Current-state discovery
Trace representative journeys and operational work. Inventory tools, hand-offs, reporting, costs, manual workarounds and ownership to distinguish the cause of a problem from its symptoms.
Technology strategy & architecture
Technology strategy for your systems and investment.
See how business processes, applications and data fit together. Assess where to keep, integrate, replace or retire technology, then plan a transition your teams can carry out without losing sight of daily operations.
Service scope
What a technology strategy can cover.
A technology strategy describes the outcomes, priorities and investment choices. Architecture makes the implications visible across workflows, data, integration, security and operating responsibilities.
Target architecture
Describe which capabilities are needed, which systems own key records, where integrations sit and how security, identity and operations should work together.
Platform and supplier evaluation
Set scenario-based requirements. Compare software and suppliers on real tasks, implementation constraints, ongoing costs, data portability and the ability to exit.
Integration and information flow
Decide which data needs to move, how often and in which direction. Set error handling, monitoring, responsibilities and how teams reconcile differences.
Migration and business continuity
Plan data quality checks, trial moves, sequencing, acceptance and rollback options. Decide which operations must continue through the transition.
Technology strategy roadmap and investment case
Show phases, dependencies, costs, business outcomes and choices that can be delayed. Make it clear when leadership needs to commit to the next step.
Is this the right fit?
Signs it’s time to step back before buying.
Consider a structured review when the consequences of a decision extend beyond one department, when changing systems may interrupt operations, or when existing tools may be able to do more than the business currently uses.
- A renewal or replacement is approachingYou need to understand whether to extend, renegotiate or replace a platform before a deadline creates pressure.
- Data and work are split across systemsTeams disagree on reports or use spreadsheets to bridge hand-offs. A new system may help, but first identify where records and responsibilities should live.
- The business is changing shapeA merger, new business unit or expansion has introduced new tools or workflows. Decide what needs to be common and where local variation is justified.
Our approach
How we make platform decisions easier to defend.
Map the work and constraints
Follow real transactions or customer journeys, identify where errors occur, and confirm deadlines and non-negotiable operating requirements.
Compare options with evidence
Evaluate several paths, including retaining current platforms where appropriate. Test essential workflows and note migration, licensing and support implications.
Plan delivery around risk
Sequence dependencies and data work, agree ownership and measures, and define gates so leadership can decide when to proceed.
What you take away
Deliverables your team can use.
The mix depends on the decision and scope. We agree who owns each output, how it will be used and the evidence it needs to contain.
Systems and information map
A view of key applications, workflows, data ownership, integrations and operational constraints.
Options and trade-offs
A recommendation supported by scenarios, assumptions, costs and risks. Record what would change the decision.
Target-state design
A clear picture of the capabilities, system boundaries and design principles the chosen direction needs.
Phased implementation roadmap
Delivery stages, dependencies, owners, validation and migration checkpoints, and decisions that need leadership input.
A worked example
How this can look in practice.
Illustrative scenario
Integrating order and inventory data after an acquisition.
In this illustrative example, a supplier has acquired a smaller operation. The two businesses use different order and inventory tools, and finance is reconciling results manually each week.
- Understand the decision boundaryMap order, stock and fulfilment events and decide where shared reporting is needed immediately. Identify which processes can stay local during transition.
- Compare paths before replacingTest a shared data feed, staged consolidation and full replacement against continuity, cost, data quality and staff workload.
- Phase the rolloutAgree which record is authoritative, how reconciliation is monitored and what evidence is needed before migrating the next part of the business.
Questions leaders ask
Questions before an engagement.
Do we have to replace our CRM or ERP?
A review can conclude that you should keep the platform, improve its setup or integrate it differently. Replacement is one option and should be assessed against business outcomes and total transition cost.
Can you help with requirements and vendor selection?
Yes. We can turn real workflows into evaluation scenarios, challenge supplier assumptions and help assess the commercial and delivery trade-offs.
How do you estimate costs before selecting a platform?
We compare likely subscription, implementation, integration, data migration, training and ongoing support costs. Uncertain assumptions are recorded for validation.
What if we already have a vendor implementation under way?
An architecture review can clarify unresolved decisions, integration boundaries and migration risks, and agree how to test readiness without unnecessarily restarting work.
Can you help teams put the roadmap into practice?
Yes. The work can extend into supplier evaluation, delivery design, decision reviews and implementation oversight. Responsibilities and acceptance points are agreed up front.
Related services
Where the decision connects to other work.
AI Strategy & Architecture
Decide where AI fits your business, what data and oversight it requires, and how to measure whether an initiative is worth expanding.
Explore AI StrategyFractional CIO / CTO
Add senior technology leadership to the team. Give investment, supplier and delivery decisions a clear owner when a permanent hire is too early or a transition is under way.
Explore Fractional CIO / CTOStart a conversation
Talk through your next decision.
Tell us where things stand, who is involved and when the business needs to act.
Useful resource
Choosing systems that need to work together?
The Digital Transformation Agency’s interoperability questions are a starting point for assessing data exchange, integration testing and future changes.