Fractional CIO

For businesses that have outgrown break-fix IT but do not need, or cannot justify, a full-time IT director. Scope and price are agreed after your assessment.

Who it is for

A fractional CIO usually makes sense when technology has become important to how the business runs, but nobody senior owns it. Common signs:

• IT decisions are made by whoever is closest to the problem, often the finance director or an operations lead
• Your managed service provider sets the agenda, and you have no independent view of whether its advice is right
• Technology spend keeps rising and you cannot say clearly what it buys
• A client, insurer or auditor is asking security questions you struggle to answer
• A larger change is coming, such as a cloud move, an acquisition or an AI rollout, and it needs someone to lead it

How it works

The work starts with an assessment, so the first conversations are about facts rather than opinions. From there we agree a regular rhythm that fits the business: typically a set number of days a month, with time for leadership meetings, supplier reviews and the planning work in between.

In the first few months the focus is usually a roadmap everyone agrees on, a clear view of spend, and a working relationship with your suppliers based on agreed measures. After that it becomes steady ownership: keeping the roadmap current, challenging proposals and reporting progress to the board.

What you get

• One accountable senior person for technology decisions
• A roadmap and budget you can explain to the board and your bank
• Supplier proposals reviewed independently before you sign
• Plain-English reporting on risk, cost and progress

What it is not

A fractional CIO does not replace your IT support desk or managed service provider. The role is to direct and hold that work to account, not to reset passwords. Advice is scoped and priced separately from any licence sale, so recommendations are not tied to what you buy.