OUR PROCESS

The 5D Process

From audit to execution in five structured phases. No guesswork. No lift-and-shift. No PDFs that die in a drawer.

The 5D Process at a Glance

The 5D Process is Shop Playbook's five-phase engagement model for designing and installing AI systems inside ecommerce operations. Each phase, Discover, Define, Design, Deploy, Drive, has specific inputs, deliverables, and decision points. We use it for every engagement with $10M–$100M DTC and omnichannel brands on Attentive, Klaviyo, Gorgias, and the platforms that sit alongside them.

The result: a branded AI system your team actually runs, not a pile of subscriptions and a slide deck.
Phase 1
Discover
AI Readiness + 
Brand Audit
Phase 2
Define
Strategy Architecture + Blueprint
Phase 3
Design
Brand Design + 
Tech Design
Phase 4
Deploy
Installation + 
Team Rollout
Phase 5
Drive
Monthly Optimization +
Scale
discover
AI Readiness + Brand Audit
We map everything before we build anything.Most brands skip discovery. That's why their AI initiatives don't stick. We spend time inside your business, with your brand, your stack, your team, and your data, so every recommendation has a reason you can point to.
Hand holding cell phone with full shopping cart on it
Tech Stack Audit
Every tool you're paying for, mapped to what it's actually returning.
AI Readiness Score
Where your brand sits today and which AI opportunities deliver the fastest ROI.
Brand + Channel Snapshot
How your brand shows up across every touchpoint… and where it drifts.
Team Workflow Mapping
Where people are spending time, and where automation can win it back.
DEFINE
Strategy Architecture + Blueprint
We design the architecture before writing a single prompt. Discovery tells us what's broken. Define tells us what to build. We translate the audit into a blueprint: what systems, what workflows, what agents where they fit, and in what order.
Image of clouds in sky
Brand Strategy Framework
Voice, visual standards, and messaging hierarchy, documented so the team and the systems can apply it consistently.
AI Blueprint
What we're building, in what order, for which roles. Scoped to deliver value early.
Profitability Roadmap
Where to cut, where to invest, what to automate first.

Want to see what D1 and D2 would surface in your business?

Book a 30-minute strategy call. No pitch theater, no deck parade, a real conversation about where AI fits for your brand.
DESIGN
Brand + Tech Design
We design systems that know your brand, not just your prompts.Where the blueprint becomes real. Each system is designed individually with what information it's trained on, how it sounds, what it's allowed to do, and where it lives.
Image of AI agent visualized
Brand Concierge
Answers customer questions in your brand voice. Guides product discovery.
Content + SEO
Produces and optimizes content for SEO, AEO, and GEO, aligned to your brand voice.
Creative Ops
Briefs content from brand guidelines, adapts assets, keeps visual identity consistent at scale.
DEPLOY
Installation + Team Rollout
We don't hand you a PDF. We install the whole system.Installation means integrated into your actual stack: your commerce platform, ESP, CX tools, CDP, and analytics. Your team leaves knowing exactly what to do and how to measure it.
Image of a rocket launching
System Deployment
Connected to your tools and tested in production.
Role-Specific Playbooks
What each team member does, how to use the system, what good looks like.
Team Training
Live walkthroughs for every role, from creative and ops to marketing and leadership.
30-Day Success Metrics
We define what winning looks like and set up tracking before we hand it over.
DRIVE
Monthly Optimization + Scale
AI moves fast. Your playbook moves with it.

The retainer isn't a check-in call. It's an active strategy. Every month we review performance, update workflows, and keep your brand ahead of every platform and algorithm shift.
Image of sneakers running
Performance Reviews
Revenue, margin, and ROI reviewed with clear next actions. No vanity metrics.
Playbook Updates
Strategy evolves. Your playbook does too. Nothing goes stale.
New Builds
As your business grows, we add systems where they earn their place.
Platform + AI Monitoring
We track changes across SEO, AEO, GEO, and ad algorithms, and keep you ahead.
who it’s for

Who the 5D Process Is Built For

The 5D Process is built for a specific kind of operator. If you see yourself in the list below, there's a good chance we can help. If not, we'll tell you honestly.

You'll get the most out of this if…

  • You run a $10M–$100M ecommerce brand.
  • You run on a modern ecommerce stack with integrations like Klaviyo, Attentive, Gorgias, and more.
  • You have a brand voice worth protecting, not just a logo and a color palette.
  • You're the CEO, COO, Head of Marketing, or Head of Operations; someone with authority to approve a real engagement.
  • You want leverage, not more subscriptions.

This probably isn't the right fit if…

  • You're under $5M and trying to grow your way into AI. Start with the fundamentals first.
  • You want us to bolt AI onto a strategy you've already decided. Our process starts with audit for a reason.
  • You need enterprise procurement and a six-month pilot. We move faster than that.

Ready to run plays instead of reacting to problems?

Book a strategy call. We'll talk about where the gaps are and what a system built on your brand looks like. No pitch theater.