR is the backbone of nearly everything I do. It’s a way of looking at constraints, forces, options, and realizations so that good decisions emerge naturally under real-world pressure.
  • Map constraints and hidden forces.
  • Generate structured options instead of random ideas.
  • Converge toward viable, explainable paths.

The Copper Method sessions are live, guided passes through the COPR engine.

Sessions & Services

These are intentionally small, well-bounded offerings. Most are “insight only”: I provide maps, narratives, and clarity; your team executes.

SESSION
The Copper Method™ Session
A 90-minute, live generative design and clarity session powered by COPR. We map your situation, surface constraints, generate structured options, and converge on a path forward.
  • Ideal for “I’m stuck” or “We need a breakthrough” moments.
  • You receive a concise Copper Sheet summary afterward.
Strategy Product Team Alignment
FRAMEWORK
COPR™ Diagnostics
A structured review of a product, project, or initiative through the COPR lens: constraints, options, trade-offs, and likely failure modes.
  • Clarifies where reality disagrees with the plan.
  • Produces a short narrative you can share internally.
Architecture Decision Support
INSIGHT SERVICE
Manufacturing Should-Cost Diagnostic
A focused, narrative-driven look at what a product should cost to build, based on materials, process, risk, and reasonable assumptions.
  • Not a quote. A sanity check on cost structure.
  • Highlights real cost drivers vs. artifacts.
Cost Insight Negotiation Prep
INSIGHT SERVICE
AML Expansion & Validation
A structured pass over your Approved Manufacturer List to find gaps, fragile spots, and safe alternates.
  • Expands and cleans up AML without owning purchasing.
  • Outputs a clear AML Expansion Map for your team.
BOM Health Alt Sources
INSIGHT SERVICE
Lifecycle & Obsolescence Snapshot
A simple, first-pass lifecycle check: status, years remaining, and a triage of components by obsolescence risk.
  • Shows how “alive” your BOM really is.
  • Red / yellow / green view plus a short narrative.
Obsolescence Early Warning
INSIGHT SERVICE
Lead-Time Dynamics Analysis
A forecast risk review focused on troublesome parts and the lead-time behavior that will collide with your demand.
  • Surfaces “impossible weeks” and fragile assumptions.
  • Includes a Lead-Time Dynamics Report with recommendations.
Forecast Risk Supply Line
INSIGHT PACKAGE
Portfolio BOM Risk Analysis
A multi-assembly, multi-BOM view of systemic risk: common long-poles, shared vulnerabilities, and portfolio-level exposure.
  • Heat maps, cross-assembly matrices, and executive summary.
  • Designed for VPs, program leaders, and investors.
Portfolio Systemic Risk
ACCESS
Quick Quote Engine Access
Subscription access to a first-pass BOM intelligence engine: availability, alternates, basic risk flags, and quote-ready context.
  • Not a finished quote. A fast, structured starting point.
  • Great for early feasibility and “Is this sane?” checks.
BOM Intake Quote Prep
Not sure which thing fits?
Start with a Copper Method session and we’ll figure out what you actually need.
Start a conversation

Risk Management Buddy™

Risk Management Buddy is a persona, a suite, and a service: a friendly, high-signal companion that watches the weak spots in your BOMs, forecasts, and portfolio so you don’t get blindsided.

Who is Risk Management Buddy?
Think of Risk Management Buddy as the quiet partner at the end of the conference table who has already walked your BOM, AML, lifecycle data, and lead-time assumptions — and shows up with a short list that actually matters.
  • Speaks in plain language, not dashboard jargon.
  • Flags lifecycle cliffs, long-poles, and fragile AML zones.
  • Looks across assemblies, not just one at a time.
  • Helps you tell the risk story to customers and executives.
HERO SERVICE
Risk Management Buddy™ Review
A bundled, high-signal pass over your product set: lifecycle, AML, lead-times, and cross-assembly exposure, wrapped into a narrative you can actually act on.
  • Combines Lifecycle Snapshot, AML Expansion, and Lead-Time Dynamics.
  • Includes a short Portfolio Risk view where appropriate.
  • Delivered as a Risk Management Buddy Report you can share internally.

One engagement, one packet, a lot fewer surprises.

Risk Management Buddy™ Suite

Under the Risk Management Buddy umbrella, you can mix and match specific services depending on where you’re feeling the most pressure:

BUDDY MODULE
Lifecycle Buddy
Focused on lifecycle and obsolescence risk across one or more BOMs.
BUDDY MODULE
AML Buddy
Centered on AML depth, alternates, and fragile sourcing assumptions.
BUDDY MODULE
Lead-Time Buddy
Looks at lead-time dynamics and where your forecast will crack.
BUDDY MODULE
Portfolio Buddy
Provides portfolio-level views: shared long-poles and systemic exposure.
If it feels like “something is going to bite us,”
Risk Management Buddy is usually the right starting point.
Ask about Risk Management Buddy

RFQ Intelligence Suite

Structured, high-signal services to clean, index, and interpret RFQs and supplier responses. These are clarity services — your team executes quoting and purchasing.

RFQ SERVICE
RFQ Intake & Indexing
Clean, structured BOM and RFQ preparation using The Cleaner, Quick Quote Engine, and COPR logic.
  • Scrubbed BOM & validated AML.
  • Lifecycle & lead-time checks.
  • Risk flags and alternates mapping.
RFQ SERVICE
RFQ Response Intelligence
Normalize, compare, and interpret supplier RFQ responses with cost, risk, and lead-time indexing.
  • Supplier comparison maps.
  • Lead-time & MOQ traps flagged.
  • RFQ Response Indexing Packet.
ITERATION SERVICE
Iteration Engine Analysis
Multi-scenario sourcing trade-off analysis using price–lead time frontier logic.
  • Constellation frontiers.
  • Best-value paths.
  • Risk & strategy recommendations.

Contact

If you see yourself in any of this — or if you’re not sure what you need yet, but the language here feels familiar — reach out and we’ll start with a short, no-obligation conversation.

For now, the easiest path is:

Email: you@djgardner.com

Note: I keep volume intentionally low so I can give real attention to the work.