Cerebral Frame 805-888-2449
All samples

Multi-crew service contractor

Four crews, a dispatch board, a phone, and an office. Dispatch is current — the board is updated all day. The field is half dark: callbacks get typed in on Fridays, and nobody counts what is on the trucks, which is why the second trip happens. Missed calls are dark too — each one is a job that went to someone else, and nothing counts them yet.

Sample — illustrative mock-up

Four-crew heating & air contractor (sample)

The company and the numbers are invented. The shape is the one we find.

as of March 6, 2026 at 17:00 UTC

4 current 3 stale 3 dark

Dispatch boardIn the fieldPhones & estimatesOffice & billingCrews out todayOpen jobsNext open installdayCallbacks, last30 daysParts on thetrucksMissed calls thisweekEstimates out,not yet decidedJob done toinvoice sentOwed to you, over60 daysMaintenanceagreements up forrenewal
currentstaledark

Two weeks back, one week ahead

Each row is one record. The band pinches when the record changes and widens as it ages. Past today it is the Frame looking ahead, and it stops where it can no longer say.

Feb 20 Feb 27 today · Mar 6 Mar 13 how far ahead it could see 2.2d Crews out today 4 sees 7d Open jobs 23 sees 2d waits on missed calls this week, dark Callbacks, last 30 days 6 sees 2d waits on parts on the trucks, dark Parts on the trucks DARK dark · nobody counts truck stock Missed calls this week DARK dark · the phone system keeps a log nobody reads
  • the record changed
  • top row: how far ahead the whole picture could see, day by day
  • your own move, marked so the Frame doesn't read it as a trend
  • already on the calendar, so it doesn't fade
  • Past this line the Frame can't say: Calls is dark.

Dispatch board

3 sensors · 3 current · 0 stale · 0 dark

  • Crews out today current
    4 of 5 crews

    age 30m

    dispatch board

  • Open jobs current
    23 jobs

    age 1h

    field service app

  • Next open install day current
    Wednesday

    age 2h

    dispatch board

In the field

2 sensors · 0 current · 1 stale · 1 dark

  • Callbacks, last 30 days stale
    6 callbacks

    age 5d

    tech notes, typed in on Fridays

  • Parts on the trucks dark
    DARK

    age —

    nobody counts truck stock

    why the second trip happens

Phones & estimates

2 sensors · 0 current · 1 stale · 1 dark

  • Missed calls this week dark
    DARK

    age —

    the phone system keeps a log nobody reads

    the Build candidate

  • Estimates out, not yet decided stale
    9 estimates

    age 6d

    estimator's spreadsheet

Office & billing

3 sensors · 1 current · 1 stale · 1 dark

  • Job done to invoice sent stale
    6 days

    age 4d

    job board checked against QuickBooks, by hand

  • Owed to you, over 60 days current
    $14,200

    age 20h

    QuickBooks aging report

  • Maintenance agreements up for renewal dark
    DARK

    age —

    a paper binder in the office

    repeat work nobody is chasing

  • Missed calls this week feeds → Open jobs
  • Estimates out, not yet decided feeds → Open jobs
  • Parts on the trucks feeds → Callbacks, last 30 days
  • Job done to invoice sent feeds → Owed to you, over 60 days

a value nobody measured is null and renders dark, never zero

Start with a $400 consultation: a generous half day.

In person when we can. You leave with a Frame sketch on one page and a lot of good questions; within a week, a written proposal with deliverables and a price.

805-888-2449

Sample — illustrative mock-up

Four-crew heating & air contractor (sample)

Two weeks back, one week ahead

Each row is one record. The band pinches when the record changes and widens as it ages. Past today it is the Frame looking ahead, and it stops where it can no longer say.

Feb 20 Feb 27 today · Mar 6 Mar 13 how far ahead it could see 2.2d Crews out today 4 sees 7d Open jobs 23 sees 2d waits on missed calls this week, dark Callbacks, last 30 days 6 sees 2d waits on parts on the trucks, dark Parts on the trucks DARK dark · nobody counts truck stock Missed calls this week DARK dark · the phone system keeps a log nobody reads
  • the record changed
  • top row: how far ahead the whole picture could see, day by day
  • your own move, marked so the Frame doesn't read it as a trend
  • already on the calendar, so it doesn't fade
  • Past this line the Frame can't say: Calls is dark.

This sample, three ways

Four-crew heating & air contractor

Your Frame Dispatch board Open jobs In the field Callbacks, last 30days Phones &estimates Estimates out, notyet decided Office & billing Job done to invoicesent Field service app 23 Tech notes 65 days old Not recordedanywhere Parts on the trucks Estimator'sspreadsheet 96 days old QuickBooks 64 days old

Sample — illustrative mock-up

Four-crew heating & air contractor

Sample — illustrative mock-up Open jobs
today more than four crews can work · 25 Tue – Thu Parts on the trucks: nobody records it, so no forecast
Above, open jobs reaches more than four crews can work between Tuesday and Thursday.

Four-crew heating & air contractor

Your Frame Open jobs the forecast reaches more than fourcrews can work Call the overflow contractor → Text to the office on it reaches more than four crews canwork within 2 days Tell the owner → Text message off no update to open jobs in 3 days Ask for a recount → Message to whoever keeps it on

Sample — illustrative mock-up

Solid: on today's number. Dashed: on the forecast. Each one is a switch.