Problem
Platform decisions tend to be made one department at a time. Finance picks an ERP, sales picks a CRM, operations picks something else, and nobody plans how they will share data. Years later the organisation pays for overlapping licences and still re-keys information between systems.
Outcomes
- A clear view of which platform owns each key record and process.
- Platform choices based on fit, total running cost and risk.
- A roadmap that sequences replacements and integrations around contracts and budgets.
- Fewer overlapping licences and less duplicated data.
- Platforms that stay healthy and current after go-live.
Scope
In scope
- Review of current platforms, licences, contracts and costs.
- Process mapping across the systems each process touches.
- Requirements and evaluation criteria agreed with the people who use the systems.
- Independent comparison of platform options.
- Platform roadmap and business case.
Not included
- Implementing the chosen platform. That sits with ERP, CRM or Microsoft business applications delivery.
Platform support and optimisation
After go-live, platforms drift. Updates are skipped, configuration gets patched, and licences are paid for but unused. We keep enterprise platforms healthy, current and cost-effective, and we check that they still match how the organisation works.
- Release and update management.
- Licence and cost reviews.
- Configuration health checks and clean-up.
Approach
Discovery
We list your platforms, licences, contracts and costs, and who relies on each one. We follow key processes across systems to find gaps and overlaps.
Delivery Planning
We agree the evaluation criteria with the people who use the systems, before any platform is scored. We then plan how the changes will be sequenced around contracts, budgets and team capacity.
Build and Test
We score the platform options against the agreed criteria, including running costs, and bring the results together in the roadmap and business case. Every recommendation states its assumptions, and you see the results before any decision is made.
Operational Readiness, Hypercare and Closure
We hand over the roadmap and business case, and agree who will own each platform decision. Where platform support is agreed, we set out how platforms will be supported and reviewed after go-live. We then close the work with your sign-off.
Deliverables
Technologies
Controls
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you only recommend platforms you work with?
No. We score options against criteria you agree, and if the best fit is a platform we do not deliver, we will say so.
How long does a platform strategy take?
It depends on how many platforms and processes are involved. A Discovery Sprint, at 5 to 10 working days, is a good way to frame the decision.
Can you help us get more from a platform we already own?
Yes. Platform support and optimisation looks at how the platform is configured and used, and what it costs, before anything new is bought.
Who from our side needs to be involved?
The people who own the processes, the people who use the systems day to day, and whoever manages the budget and contracts.
Facing a big platform decision?
A Discovery Sprint takes 5 to 10 working days. It ends with a decision brief, a prioritised roadmap, an indicative architecture and a risk register, which you keep whatever you decide next.