the basics
it & architecture health check
current state, risks, target architecture, roadmap
a clear-eyed view of where you are is the foundation of any successful transformation. we conduct a thorough assessment of your current technology estate - evaluating systems, integrations, data flows, and team capabilities - to surface risks, inefficiencies, and gaps that may be holding your business back. from that baseline we define a target architecture aligned to your commercial goals, and deliver a prioritised, realistic roadmap that gives your teams and stakeholders a shared direction of travel. below are a few examples of what a review could contain.
kick-off and scoping — agree the boundaries of the assessment, key stakeholders to involve, and systems in scope
stakeholder interviews — structured conversations with technology, data, and business leads to understand pain points, priorities, and strategic intent
technical discovery — review of existing architecture documentation, integration maps, cloud accounts, and data flows
risk and gap analysis — identify and rate risks across security, resilience, scalability, and data integrity
security posture review — assess identity and access management, network boundaries, data classification, and exposure to external threat vectors, including any AI or agentic systems that have been granted access to critical infrastructure
target architecture definition — help design a future-state architecture aligned to commercial goals and realistic constraints
roadmap development — sequence the journey from current to target state into prioritised, costed phases
findings presentation — structured readout to senior stakeholders with clear recommendations and next steps
cost optimisation review
cloud spend analysis, SaaS duplication, vendor renegotiation
technology spend in retail has a habit of growing faster than the value it delivers. we analyse your cloud consumption, licensing agreements, and SaaS portfolio to identify where money is being wasted - whether that's oversized infrastructure, duplicated tooling, or contracts that no longer reflect your actual usage. the output is a concrete set of recommendations, including vendor renegotiation strategies, that typically uncover significant savings without compromising capability or performance. below are a few examples of what a review could contain.
spend data collection — gather cloud billing exports, SaaS contracts, and software licensing agreements
consumption analysis — map actual usage against what is being paid for across cloud, SaaS, and on-premise tooling
duplication mapping — identify overlapping tools and platforms performing the same or similar functions
security and compliance overlay — review SaaS and cloud tools against data residency, access control, and compliance requirements
benchmarking — compare current pricing and contract terms against market rates and comparable organisations
savings identification — quantify and prioritise opportunities across rightsizing, rationalisation, and renegotiation
renegotiation strategy — prepare vendor-specific negotiation briefs with evidence, leverage points, and target outcomes
optimisation roadmap — deliver a phased plan of actions with indicative savings attached to each initiative
target architecture design
platform blueprint, integration patterns, vendor selection
building the right platform from the outset saves years of costly rework. we work with your teams to design a blueprint for your future technology landscape - defining the right integration patterns, data architecture, and platform components to support your digital and AI ambitions at scale. vendor selection is grounded in your specific context, not generic market rankings, ensuring the choices you make today remain sound as your business evolves. below are a few examples of what a design could contain.
business context and goals — understand the commercial strategy, growth plans, and key capabilities the architecture must support
current state assessment — document existing platforms, integrations, and data flows to establish the baseline
constraints and principles — agree the design principles, budget parameters, and non-negotiables that will shape decisions
options development — produce two or three credible architectural options with trade-offs clearly articulated
security architecture design — define the security model for the target architecture, covering identity and access management, data encryption, api security, and the governance framework required for any AI or agentic components
vendor and technology selection — evaluate candidate platforms and tools against defined criteria, independent of vendor influence
blueprint production — document the agreed target architecture including integration patterns, data flows, and platform components
transition planning — define the sequenced path from current to target state, identifying dependencies, risks, and quick wins
programme rescue
governance reset, delivery structure, stakeholder management
when a programme has lost momentum, confidence, or direction, the path back requires more than a plan - it requires a reset. we step in to stabilise delivery by establishing clear governance, restructuring workstreams, and rebuilding trust with stakeholders who may have lost faith in the process. with a focus on pragmatic, visible progress, we help teams move from firefighting to forward motion, recovering value from what has already been invested while setting the programme up for long-term success. below are a few examples of what a reset could involve.
rapid assessment — structured review of programme status, governance, finances, and stakeholder sentiment within the first two weeks
root cause analysis — identify the underlying causes of programme distress, distinguishing symptoms from the real issues
stakeholder mapping — assess the state of key relationships across business, technology, and third-party suppliers
security risk review — assess whether programme distress has created security gaps — rushed deployments, poorly governed access, or third-party suppliers with broader system access than intended, including any AI tooling introduced without formal security sign-off
governance redesign — establish or rebuild decision-making structures, accountabilities, and escalation paths
delivery restructure — rebaseline the plan, resequence workstreams, and introduce realistic milestones with clear ownership
supplier and contract review — assess third-party performance against contractual obligations and identify levers for improvement
stabilisation and handover — embed the new ways of working, rebuild internal confidence, and transition ownership back to the programme team