IT and Internet Consultants
Datalance is an IT and Internet Consultancy based in Northampton. Our objective is simple - we want to make technology and the internet work for you, to help you succeed; whether you are a small or large business, whether profit-making or not-for-profit, internet and computing should allow you to do what you do, but to do it better.
How do we do this?
- First and foremost by understanding your business and the context it's operating in - primarily markets and locations, but also understanding who your customers are and why your products or services appeal to them.
- By understanding the objectives for your business: is this profit-making or not-for-profit, or perhaps a bit of both? It's important that the project we work on together is meeting your business objectives in some quantifiable fashion.
- And finally finding appropriate services or solutions to your requirements and helping you to understand how to purchase the services you need - how to specify your requirements, provide a tender if appropriate and how to oversee the project to ensure timely completion within your budget.
Datalance work with a number of partners both locally and around the country to deliver solutions that are appropriate to your requirements and our skills. If we can't deliver the solution, we'll at least help you find the right supplier and can manage the process for you, allowing you to get on with your core business.
Services we can offer
We generally split our services into two, depending on whether you are an end-user buying IT services, or an IT company who wants to improve their sales:
Buying IT Services
- Preparation of business plans - mentoring and facilitation (and we'll even write it if you prefer), how does what you're buying fit in with your strategy?
- Requirements specification, for large or small projects, from an e-commerce website application down to a new PC; maybe write an Invitation to Tender (ITT) if appropriate
- Selection of a product or service provider - might open source or free software meet your requirements?
- Project oversight - no, it hasn't been forgotten, we'll oversee the project for you if you prefer, leaving you to concentrate on your core business
Selling IT Services
- Help with preparation of business plans - mentoring and facilitation, what exactly was it you were selling?
- Answering requests for information (RFI) and tenders (RFQ, ITT), how can you best sell yourselves and what is the purchaser looking for from you?
- Account management - having understood what the client wants, it's sometimes helpful to have someone who is not in the thick of the project to oversee the relationship with the client - wood for trees and all that.
- Project Review and building the improvement cycle - how do we best learn from this project, technically and commercially and feed that back into our standard methods?
Or you might consider our 'IT Manager' service, which would provide you with as much or as little help as you require on a regular basis, so that you can get on with running you business.
Why use Datalance?
You will find us pleasant to work with and we pride ourselves on providing a fair and objective approach to providing solutions. If we feel that you can find a better solution elsewhere we'll help you find it and help you manage it; it is in neither of our interests that we take on inappropriate projects, but our experience in dealing with technology services will always be of help to you whichever supplier you choose.
We have training and experience in both technology and business management, and so whilst we can converse happily with technical staff, you will also find that you can talk to us about your business and how your requirements fit in with your strategic direction.
Datalance work with software companies as well as with end users, so you get the benefit of both sides of the equation; if you are a technology company we can help you to understand your clients better; if you're looking for services we'll help you to understand how service providers think and work, be they software companies, ISP's or even your local PC shop.
Based in Northampton, we tend to cover East Midlands and Northern Home Counties - Herts, Beds. & Bucks, but if you are further than this and need help, feel free to contact us and we will try to help - that may mean that we just find someone more local who can help, but we will make sure they are the right supplier and that they understand your requirements.
Our services are reasonably priced and can be success-based if scope and nature of the requirements allow.