IT Strategy Development
A successful IT strategy parallels the business strategy and provides a roadmap of options for an uncertain future as the business evolves. The correct strategy will build a stable, agile infrastructure and set of applications that can be measured and grown or replaced as needed. You must be able to take advantage of new technologies to attract and retain customers and reduce cost as they are proven business ready without the expense of full technology replacement. The strategy needs to focus on all stakeholders – the investors need for visibility, company management’s need for operational control, client’s current and future needs, business partner relationships and regulatory compliance. Can you take advantage of the cloud to reduce direct costs? What is the primary vendors direction? Are your customers and suppliers ready for change?
IT Assessment
An outside assessment details an unbiased picture of IT performance, capabilities and risks. Performance should be measured to internal and external metrics with a focus on compliance to remove any barriers at company disposition. Are your assets managed? Are you compliant with regulatory requirements? How secure is your data? Can you pass an audit?
Due Diligence
The result of proper due diligence is the elimination of the ‘surprise’ of the lack of capabilities along with the financial impact form compliance and vendor issues and team weaknesses as well as identify opportunities. Are processes and controls in place to manage IT risks? What costs will be necessary to mitigate exposures?
Acquisition Integration
A successful integration process will focus on the ‘real’ business processes and metrics to improve operational performance and customer service, while meeting time and cost schedules. How can you measure to understand the integration is on-target prior to going live? What are the key metrics to spot early issues in the immediate post integration phase?
Business Process Improvement
Efficient processes will extract the most value . In expansion stage companies high value can be driven by moving to standard processes. As the business model matures in later stage companies the processes must be redefined to continue to improve service and reduce costs.
Project Management
Growth companies will have IT demands that exceed supply or may not have the experience to successfully manage business critical projects.
Interim IT Management and Organization Development
Growth companies will outgrow the experience and capabilities of IT leadership. Interim IT management can bridge this gap without committing to a long term executive cost. Not all organizations need a strategic CIO but you do need an organization that can execute on day-to-day support, manage risks and successfully projects. The typical IT team that has developed within a growing company will not usually have the the experience to develop processes to be successful at all of these.
Contract Management
Vendors are much more experienced at the purchasing process and protecting their interests with contract than the typical mid-market IT organization. Signing boilerplate contracts does not align your goals with the vendors. You must have the experience to allow for changes in technology, price protection and business changes such as changes of ownership or economic downturns for you and the vendor.
Enterprise Level Systems Selection and Implementation
A process needs to be strictly followed for evaluation, selection and implementation to ensure the best functionality match and that the company receives the full benefit of the selected application. Our experience and processes will guide you through the evaluation to find the tool that meets the need and be certain of vendor stability, product quality and provides the tools for growth and expansion.
Compliance
Montbrook Associates have been through the development and implementation of systems and controls to ensure regulatory compliance with Sarbannes-Oxley, SEC registration, PCI and HIPAA. We can guide you through the development of processes to pass agency and customer audits for your key customers that must be in compliance themselves.
