IT Consulting · Canada
Service group: Managed ITClear technology decisions, written down and costed
When you face a decision bigger than a support ticket, such as replacing a server, choosing software, opening a new office or planning next year’s budget, our consultants assess your environment and deliver practical, prioritized recommendations you can act on.
At a glance
- Service
- Advisory and planning engagements on technology decisions, delivered as scoped projects
- Best suited to
- Leaders of Canadian organizations with roughly 5 to 200 employees facing a technology decision or plan
- Typical deliverables
- Current-state assessment, prioritized recommendations, roadmap, budget estimate and decision briefings
- Not included by default
- Implementation work, which is quoted separately after recommendations are accepted
- Pricing basis
- Fixed-scope packages or project quotes; figures are proposals confirmed in a written quotation
- Referrals
- Enterprise cloud architecture to CloudArchitects.expert; custom software, AI agents and automation to Mars Innovation Technology
- How to start
- Book a consultation or a One-Day IT Consultation
What our IT consulting covers
IT consulting is advice, not operations. Where managed IT keeps your systems running day to day, consulting helps you decide what to change and in what order. An engagement starts with a specific question, such as whether to keep an on-premises server, how to structure Microsoft 365 licensing, what a new office needs, or how much to budget for device replacement, and ends with written recommendations, cost ranges and a sequence of steps.
Consulting is available whether or not you have a support plan with us. Some clients use it to prepare before choosing a provider; others use it alongside an internal IT person who needs a second opinion. We give a frank view of options, including ones that do not involve us, and we refer work outside our focus, such as enterprise multi-cloud architecture or custom software development, to our sister brands.
Questions consulting helps answer
Our server is ageing. What now?
Replace it, move to Microsoft 365 and SharePoint, or adopt a hosted option? Each path has different costs, risks and disruption.
We don’t know what IT should cost
Leadership has no baseline for licences, hardware refresh and support, so budgets are guesses and every purchase is a surprise.
We’ve grown past our setup
Tools chosen for ten people are straining at fifty, but nobody has mapped what should change first.
Choosing between vendors
Competing proposals for software, phone systems or internet use different terms, making a fair comparison difficult.
Consulting capabilities
Current-state assessment
A documented review of users, devices, Microsoft 365, servers, network, backup and security, with risks ranked by business impact.
Technology roadmap
A prioritized 12 to 36 month plan of projects and replacements, sequenced around your business calendar.
Budget planning
Estimated recurring and one-time costs for licences, hardware, support and projects, to support annual budgeting.
Microsoft 365 planning
Licensing reviews, tenant structure, file storage strategy and security configuration choices explained in business terms.
Vendor and software selection
Requirements gathering, comparison of proposals and questions to ask before you sign a contract.
Project scoping
Turning a goal such as an office move or server retirement into a defined, estimated project plan.
Consulting scope
Each engagement has its own written scope and deliverables.
Typically included
- Interviews with leadership and key staff
- Review of systems, documentation, contracts and licensing
- A written report with prioritized recommendations
- Cost ranges for recommended options
- A roadmap or project plan where scoped
- A briefing session to walk through findings
Requires separate scope or quotation
- Implementation of recommendations
- Hardware, software and licence purchases
- Legal, financial or regulatory compliance advice
- Enterprise multi-cloud architecture, referred to CloudArchitects.expert
- Custom software, AI agents and automation, referred to Mars Innovation Technology
Areas we advise on
Our advice focuses on the technology small and mid-sized Canadian organizations depend on.
- Microsoft 365 licensing, tenant design and file storage strategy
- Microsoft Entra ID identity, MFA and conditional access approach
- On-premises Windows Server versus cloud and hybrid options
- Device standards, Intune and replacement cycles
- Business network, firewall and Wi-Fi design
- Backup and recovery strategy for servers and Microsoft 365
- Phone, internet and line-of-business software selection
Who engages us for consulting
Owners facing a big decision
Leaders who need an independent view before committing to a server replacement, a new system or an office move.
Finance and operations leaders
People responsible for budgets who want a defensible technology plan and cost forecast.
Internal IT staff
IT generalists who want a second opinion or help presenting a proposal to leadership.
What you get from consulting
- Decisions grounded in a documented view of your environment
- Recommendations ranked by risk and business impact
- A budget you can defend to owners or a board
- Projects sequenced to avoid disruption at busy times
- Fairer comparisons between competing vendor proposals
- A plan you can implement with us, your own team or another provider
How a consulting engagement runs
Define the question
We agree the decision or plan you need, who is involved, and what the deliverable should look like.
Scope and quote
You receive a written scope with deliverables, timeline and a fixed or estimated fee.
Discovery
We interview stakeholders and review systems, contracts and documentation.
Analysis and recommendations
We compare options, estimate costs and prepare a written report and roadmap.
Briefing and next steps
We walk your team through findings and, if you choose, scope implementation separately.
Ways to buy consulting
Start small or go deep. All engagements are confirmed in a written quotation.
One-Day IT Consultation
A focused day on a specific question, ending with written recommendations.
One-Month IT Architecture and Review Package
A broader review of your environment with a roadmap and budget guidance.
Fixed-scope assessments
The IT Infrastructure Health Check or Microsoft 365 Tenant Review for a defined area.
Frequently asked questions
Do we need a managed IT plan to hire you for consulting?
No. Consulting is available on its own. You can use it to plan before deciding how your IT should be supported.
Will you just recommend your own services?
Recommendations are based on your situation. Where another approach, your own team or a different provider fits better, the report says so.
Can you help with large cloud or custom software projects?
We advise on the technology small and mid-sized organizations run. Enterprise cloud architecture is referred to CloudArchitects.expert, and custom software, AI agents and automation to Mars Innovation Technology.
How long does an engagement take?
A one-day consultation covers a focused question. Broader reviews run over several weeks. The timeline is set in your written scope.
How is consulting priced?
Through fixed-scope packages or project quotes. Published figures are proposals; your written quotation confirms the final price.
Related services
Products and packages
Industries we support
Service areas
Bring us the decision you’ve been putting off
Book a consultation to describe the question you need answered. We will propose a written scope and deliverables before work begins.