Services

The Enterprise Advocates model allows service offerings to be flexible and nimble in helping clients understand, negotiate, and ultimately execute an IT strategy that is value-driven and designed to release innovation back to the business. Our services fall into three broad categories supported by the freely available content we make available on this site:

Consulting

We are primarily concerned with helping clients get the best value from their IT investments. This can take many forms but typically centers around the following services.

Software selection – how do you know whether the RFPs you are compiling will deliver what you are looking for? Companies tend to gravitate towards the large brands–but that isn’t always the best way forward. There are many players capable of providing a better fit both tactically and strategically. We can help you work through the inevitable trade offs.

Partnership creation – software companies are in an uneven relationship with their customers. Vendors have spent years honing their sales skills, persuading their customers they have the best solution in a boardroom demo, when in reality the customer is being wowed into buying into sometimes empty promises. We help clients get greater transparency with vendors as part of a process that sees the client enjoy a much more even relationship of the kind that a partnership should represent.

Contract negotiation – clients are not always well equipped to understand the nuances that lurk within contracts. It is only when the vendor refers to an important but little known clause that CXO’s sit up and wonder what’s happening. We have particular and collective expertise in negotiating over 5000 contracts with vendors who insist that contract terms are inviolate.

New technology strategy – IT is a fashion business. What was “in” last year is now out. Cutting through the hype is an essential part of understanding what technology vendors are trying to say. Surprisingly, some of the best innovations come from smaller vendors. Even so, taking on new technology is rarely without risk. We help clients understand the risks, how to mitigate against them, and ultimately how to drive value back to the business. We see a long term trend in collaboration. This is a fast-moving area with new services coming to market all the time. Simply applying a new technology to the mix is not going to work, this is about people.

Content

Clients provide the lifeblood of experience which we can synthesize. Enterprise Advocates provides a trusted resource for client experience but that of itself would be of little value if only a handful of people know what’s happening. Where appropriate, we surface the good, the bad, and the ugly in ways that provide learning applicable to a wide range of businesses. Much of our content is freely-available on the Internet but some will be made available on a subscription basis. As at the time of launch, we are considering a number of alternative models. Some may provide confidential early-warning mechanisms for companies where we discover particular issues. Others may provide a safe haven where CxOs can confidentially discuss issues of importance, receiving research-based input to guide them in their thinking.

Events

Events provide one of the best ways that CxO’s can meet, discuss among their peers issues of the day and receive help that is both appropriate and timely. Events can take a variety of formats.  Initially, we plan on running themed series of one hour interactive webinars where clients will receive solid, actionable advice based upon the knowledge of selected partners and speakers. Where possible, we will use real-world cases to illustrate the points made. Following the webinar, a guided summary will be produced that synthesizes the learning as a resource for client use.