Overview
We work differently. Our consulting engagements start with the same thorough audit — we need to understand what you have before we can tell you what to do with it. But the output is a practical, costed plan that the people running your business can actually act on. Not a theoretical framework. Not a technology wish list. A real plan with real priorities, real timelines, and an honest assessment of what it will cost to execute.
We have done this for startups figuring out their first infrastructure choices and for established businesses managing the transition from a cobbled-together IT setup to something that can genuinely support growth. The size of the company changes. The approach does not.
IT Strategy and Planning
IT Strategy and Planning develops a technology roadmap to support business success. It allows businesses to align IT investments with their objectives, leading to increased productivity. Businesses can make better decisions and get better results from their technology efforts with the right attitude.
IT Strategy and Planning
IT Consultancy
Jira, Trello, Asana
IT Infrastructure Assessment
IT Consultancy
SolarWinds, Nagios, PRTG Network Monitor
Technology Roadmap Development
IT Consultancy
Microsoft Project, Trello, Smartsheet
Risk Management and Compliance
IT Consultancy
RiskWatch, Compliance360, MetricStream
IT Project Management
IT Consultancy
Jira, Microsoft Project, Basecamp
What you get from an Olfant consulting engagement
An infrastructure audit that covers the whole picture
We go through everything. Computer hardware, operating systems, network infrastructure, cloud computing services, contract management, security policies, data backup, and software licensing – most companies do not have someone with a full understanding of all these things, because all of these decisions have been made in isolation from one another. We document it, assess it, and identify the parts that are costing more than they should or carrying more risk than you realise.
The audit is not a checkbox exercise. It is not just the system managers that we talk to; it is also the actual users of the system. It is from their feedback that we are able to identify the issues that tend to crop up time and time again.
A technology roadmap that is actually usable
The roadmap we produce covers the next 12 to 36 months. Every item on it is tied to a specific outcome for your business — cost reduction, risk mitigation, growth capability, compliance. We include realistic cost estimates for each initiative, not placeholder ranges that could mean anything.
We will also inform you how you need to prioritize your actions and the rationale behind this. Typically, there are a few critical areas where immediate action needs to be taken, followed by more substantial areas where change can take place over a period of the next year, and finally, there are certain strategic initiatives that can only make sense when the groundwork is set properly.
Vendor contract review — this almost always pays for the engagement
We review every technology contract and subscription your business is running. In almost every engagement, we find redundant tools, expired promotional pricing that has silently converted to full rate, and contracts with unfavourable terms that nobody has renegotiated because nobody was responsible for doing it. The savings from vendor rationalisation typically cover the cost of the consulting engagement in the first year. Sometimes in the first month.
CTO-as-a-Service for businesses that need strategic leadership
If your business is at the stage where you need senior technology leadership but cannot yet justify a full-time CTO, we offer a retained advisory arrangement. A named Olfant technology director joins your leadership team on a part-time basis — sits in on board meetings, advises on major technology decisions, leads vendor negotiations, reviews the work of your technical team. It is not a project. It is an ongoing relationship, and it is priced accordingly.
This works particularly well for Series A to Series C companies that have a technical team but lack strategic oversight, and for traditional businesses going through a technology transformation where the board needs someone who can bridge the gap between commercial and technical.
How Do We Approach IT Consultancy
Audit
We have a first conversation — usually an hour — where you tell us what is working, what is not, and what you are trying to achieve. We ask a lot of questions. We do not pitch at this stage.
Strategy
We scope the engagement and agree a fixed price before any work begins. The scope covers the audit, the roadmap, and the stakeholder presentation. No surprises.
Plan
We conduct the audit over two to four weeks. This involves access to your systems, your contracts, and your people. We keep the disruption minimal.
Build
We produce the roadmap and present it to your leadership team. We walk through every finding, explain our reasoning, and take questions.
Optimize
If you want us to implement any part of the roadmap, we scope that separately. If you want to take the plan and run it internally or with another partner, that is completely fine.
Support
We are at your service for continuous support to maintain your IT infrastructure. Whether it’s addressing new problems or making changes and improvements to existing orders, we keep your technology safe, effective, and updated with your changing business requirements.
What our consulting clients have found
The most common reaction after an audit is surprise at how much redundant software and vendor spend is sitting in the business. The second most common is relief — because finally there is a clear picture of what needs fixing and in what order, rather than a constant background anxiety about what might be wrong.
A professional services firm discovered three vendor contracts they had been significantly overpaying on. None had been renegotiated within four years due to lack of accountability for the process. The savings generated in year one were approximately three times the cost of the consulting assignment.
A health technology start-up required a CTO-level viewpoint at board meetings but was not yet prepared to hire on a permanent basis. The advisory retainer agreement provided the necessary technical authority and strategic oversight to the founders.
What clients say
They found things in our infrastructure that we genuinely did not know were there — including a server that was six months from end of life and a security vulnerability that had been sitting open for over a year. The roadmap they produced was the first time we had a clear technology strategy rather than just a list of problems.
I needed someone who could sit in a board meeting and explain technology decisions in commercial terms. Olfant's advisory arrangement has been exactly that. The founders trust the technical advice because it comes with the context of someone who understands what we are trying to build commercially.
We have used consultants previously who delivered a brilliant presentation but disappeared after that. Olfant stuck around even through the implementation phase. Whenever anything went wrong — and there were some things that did go wrong — they told us the truth about it and put it right.
Frequently Asked Questions
Infrastructure assessment, risk evaluation, technology strategy roadmap, assessment of any vendor agreements, presentation to the relevant stakeholders, and assistance during the implementation stage if you wish. All for a fixed fee.
The audit and technology roadmap will take anywhere from three to six weeks to complete. The implementation phase takes between six and 24 months.
Yes. All our consulting work is delivered remotely. We use secure video conferencing and shared workspaces. The quality of the output is the same as if we were in the office with you.
No. The roadmap is yours. You can implement it with whoever you choose. Most clients use us — because we already know their environment — but there is no obligation and no pressure.
Book a free technology assessment
We will review your current IT setup and give you an honest picture of the top three risks and opportunities — in writing, within five business days. No charge. No obligation.
Book Free IT Assessment