Operational diligence
Board reporting
Technology, reported in language the board can act on.
Duration
Two to three weeks, plus a six-month check-in
Fee shape
Fixed fee for the rewrite, the check-in scoped separately
Suits
Quarterly board cycles where the technology paper has stopped earning its place
Typical client size
£15m to £100m revenue, technology spend above £1m
Most technology board reports are either too long or too defensive
They explain why the previous quarter happened rather than what the next quarter requires. They mix operational metrics with strategic position. They are written by the people running the technology function for an audience that does not run it. The result is a paper the board reads, files, and stops engaging with.
It usually comes to a head with a new Chair, a new CFO, an incoming owner or investor asking for a different shape of reporting, or the existing CTO recognising the paper has lost its grip and wanting an outside view on how to fix it.
What I assess
A rewrite of the technology section of the board pack. Three parts:
- A one-page format the CTO or Head of IT can maintain
- A working set of six to eight KPIs chosen for what they need to tell the board rather than for what is easy to measure
- A maintenance discipline that keeps the format consistent across a year
This engagement suits businesses where the technology function is established but the board paper has stopped earning its place. It also suits businesses under new ownership where the owner has asked for a different shape of reporting and the internal team does not know where to start.
What you get
- A one-page board report format, designed for the specific business
- Six to eight KPIs with definitions, data sources and update cadence
- A written rationale for the format, suitable for sharing with the Chair and MD before adoption
- A call to walk the CTO or Head of IT through the maintenance discipline
- A six-month check-in to review whether the format is still earning its place
Delivery
Week one: review of the last four quarters of board papers and a short discovery with the CTO and CFO. Four to five hours of internal time.
Week two: drafting the format and the KPI set, with one round of input from the executive sponsor.
Week three: final format, walk-through, and rationale document.
Six months later: half-day check-in against the format in use.
Fees and duration
Fixed fee for the rewrite. The six-month check-in scoped separately.