Consultancy
Technology consulting for platform choices that hold up over time
CRM, ERP, commerce platform, cloud provider or programming stack: every choice creates some lock-in. We compare options on true cost of ownership and the difficulty of leaving.
Demos are designed to impress; evaluations should be designed to find problems
Every vendor demonstration follows the ideal path. We help you test the difficult ones: your most inconsistent data, your most unusual approval rule, the report your finance team insists on. We also surface the costs absent from the pricing page, such as per-user fees as you grow, paid integrations, implementation partners and the effort to export your data if you leave.
Platform selection
CRM, ERP, helpdesk, e-commerce, LMS and comparable platforms.
Stack and hosting decisions
Frameworks, databases and cloud providers for a new build.
What we build
Questions we are asked to resolve
Which CRM or ERP should we adopt?
A shortlist built from your requirements, scripted demos that test your edge cases, and a scored comparison.
Should we move to the cloud?
Cost, expected improvement, risk, and whether a managed host would be sufficient.
Which stack should our product use?
Frameworks and databases chosen for your team’s skills, the hiring market and long-term support, not for novelty.
Are we overspending on tools?
A review of software subscriptions and hosting bills, identifying overlaps and unused licences.
How we work
How an evaluation runs
Step 1: Decisive requirements
A short list of must-haves and deal-breakers, written with the people who will use the system daily.
Step 2: Longlist to shortlist
Market scan and early elimination, so you attend only the demonstrations that could genuinely succeed.
Step 3: Scripted demos and trials
Vendors demonstrate your scenarios, not theirs. Where possible, we test with a copy of your real data.
Step 4: Total cost and exit assessment
Three-year cost including implementation and growth, and how data can be exported if you leave.
Step 5: Recommendation
A scored comparison and our recommendation, with rationale and the risks of each option.
Deliverables and tools
Deliverables and technology
What you receive
- Requirements and evaluation criteria
- Shortlist with reasons for exclusions
- Demo scripts and scored results
- Three-year cost comparison
- Lock-in and exit assessment
- Written recommendation
Categories we evaluate
- CRM and sales platforms
- ERP and accounting
- E-commerce platforms
- Helpdesk and support
- Cloud and hosting providers
- Development frameworks and databases
Engagement model
Most evaluations take two to five weeks at a fixed fee. We do not accept referral commissions from vendors in evaluations we run, and we will confirm that in writing.
Often paired with the technology we use ourselves and solutions architecture.
FAQ
Questions about technology consulting
Do you resell any of the platforms you evaluate?
No. We accept no vendor commissions in evaluations we run. If that ever changes for a specific product, we disclose it before starting.
Can you also implement the platform we select?
For some platforms, yes, and we will say so. You remain free to choose any implementation partner, and we can help you brief them.
How technical does our team need to be?
Not at all. We translate technical trade-offs into cost, risk and effort so business leaders can make the decision.
Explore
Other consultancy services
Comparing platforms or stacks?
Tell us the options in front of you. We will set out what we would want to test.