Helping you to enhance your organisation's performance by helping you create a development path for your business or project. "Turning Acorns into Oaks."
System Selection - Platt & Hill Limited
Platt & Hill Limited, an independent company, specialising in the manufacture of products primarily for the furniture trade, commissioned us to select a replacement for their existing ERP system.More Info
IT Strategy & Systems Selection - Ferranti Technologies Limited
Ferranti Technologies Limited, a world-class supplier of electronic, electrical and electro-mechanical equipment, commissioned us to undertake an IT Strategy Study, followed by a Systems Selection.More Info
IT Strategy - a Stately Home
This 18th Century stately home is now run by a Trust. We were commissioned to produce an IT Strategy to enable evolution from a series of separate systems to an integrated suite of systems.More Info
Selection of Software Developer - Dyson Insulations Limited
Dyson Insulations Limited, which specialises in cavity wall and roof insulation, and home heating systems, commissioned us to select a software developer to develop new applications systems.More Info
Services which we offer
Services which we offer
Introduction
We are a professional management consultancy, specialising in both Business and IT consultancy. On this page, we provide details of:
- our major lines of business and areas of expertise;
- our <a href="#Approach">approach to work</a>;
- our basis for charging;
- what to do if you have a situation or problem that needs addressing.
Whilst we can undertake a wide range of projects, a small range of project types accounts for the majority of our work. Accordingly, we have provided details of each of these types of project, elsewhere on this web-site, including typical terms of reference, and guidance on the effort and timescale involved, for your information. Please note, however, that this is not a formal proposal, or invitation to treat, as we would wish to discuss your requirements in detail before we could submit a proposal. The types of project, are:
- I.T. Strategy
- I.T. /Computer Systems Selection – ERP is, currently, the most popular;
We provided a number of brief case-studies, and a range of downloadable documents. For these, please follow the links from the Home Page.
Expertise and Types of Business
The major activity of this consultancy is undertaking projects on behalf of clients, but we also provide advice, in a variety of other forms, addressing similar topics. Our main areas of business are:
Strategic Business Consultancy
This covers such topics as:
- Corporate Strategy Studies – where the organisation is now, where it could be, and how to make the transition;
- Business Planning – as above, but more detailed including SWOT, PEST, and other analyses;
- Business Continuity Planning, which used to be called Contingency and Disaster Planning – a clearly thought out strategy on what to do if essential parts of the business, or key individuals, cease to be available, whether temporarily, or permanently;
- Mentoring;
- Succession Planning;
and has spread into areas such as helping business owners decide how to hand a family business on to the next generation.
Strategic IT Consultancy
This covers such topics as:
- Corporate IT Strategic Studies – what services should be provided where, by whom, and using which suppliers;
- Selecting and implementing ERP, CRM, and MIS systems (we have also selected much else such as payroll, time and attendance, technical support etc.);
- Project Management;
- Systems Implementation;
- Business Continuity Planning;
- Departmental Performance and Resource review;
- Locum / Interim Management;
- General IT advice;
- Mentoring on any of the above, or other, more general, topics;
and has spread into other areas such as the IT element of Due Diligence Reviews, for potential investors, and expert witness advice
Assistance with Procedures
This covers such topics as:
- ISO 9000;
- ISO 14000;
- Investors in People;
and has spread into linked areas such as combining Business Planning with IIP. We are also starting to move into other areas of procedures.
<a name="Approach">Approach to work</a>
We believe that the work, to be undertaken, should be properly defined, and agreed, before any chargeable effort is spent. This ensures that both parties agree on the roles and responsibilities of all parties, including what work is to be undertaken, by whom, and what the expected outcomes are. Accordingly, we would expect to discuss the project, in some detail, with any prospective client, before preparing suggested terms of reference. For prospective clients located in the UK, with non-trivial requirements, we would expect to visit the client's premises, for up to half a day, to discuss the requirements and assess the situation.
Basis for charging
We normally charge for the time, spent working on a project, plus expenses incurred - commonly referred to as a 'Time and Materials' contract although, in certain circumstances, we are prepared to consider fixed price, or profit-sharing arrangements. VAT is charged at the current rate on both fees and expenses. Our fee rates, which are negotiable, vary depending on the type of work, and the expertise required.
Specific Assistance
If there is some form of assistance which you require, which need not be related to any of the advice offered on this site, please contact us, or send an e-mail to enquiries@quercetum.co.uk
Please provide full details of the problem, and the assistance which you require, as well as details of how to contact you. We will then contact you with details of what we can do to help you, and guidance on the level of any costs, which would be incurred, if you wish us to proceed. We would then want to follow this up with a conversation, with you, to clarify your requirements and our response. We make no charge until we have agreed a proposal with our clients.