Retained Advisory
Continuing access to experienced technology advice for organisations whose own people own the technology agenda, from people who already know the environment.
Some organisations already have someone making technology decisions and want an experienced external perspective on vendors, designs and risks. Starting a new consulting engagement for each question is slow, and the adviser has to rediscover the environment every time.
Advice and challenge, not ownership of the agenda
The client remains responsible for its technology agenda. Ryoss provides continuing advice, review and challenge as questions arise, and keeps enough context about systems and previous decisions that the same environment does not have to be rediscovered each time.
Retained advisory keeps the organisation's own people in charge of the agenda. Where Ryoss is expected to make continuing executive technology decisions, coordinate priorities and carry broader leadership responsibility, Fractional CTO is the better fit. Delivery work that grows beyond minor advisory tasks is scoped separately.
When this comes up
An internal technology lead wants a second opinion
Someone already makes the decisions and wants an experienced outside view before committing.
Senior questions arise irregularly but repeatedly
There is not enough steady work for a full engagement, but the same kind of question keeps returning.
Proposals need periodic outside scrutiny
Vendor proposals and technical designs benefit from review by someone independent.
The same environment keeps being re-explained
Each separate engagement starts by describing the systems and history all over again.
What we do
The arrangement may be based on an agreed time allowance or area of responsibility.
Answer technical and commercial questions
Questions about platforms, suppliers, designs and risk are answered with knowledge of the environment.
Review proposals, designs and recommendations
Vendor proposals and internal designs are reviewed before they become commitments.
Challenge assumptions before commitments
Assumptions behind a major decision are tested while changing course is still cheap.
Flag when an issue needs its own project
When a question has grown large enough, we say so and scope a separate project or formal review.
What you end up with
Advice from people who know the environment
Answers that build on earlier decisions instead of starting from scratch each time.
Recommendations on record
Important advice written down, so the reasoning is available later.
A clear line between advice and delivery
Work that grows beyond advice is scoped as a project, so the retainer stays what it was agreed to be.
How a typical engagement works
01Arrangement
Agree the arrangement
We settle the time allowance or area of responsibility and how questions are raised.
02Context
Build the context
We learn the systems, decisions and constraints that advice will rest on.
03Advise
Advise as questions arise
Questions are answered, proposals reviewed and risks raised as they come up.
04Escalate
Scope larger work separately
When a question grows into a project or a formal review, it is scoped separately from the retainer.
05Review
Review the arrangement
The allowance and scope are reviewed so the retainer keeps matching how much advice is used.
Frequently Asked Questions
Start with a conversation
Book a free 15 minute call. Describe the problem, the systems involved and what you already know, and we will tell you plainly whether we can help and what a sensible next step looks like. There is no obligation.