When Technology Becomes a Business Problem
Professional advisers are often the first to recognise when a technology issue is affecting a client’s business.
A delayed software project may threaten an important deadline. Poorly integrated systems can make growth more difficult. An acquisition may reveal technology risks that have not been properly assessed. Or the business may depend heavily on a single developer or supplier.
From a legal, financial or operational perspective, you may recognise these warning signs without having the specialist experience needed to investigate their technical causes.
An independent technology assessment can help establish what is happening, identify significant risks and clarify the decisions the business needs to make.
Sometimes the issue involves software delivery or technology investment. In other situations, it is a question of governance, accountability, supplier performance or leadership.
I’m Iain White, founder of White Internet Consulting and a former CTO with more than 35 years of experience across software development, IT management, project delivery and executive technology leadership.
I can work directly with your client or alongside you, depending on the circumstances and the client’s preferences.
My role is to bring an experienced, independent perspective to the technology issues involved, explain the available options and help the business determine a practical next step.
Technology Expertise That Complements Your Advice
The aim isn’t to replace your role or take over the client relationship.
It’s to add specialist technology expertise when your client needs it.
I can help with situations involving:
- Technology strategy and investment decisions
- Fractional CTO and technology leadership
- Software development and delivery problems
- Technology due diligence
- Technology investment readiness
- CTO and technology leadership reviews
- Key-person technology risk
- Software development reviews
- Technology costs, suppliers and outsourcing
- Governance, delivery and technical risk
Depending on the situation, a focused Independent Technology Review may provide the evidence needed to make a decision.
Other situations may require a defined consulting engagement or ongoing Fractional CTO support where the organisation needs continuing executive technology advice, governance and delivery oversight.
The appropriate engagement is determined by the client’s circumstances, not by a predetermined service package.
Who I Partner With
I work with professional advisers and technology providers whose clients occasionally need senior, independent technology expertise.
Lawyers
Technology Advisory Support for Lawyers and Their Clients
Technology can become a material issue during transactions, shareholder matters, disputes, business sales and periods of rapid growth.
I provide an independent technology perspective that helps lawyers and their clients understand technology risk without turning the engagement into a technical exercise.
Accountants and CFO Advisers
Technology Advisory Support for Accountants and CFO Advisers
Technology spending, poor delivery and weak systems often appear first as financial or operational problems.
I help accountants, virtual CFOs and financial advisers assess what’s happening behind the numbers and determine whether the client has a technology, delivery or leadership problem.
Investors and M&A Advisers
Technology Due Diligence Support for Investors and M&A Advisers
Technology can materially affect the value, risk and scalability of a business.
I provide independent technology due diligence and investment-readiness assessments covering software, architecture, delivery capability, technology leadership, key-person dependency and operational risk.
Software Agencies
Independent Technology Advisory Support for Software Agencies
Sometimes a client’s problem sits outside the agency’s natural role.
They may need technology strategy, independent project oversight, stronger internal leadership or someone who can help the client’s leadership team make informed decisions while the agency focuses on delivery.
I can provide that independent layer while allowing the agency to focus on what it does best.
Cybersecurity Providers and MSPs
Technology Leadership Support for Cybersecurity Providers and MSPs
MSPs and cybersecurity specialists often uncover broader problems involving governance, technology leadership, ageing systems, poor delivery or unclear technology strategy.
Rather than stretching your service into areas outside your core offering, you can bring in independent CTO-level support.
I work alongside existing providers rather than replacing them.
Business Consultants
Technology Support for Business Advisers and Consultants
Operational improvement frequently exposes technology problems.
Processes don’t scale. Systems don’t integrate. Software projects stall. Technology spending grows without obvious business value.
I help business consultants add experienced technology leadership to these situations while keeping the wider advisory relationship intact.
A Simple Referral Relationship, Without the Fuss
You don’t need a formal partnership agreement before introducing a client.
If a client mentions a technology concern, you can contact me first to discuss the situation in general terms.
There’s no need to identify the client or share confidential information before they have agreed to an introduction.
If it looks like I can genuinely help, you can introduce us.
I’ll then speak with the client, understand the problem and recommend an appropriate next step. That might be a conversation, a defined review, a short advisory engagement or ongoing support.
If I’m not the right person, I’ll say so.
Most importantly, I respect the relationship that brought the client to me.
Independent Advice Matters
Many technology businesses make their money by selling a particular solution.
A software agency naturally sees opportunities to build software. An MSP provides managed technology services. A vendor sells its platform.
There’s nothing wrong with that, but sometimes your client needs advice from someone who isn’t trying to sell the implementation.
White Internet Consulting is technology-independent.
My job is to help the client understand what they should do, not to steer them towards a particular product, platform or development team.
That independence is particularly useful when significant money, business risk or a transaction is involved.
What Should You Listen For?
You don’t need to diagnose a technology problem yourself.
A few comments from a client are often enough to suggest that an independent conversation could be worthwhile:
“We’re spending a lot on development, but I’m not sure what we’re getting.”
“Everything depends on one developer.”
“Our project keeps slipping.”
“I’m not sure our CTO is giving me the visibility I need.”
“We’re thinking about buying this business, but nobody has really looked at the technology.”
“We’ve grown quickly and our systems haven’t kept up.”
“I don’t know whether the advice I’m getting from our developers is right.”
If you hear something like this, that’s usually enough reason for us to have a conversation.
Your Client Relationship Stays Yours
A good referral should strengthen your relationship with your client, not put it at risk.
I work as an extension of the professional advice already surrounding the business. I don’t use an introduction as an opportunity to sell unrelated services, displace existing advisers or unnecessarily expand the engagement.
My aim is to help the client understand their options, support the existing professional advice and respect the trust behind the introduction.
A successful referral should leave the client better informed and the existing advisory relationship stronger.
Have a Client With a Technology Concern?
You don’t need to know exactly what the problem is before getting in touch.
If a client has mentioned concerns about software development, technology leadership, delivery, technology costs, key-person dependency, an upcoming transaction or another technology risk, we can have an initial confidential conversation.
Tell me what’s happening and I’ll help you work out whether I can assist.