“That’s been one of my mantras – focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.“

~ Steve Jobs – Co-founder of Apple, who returned later and took Apple from nearly bankrupt to the highest valued firm on Earth

Special Areas of Focus:

• Industries: we target several core business segments where we have deeper experience:
  • Health Care:  We all know how much Health Care is changing.   The government is driving a lot of it with ACA, meaningful use, required use of EHR’s, exchanging patient data, patient satisfaction and more.  Plus changes from patient’s expectations, more competition, consolidation, new therapies, medical devices and compliance.  We have experience working with hospitals, providers, facilities, vendors, medical device manufacturing & support firms.  We lead our client’s initiative that hit meaningful use and increased their bottom line by $9M+ in < 2 years!
  • Financial Services:  Experienced with firms that provide focused solutions and those growing toward a full spectrum financial services model.  Expertise working with Property, Casualty, Life & Health Insurance, Payment Processing, Banks, Credit Unions, Investment, Financial Planning firms and their vendors.
  • Technology:  Our world has become highly technology driven.  And technology dependent.  Bringing new technology to market is vastly different than being an internal IT department.  Much higher risk.  And reward.  Vendors need to develop competitive solutions that customers will gladly pay for, after the work is complete!  Internal IT customers typically foot the bill and hope the solution will meet their needs.  Leadership experience in product management, marketing and sales of software and hardware solutions, development, integration, intellectual property, value added resellers (VARs), service, support and call centers.  It this arena, the role is expanded and often called a CTO (Chief Technology Officer).
  • Centers of Influence:  Knowledge workers have vastly different areas of expertise.  But have many aspects in common as well.  Fields including legal, accounting, advisers & consulting.

• Organizations: we have created real value for very different sized organizations, tailoring solutions to meet their unique needs:
  • Small & Medium Business: SMB’s are often challenged in these areas because they struggle to find or afford the leadership, vision and capability to deliver better ROI & alignment for people, process & technology.  However, SMB’s are the major drivers of new products, jobs and economic growth.  Our fractional CIO services help this crucial segment to compete and grow more effectively.  Particularly so for start-up or growth stage firms.  Similarly, most of these firms have their own outside accounting, legal & banking advisers.  These firms typically have a small, tactical IT staff, little if any process improvement expertise and probably no real visionary or C level leadership like a CIO.  Which is exactly what we can do for your firm.
  • Industry Leaders:  Major national and international firms have huge economies of scale.  But still struggle making sure their investments, processes and technology are aligned to the strategy and enable top & bottom line growth.  Plus, these firms are impacted much more by M&A, reorganization, international pressures like outsourcing with the resulting language and time challenges.  Delivering successfully in firms from a $250M to $150B has its own unique nuances and leverage points.

• Geography: Working with national and international firms is rewarding.  But, our primary focus is on firms based or operating in Wisconsin & the Midwest.  Better lifestyle.  Paying it Forward.