IT strategy
You can unlock  the hidden value in your IT Dept. by reviewing your IT strategy and obtaining an  independent assessment of outsourcing & e-commerce options. Use investment appraisal and transfer charges to constrain IT costs and keep pace with demand. Monitor staff and user satisfaction. We add value because we assist clients to manage in an environment where information is a critical success factor and IT plays a key part in gaining competitive advantage. We see companies with custom built IT systems out-performing slower ineffective rivals. Also we find that even large companies sometimes have no formal IT strategy which wastes money due to duplication and inefficiency.

IT systems design, development and implementation
A complete tailored service from concept through design and development to post-implementation audit. A custom built system will add more value than any package because it will fit a company's core values,   unique processes and operations exactly.

IT benchmarking
Benchmark your IT operations, staff and costs against our blue-chip standard to identify areas for improvement. We sometimes find that senior management is not adequately involved in IT issues. Also many IT budgets lack transparency and controls. Up to 40% of IT expenditure is not controlled through the IT budget but is disguised by line managers under other account headings - such as "operations" and "professional services." Save up to 20%-55% pa by improving effectiveness, reducing man-time, cost and backlogs of work. Raise performance and user satisfaction with clear service level agreements and better work practices.

IT package systems selection
A combination of documentation templates and services to assist with system specification, invitation to tender, evaluation of suppliers' proposals, contract negotiation and system implementation. The benefits of  packaged software are shorter implementation times and lower costs - providing there is sufficient match between package functions and user requirements.

IT project management
A series of handbooks, training materials and estimating tools to raise project success rate to over 80-90%. The modules are flexible, include psychological techniques and can be adapted to harmonise with a your existing project management standards. Further details and benefits are described in Project Management. We can control run-away projects that are 3-5 times over budget and very late. The biggest delay for a system we have encountered was 6 years - we turned it around in 3 months!!

IT standards
A three volume set which encompasses system documentation, processes and project management. They are available separately with implementation advice and may be used to support BS/ISO quality  accreditation. Recently, we came across a large software house which had not yet produced a standard for a program specification and not  surprisingly there were some large overrunning projects! We strongly advise senior managers to seek an independent view of their IT Dept's standards and find out how well they are being followed.