Board Guidance
Companies spend anywhere from 3% - 10% of their gross revenue on technology hardware, software and services. Is the money well spent? Increasingly, mega enterprise projects are launched by technologists who may or may not completely understand the investment’s connection with overall corporate strategy. It is not unusual for a large enterprise to spend well in excess of a billion dollars a year on technology; some of the largest enterprises spend many billions every year on computing and communications technology.
What kind of guidance do senior (non-technology) executives receive about the prudence of large technology investments? Who provides oversight to boards of directors who frequently receive only minimal amounts of information about huge technology investments? What about macro technology trends? Who keeps boards abreast of major developments in the structure of the technology industry and the way the industry is changing?
I provide such insight to senior executives and boards faced with large technology challenges or technology acquisition plans. I also provide M&A guidance to senior management and directors about the implications of technology after a merger or acquisition.
One of the roles that I play is contract oversight where large contracts have been given to large consultancies and where senior management and the board of directors have questions about the work being performed, the status of major projects, and the risks connected with vendor under-performance.
The forms of this guidance can be a consulting engagement, a seminar or even a day or two of best practice discussions among the senior team.