IT Consulting

Fractional CIO for SMEs: a part-time IT director

Develift offers a fractional CIO service for SMEs: an IT director works with your business on a part-time basis to define your digital strategy, prioritise investments and manage your projects, all at a controlled cost. We also support your digital transformation, whatever your sector.

Speak to a consultant Discover our approach

Hand pointing to links in a solution diagram on an interactive screen during a meeting

IT leadership sized for an SME

In most SMEs, IT has grown piecemeal as needs arose: a management system here, a collaboration tool there, several suppliers and no overall vision. The managing director is left alone to make technical decisions that commit the business for years.

Scattered IT spending that is hard to control
Data poorly shared between departments
Security and compliance risks not properly assessed

Hiring a full-time IT director is not always justified. A fractional CIO meets this need: an IT director works with you part-time, drives the company's digital strategy and represents your interests with suppliers.

Discuss your situation →

Fractional CIO for SMEs: what your business gains

Outsourced IT leadership gives senior management a single point of contact who links technical choices to the company's business priorities.

Controlled costs

You benefit from IT leadership expertise without the cost of a full-time position. Your IT budget is monitored and justified.

A strategy aligned with your objectives

IT projects are prioritised according to their contribution to the business, not according to what suppliers propose.

Better-managed risks

Data security, backups, business continuity and regulatory compliance are assessed and addressed in a structured way.

A single point of contact

Your fractional CIO coordinates your suppliers, negotiates contracts and checks the quality of deliverables on your behalf.

Modernised processes

Repetitive tasks are identified and automated to free up your teams' time.

Informed decisions

You gain a clear view of your information systems so you can make investment decisions with full knowledge of the facts.

A woman's hand pointing to charts on a laptop in front of a client

Two areas of expertise: IT leadership and digital transformation

Develift designs and runs its own business software. This day-to-day experience of IT projects underpins two consulting services, open to SMEs in every sector.

Fractional CIO

Drawing up and monitoring your IT strategy roadmap
Prioritising investments and controlling the IT budget
Selecting and managing suppliers
Information system security and compliance

Digital transformation

Analysing your processes and identifying potential gains
Selecting and integrating the right digital tools
Going paperless, including preparing for e-invoicing
Supporting your teams through change

The goal remains the same: to modernise your processes and strengthen value creation across the business.

Review your project →

Our approach

Every engagement starts with understanding your business before making any technical recommendation.

Scoping discussion

We work with senior management to understand your challenges, constraints and priorities.
Information system audit

An inventory of your tools, contracts, data flows and existing risks.
Roadmap

A prioritised, costed action plan agreed with you, project by project.
Ongoing management

Your fractional CIO oversees implementation, coordinates suppliers and reports regularly to senior management.

Frequently asked questions about fractional CIOs and IT consulting

What is the difference between a fractional CIO and an IT service provider?

An IT service provider delivers technical services: maintenance, hosting, development. A fractional CIO holds a leadership role: they define the strategy, prioritise investments and manage suppliers on the company's behalf. They have no interest in selling you one solution over another, which ensures recommendations are based solely on your needs.

My company isn't in the lift industry. Can you still help?

Yes. Although Develift publishes software for lift companies, its fractional CIO and digital transformation services are aimed at SMEs in every sector. The challenges of managing IT, controlling costs, ensuring security and modernising processes are common to most businesses, whatever their activity.

How is the fractional CIO's time commitment determined?

The level of involvement is agreed with you during scoping, based on the size of your information systems and your current projects. It can change over time: more intensive during a transformation phase, lighter once your tools are stable. You only pay for the time that genuinely benefits your business.

Does the fractional CIO replace my current suppliers?

No, they coordinate them. Your fractional CIO assesses the quality of the services provided, checks that contracts match your needs and advises you if a change would make sense. Your suppliers have a single technical point of contact, and senior management is relieved of the day-to-day follow-up of IT matters.

Where should a digital transformation start?

With an analysis of your processes rather than the choice of a tool. We identify time-consuming tasks, duplicate data entry and information lost between departments, then prioritise workstreams according to their impact on the business. This approach avoids piling up software that doesn't talk to each other.

How is the cost of a consulting engagement determined?

The cost depends on the scope of the engagement and the agreed level of involvement. After an initial discussion to understand your context, we send you a detailed proposal. You know exactly what you are committing to before work begins, making it easier to fit the engagement into your budget.

Give your IT a clear direction

Tell us about your business and your projects. Together, we will assess whether a fractional CIO or digital transformation support is right for you.

Contact Develift