IT Strategy Advisory

If you're using technology in any way to run your business - from email to accounting software to customer databases - you need an IT strategy. Without one, you risk making ad-hoc technology decisions that can lead to inefficiencies, compatibility issues, and unnecessary costs. We help SMEs develop right-sized strategies that match their business needs, ensuring technology investments support rather than hinder growth. Even a basic strategy can help you make better decisions about software purchases, upgrades, and technology investments.

IT strategy consulting often pays for itself by helping you avoid costly mistakes and inefficient technology investments. We help you identify which technologies are truly necessary for your business, when to invest in them, and how to implement them cost-effectively. For example, we might help you determine whether to invest in new systems now or optimize existing ones, choose between different software solutions, or plan the timing of technology upgrades to match your cash flow.

This is a common question that doesn't have a one-size-fits-all answer. While cloud solutions offer benefits like flexibility and reduced hardware costs, they're not always the best choice for every business process. We help you evaluate which systems make sense to move to the cloud based on factors like your business requirements, data sensitivity, internet reliability, cost implications, and integration needs. The goal is to create a balanced approach that maximizes benefits while managing risks and costs.

We help you develop a strategic approach to technology adoption that balances innovation with stability. This includes creating technology roadmaps that plan upgrades and investments over time, identifying which new technologies actually provide business value, and determining the right timing for adoption. Sometimes, the best strategy is to be a fast follower rather than an early adopter, letting others work out the kinks in new technologies first.

Many SMEs have accumulated a patchwork of technology solutions over time. We help by first assessing your current technology landscape and understanding your business needs. Then we develop a prioritized plan for improvements, focusing on changes that will have the biggest positive impact first. This might involve consolidating systems, streamlining workflows, or improving integrations between existing tools. The key is making improvements in a structured way that minimizes business disruption.

This is crucial for SMEs where every investment needs to count. We help you establish clear links between technology investments and business outcomes by defining specific goals and metrics for each investment. For example, if you're implementing a new customer management system, we help you identify exactly how it should improve your business operations and how to measure that improvement. We also help you plan the implementation to ensure you actually achieve the expected benefits.

Many SMEs operate without internal IT teams. We help you develop strategies that work with your resources, which might include identifying which IT functions to outsource, selecting appropriate managed service providers, implementing cloud solutions that reduce maintenance needs, and establishing clear procedures for common technology tasks. The goal is creating a manageable technology environment that doesn't require extensive internal IT expertise.

Scalability is crucial for growing businesses. We help you make technology choices that support both current needs and future growth. This includes selecting flexible systems that can grow with you, establishing scalable processes, and creating technology architectures that can evolve over time. We also help you identify when to invest in more robust solutions versus when to stick with simpler options that meet current needs.