Service

System selection, tenders and review

An independent review before you sign, so platform decisions hold up over time.

Relevant when

A major system decision or tender is coming up, or a programme isn't delivering what was promised
The analysis so far has come from the bidders
Customisation has built up and upgrades have become something to dread
You rely on an ISV solution but can't see far enough into its roadmap
A programme is slipping and the technical explanations have stopped convincing

Choosing systems and platforms

This rests on 25 years with the Microsoft platform: Dynamics 365, Dataverse and Power Platform. I know where each part works well and where it stops working, and knowing that before you start saves a great deal.

The biggest questions are rarely technical. The boundaries between systems depend on who owns which data and who runs which processes, not on licensing. Licensing, ALM and accumulated customisation then decide whether upgrades are routine or dreaded, and they rarely come up in a sales meeting.

I serve no vendor. Where another platform, a custom build or doing nothing is the better answer, I say so and show the reasoning. When the answer is Microsoft, it is a reasoned answer, not a default.

Building on an ISV solution

An industry solution from an ISV gives you a lot: domain depth, a shared upgrade path and a partner who knows your sector. In return you get a chain, Microsoft, the ISV and your own extensions, and it moves no faster than its slowest link. That is a fair trade, but it needs to be weighed as a whole.

I have sat on the other side of the table, responsible for a roadmap many customers were waiting on. The ones who got the most out of the relationship arrived with a clear description of their needs and knew which processes set them apart. I help you arrive that way. I also work for software houses, but never on both sides of the same matter.

Review, procurement and tender support

Organisations often commit to a design that nobody has reviewed except the party proposing it. An independent review tests the design against the business requirements, shows where the risk actually sits, and puts it in terms a steering group can act on.

In a tender the work starts earlier. A requirement specification written around the current system, or in one vendor's vocabulary, decides the outcome in advance. I help write specifications that describe what the business must be able to do, and evaluation criteria that tell proposals apart on substance.

What you get

Solution architecture built on capability and process, not feature lists
An assessment of platform fit, including licensing and constraints
A map of what you depend on and how fast each link moves
A review with findings ranked by risk and clear remediation options
Tender specifications that describe needs, not the current system

Scope

Architecture review

One to three weeks. A review of a proposed design or proposal, with findings ranked by risk.

Platform assessment

Three to six weeks. Options, cost and consequences, through to a reasoned recommendation.

Procurement support

Follows the procurement timeline, from requirement specification through proposal evaluation.

Solution architecture

Two to four months, through to a delivery-ready design.

Short-notice second opinion

Days rather than weeks, when a decision or milestone is imminent.

Does this sound familiar?

Where do things stand for you? The first conversation costs nothing and usually leaves the question clearer, whether or not it leads to a project.

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