// Service 06 · Strategic Advisory //

TECHNOLOGY
CONSULTING

Strategic technology advice that's aligned to your business — not to a vendor's sales quota. We help you choose the right tools, build the right roadmap, and avoid expensive mistakes before you make them.

Get a Free ConsultationAll Services
M365
Ecosystem Specialists
10+
Years Experience
SA
Business Focused
What We Do

WHAT WE ADVISE ON

Technology decisions that affect your business for years. We bring the Microsoft ecosystem expertise and practical implementation experience to give you advice that actually translates into results.

IT Roadmapping

A structured technology roadmap that maps your current state, defines your target state, and lays out the sequence of initiatives — prioritised by business impact and implementation effort. Not a wish list. A plan.

Tool & Platform Selection

Impartial analysis of technology options for your specific requirement. We have no vendor relationships that bias our recommendations — we tell you which tool actually fits your situation, not which one pays the highest commission.

Architecture Review

Review of your current technology architecture — identifying security gaps, integration bottlenecks, scalability limits, and unnecessary cost. We produce a findings report with prioritised recommendations.

Microsoft Ecosystem Strategy

You're likely underusing what you're already paying for in Microsoft 365. We audit your current M365 usage and show you exactly which Power Platform, Teams, SharePoint, and security features would give you the most business value.

Digital Transformation Planning

For businesses ready to modernise — we help you sequence the transformation: what to automate first, which processes to digitise, how to build internal capability, and how to manage the change with your team.

Vendor & Contract Review

Review of existing technology vendor contracts, SLAs, and pricing. We identify where you're overpaying, where you're under-protected, and what renegotiations or switches would improve your position.

Full Delivery

WHAT'S INCLUDED

A consulting engagement with BlakFire delivers a concrete, actionable output — not a slide deck full of generic frameworks.

Discovery Session (2–3 hours)
A structured session to understand your business model, current technology landscape, team structure, pain points, and growth plans. We ask the questions that surface the real problems, not the stated ones.
Current State Analysis
We document your existing technology — tools, systems, contracts, integrations, and gaps. We identify what's working, what's a risk, and what's costing you money it shouldn't be.
Recommendations Report
A written report with prioritised, specific recommendations — not a list of options. Each recommendation includes rationale, estimated effort, estimated cost, and expected business impact.
Roadmap Document
A phased implementation roadmap that sequences your technology initiatives by priority and dependency. Month-by-month or quarter-by-quarter — depending on scope.
Tool Selection Analysis
Where tool selection is part of the scope, we produce a structured comparison of shortlisted options against your specific requirements — scored, not just described.
Architecture Diagram
A current-state and target-state architecture diagram documenting your systems, integrations, data flows, and security perimeter in a format that future vendors and developers can work from.
Presentation & Walkthrough
We present findings and recommendations to your leadership team — and field questions until everything is understood and agreed. No reports left unread on someone's desktop.
Implementation Support (Optional)
Where consulting identifies work that BlakFire can deliver (Power Apps, M365 setup, web development, Intune), we can transition directly into implementation — no new briefs, no context loss.
IT StrategyMicrosoft 365RoadmappingArchitecture ReviewDigital TransformationTool SelectionPower Platform
Ideal Clients

WHO THIS IS FOR

Leaders who know something needs to change but aren't sure where to start — or who want a second opinion before committing to a significant technology investment.

👔

Business Owners & MDs

Leaders responsible for technology decisions who want expert input before committing budget — without hiring a full-time IT director.

📈

Growing Businesses

Companies that have grown past their current tools and need a clear picture of what to replace, upgrade, or add — without making it up as they go.

🔀

Businesses Planning a Migration

Organisations planning a significant change — moving to the cloud, replacing an ERP, consolidating systems — who need a proper plan before they start.

🛡️

Post-Incident Recovery

Businesses that have experienced a security incident, data loss, or a failed technology project — and need an independent assessment of what went wrong and what to do next.

Our Approach

HOW WE ENGAGE

A clear, time-boxed consulting process that delivers a concrete output — not an open-ended retainer.

1
Phase One
Scoping Call (Free)

A 30-minute call to understand what you need from the engagement — the business problem, what decisions are pending, who the stakeholders are, and what a successful outcome looks like. We scope and price the engagement from this conversation.

2
Phase Two
Discovery Session

A structured 2–3 hour session with key stakeholders. We document your current technology landscape, pain points, strategic priorities, and constraints. We may request access to systems for the architecture review.

3
Phase Three
Analysis & Report

We analyse findings, research relevant tools or platforms, and produce the deliverables — recommendations report, roadmap, architecture diagrams, and any tool comparison matrices.

4
Phase Four
Presentation & Handover

We present findings to your team, walk through recommendations, and answer questions. If you proceed with implementation, we can transition directly — no handover delay.

Common Questions

FREQUENTLY ASKED

Common questions before a technology consulting engagement.

How is this different from going to a Microsoft partner or reseller?
Microsoft partners and resellers are incentivised to sell Microsoft licences and specific Microsoft products. We're an independent consultancy — we'll tell you when Microsoft is the right answer and when it isn't. Our fee is a fixed consulting fee, not a commission on what we recommend you buy.
How long does a consulting engagement typically take?
A focused architecture review or tool selection engagement takes 2–3 weeks from discovery session to final report. A broader digital transformation roadmap takes 4–6 weeks. We scope every engagement before starting so you know exactly what the timeline and output will be.
Do you work with businesses outside Johannesburg?
Yes. All consulting engagements are conducted via video call and collaborative documents — we work with clients across South Africa and the SADC region. Where an on-site discovery session adds value, we discuss travel arrangements.
What if we just need a quick second opinion on one tool?
We offer focused, hourly advisory sessions for specific questions — tool selection, contract review, or architecture questions that don't warrant a full engagement. Contact us and we'll scope the right format for what you actually need.
Can you help implement the recommendations too?
Yes. Where the recommendations include work that BlakFire delivers — Power Apps, M365 configuration, Intune, web development — we can transition directly into implementation. Where recommendations require specialist skills outside our scope, we'll tell you honestly and recommend who to use.

LET'S TALK STRATEGY

Tell us what you're trying to solve. First call is free — we'll tell you whether and how we can help before you commit anything.