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Plan (Strategic Advisory)

Strategic IT advisory SOPs for roadmapping, optimization, and vendor selection

Overview

Standard operating procedures for the PLAN pillar, covering strategic advisory, technology planning, cost optimization, vendor selection, and M&A due diligence services.

Services

Service SOP Typical Duration Deliverable
vCTO/vCISO Engagement vcto-vciso-engagement-sop.md Ongoing monthly Strategic guidance
IT Strategy Development it-strategy-sop.md 4-6 weeks Strategic roadmap
Technology Roadmapping tech-roadmap-sop.md 3-4 weeks 3-5 year roadmap
Budget Optimization budget-optimization-sop.md 2-3 weeks Cost reduction plan
Vendor Selection vendor-selection-sop.md 2-4 weeks Vendor scorecard, recommendation
M&A Due Diligence ma-due-diligence-sop.md 2-4 weeks Due diligence report

SOP Inventory

SOP Purpose Pricing Reference
vcto-vciso-engagement-sop.md Fractional technology leadership $3,000-$8,000/month
it-strategy-sop.md IT strategy development $15,000-$35,000
tech-roadmap-sop.md Technology roadmapping $10,000-$25,000
budget-optimization-sop.md IT cost optimization $8,000-$20,000
vendor-selection-sop.md Technology vendor evaluation $8,000-$15,000
ma-due-diligence-sop.md M&A technology due diligence $15,000-$40,000

Service Delivery Framework

vCTO/vCISO Engagement Model

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                   vCTO/vCISO ENGAGEMENT MODEL                    │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                  │
│  MONTHLY ENGAGEMENT (10-20 hours)                               │
│  ├── Strategic planning sessions (4-8 hours)                    │
│  ├── Vendor management and negotiations                         │
│  ├── Project oversight and guidance                             │
│  ├── Team mentoring and development                             │
│  ├── Board/leadership reporting                                 │
│  └── Ad-hoc advisory and escalation support                     │
│                                                                  │
│  QUARTERLY DELIVERABLES                                         │
│  ├── Quarterly Business Review (QBR)                            │
│  ├── Technology roadmap updates                                 │
│  ├── Budget and forecast review                                 │
│  └── Strategic recommendations                                  │
│                                                                  │
│  ANNUAL DELIVERABLES                                            │
│  ├── Annual IT strategy refresh                                 │
│  ├── Budget planning for next fiscal year                       │
│  └── Technology assessment and benchmarking                     │
│                                                                  │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

IT Strategy Development Process

Phase 1: Discovery (1-2 weeks)
├── Stakeholder interviews
├── Technology inventory
├── Process assessment
└── Pain point identification

Phase 2: Analysis (1-2 weeks)
├── Gap analysis
├── Industry benchmarking
├── Option evaluation
└── Cost modeling

Phase 3: Strategy Development (2-3 weeks)
├── Vision and objectives
├── 3-5 year roadmap
├── Investment plan
└── Implementation priorities

Phase 4: Presentation (1 week)
├── Executive presentation
├── Stakeholder alignment
└── Implementation planning

Key Deliverables

Deliverable Format Purpose
IT Strategy Document Document (30-50 pages) Strategic direction
Technology Roadmap Document + Timeline 3-5 year plan
Budget Analysis Spreadsheet + Report Cost optimization
Vendor Scorecard Evaluation Matrix Selection support
Due Diligence Report Document (40-60 pages) M&A decision support
Board Presentation Slides (15-20) Executive communication

Success Metrics

Metric Target Measurement
Strategy Adoption 85%+ recommendations implemented Follow-up review
Cost Savings Identified 20-40% of IT spend Budget analysis
Client Satisfaction 4.5+/5.0 Post-engagement survey
On-Time Delivery 95%+ Milestone tracking
Engagement Renewal 80%+ Annual retention

Target Personas

Persona Primary Need Value Case
Solo IT Director Strategic partnership Expert backup
CFO/Controller Cost optimization Budget management
CTO/VP Engineering Strategic alignment Leadership support
Service Business Owner Technology guidance Business enablement

Integration with Other Services

Service Integration Value
Cloud Migration Strategy to execution Roadmap implementation
Cloud Operations Ongoing management Operational excellence
Risk Assessment Security strategy Risk management
Process Automation Efficiency gains Cost reduction

Last Updated: February 2026 SOPs: 6