services
Fractional CIO for UK manufacturers and SMEs.
Strategic IT leadership for operating businesses between £5M and £50M turnover — ERP strategy, vendor management, AI deployment, and cost control.
what this is
A fractional CIO is an experienced IT executive on retainer — typically two to four days per month — accountable for your technology strategy, ERP direction, and IT spend. Sitting on your leadership team without the cost of a full-time hire your business isn’t yet ready for.
for
When does this make sense?
Your ERP project has stalled
Implementation is over time and over budget. The integrator is blaming the business, the business is blaming the integrator. You need someone on your side of the table.
Post-acquisition integration
You've inherited another company's tech stack. Two ERPs, three CRMs, overlapping licences, no documentation.
IT cost growth is outpacing revenue
Your SaaS bill has doubled in two years. You need someone to audit, rationalise, and renegotiate without breaking what works.
You want to deploy AI seriously
Your IT team has never run an AI project. You don't need a chatbot — you need to know where AI actually moves the needle in your operation.
deliverables
What’s included.
01
IT audit and benchmarking
Placeholder copy — Richard to draft.
02
ERP strategy and selection
Placeholder copy — Richard to draft.
03
Vendor management and contract review
Placeholder copy — Richard to draft.
04
AI readiness and deployment plan
Placeholder copy — Richard to draft.
05
Cybersecurity and compliance baseline
Placeholder copy — Richard to draft.
06
Internal IT team development
Placeholder copy — Richard to draft.
07
Board-level IT reporting
Placeholder copy — Richard to draft.
process
How it works.
01
Discovery
Two weeks with your IT lead, finance, and operations — auditing systems, contracts, and the actual cost of IT.
02
Roadmap
A written 12-month IT plan tied to business outcomes, prioritised by risk and cost.
03
Implementation
I lead vendor conversations, ERP decisions, and AI deployments from inside your leadership team.
04
Optimisation
Measure, tune, hand over. Engagements typically transition into a lighter governance retainer.
investment
What this costs.
From £3,500/month
Retainer engagements run 6 to 24 months at 2–4 days per month. IT audits are available as a discrete deliverable at £6–10k fixed. ERP selection projects and post-acquisition integration are priced separately.
questions
Common questions
- What does a fractional CIO actually do day to day?
- Placeholder. ERP strategy, vendor management, IT team leadership, security and compliance, and translating between the board and IT.
- How is this different from an IT director?
- Placeholder. CIO is strategic and board-facing; an IT director typically runs operations. A fractional CIO complements your IT manager, not replaces them.
- Do you work with Microsoft Dynamics / Business Central?
- Placeholder. Yes — extensively. Including Continia, HubSpot integration, and post-acquisition data migration.
- Do you handle cybersecurity and compliance?
- Placeholder. Yes — Cyber Essentials Plus, ISO 27001 readiness, GDPR. Day-to-day SOC operation goes through an MSP I can recommend.
- Can you support an M&A integration?
- Placeholder. Yes — that's a discrete project alongside or instead of the retainer. Typical engagement is 3–6 months.
- What size of business is this for?
- Placeholder. £5–50M turnover, typically 30–250 staff, with at least one in-house IT or operations person to work alongside.
- How is this different from a fractional CTO?
- Placeholder. CIO is IT and operational technology for operating businesses. CTO is product/engineering for software companies. See the comparison piece.
Looking for product and engineering leadership for a scaling SaaS company instead?
Want a fractional CIO who actually understands your operation?
A 30-minute call. No deck, no follow-up nurture sequence. I'll tell you whether I can help.