Services

Strategic Consulting

Nine Summer advises Investors, Boards of Directors and CEO's to resolve complex and ambiguous technology issues that limit the growth and profitability of the enterprise.

Our team of seasoned managers uniquely understands how technology issues limit growth and profitability. Our proven approach implements rapid and cost effective change.

We are experienced at working with existing management and technology teams in order to break product or development roadblocks. We know how to leverage resources inside and outside of the company in order to restore performance and achieve results.

Select Client Experience

Strategic Issues We Address

  • Projects are behind schedule or failing
  • Returns on technology investments are not yielding promised returns
  • Lack of alignment between business and technology
  • Technology Team leadership is failing. Technology Team has low morale, low productivity, or high turnover problems
  • Escalated customer frustration from technology under delivery
  • Right-sizing of people, products, processes, and infrastructure resulting from mergers and acquisitions & buyouts.

Tactical Issues We Address

  • Management requests for larger technology budgets
  • Complex software development challenges
  • Problems meeting dates promised
  • Technology roadmap questions
  • Outsourcing issues
  • Build vs. buy decisions
  • Technology partnership strategies
  • Security, network, data center, hosting or other infrastructure issues

Other Services

  • Investor and M&A Technology Due Diligence
  • Technology Team Assessment
  • IP Litigation Support

Nine Summer's Proven Process

  • Discovery – Root cause analysis that will identify the sources and severity of performance problems and develop realistic options for recovery and positive traction.
  • Leadership – Interim Senior Management in positions key to creating and executing the turnaround plan.
  • Turnaround – Execution of plans to stabilize the business, eliminate cash drains and create a framework for growth.
  • Transition – Establish requirements and qualifications for permanent employees to replace interim Managers. Participate in the interview and selection process and mentor the replacements.

Areas of Expertise

  • Providing advice to Boards, Sr. Management & Investors
  • Software Development
  • Worldwide Technical Operations
  • Marketing and branding of technology products or services
  • Sales strategy for technology products or services
  • Customer Service Operations
  • Information Systems and Help Desk

Consumer Packaged Goods Company

Challenge: This $1B global CPG manufacturer with a high brand profile had cost structure and productivity issues with their IT organization.

Actions:

  • Took over the CIO position

Results:

  • In process

Client: News Wholesaler

Challenge: This publicly traded Company was in trouble as a result of poor management who funded the wrong projects and made bad technology decisions.

Actions:

  • Organizational Change: dismissed most of the technology team and replaced the CTO
  • Took over the CTO position and brought in a core group of strong technologists
  • Technology Strategy: rebuild the infrastructure with existing equipment, stabilize the software, install automated system monitoring tools
  • Consolidated two mediocre data centers to one world class data center
  • Renegotiated badly executed deals with vendors to reduce costs and get more favorable terms
  • Moved the company headquarters to smaller, less costly and more functional space
  • Installed new processes for purchasing, help desk, bug reporting, source code management, infrastructure utilization and software development

Results:

  • Saved the company almost $2mm in recurring annual expenses
  • Stabilized the technology and improved customer satisfaction
  • Created a blueprint for the next generation product that will improve the companies pricing power and enable it to capture more market share
  • The company averted bankruptcy and is now cash flow positive for the first time in many years

Client: Wall Street Inter-dealer Broker

Challenge: This privately held Company was profitable and successful, but a new wave of electronic exchanges was threatening their phone-brokerage business model.

Actions:

  • Organizational Change: top graded the technology team and replaced the CIO
  • Acted as the interim CTO
  • Technology Strategy: created an enterprise architecture and built a Currency Options trading system on the platform, moved the data center to reduce costs and improve service delivery
  • Helped acquire third party technology at below market rates
  • Performed due diligence and helped company acquire a specialty software company
  • Installed processes for purchasing, help desk, bug reporting, source code management, and software development

Results:

  • Transition from an old-style phone broker to an electronic broker has been completed
  • The company now has a technology team and processes that can support the business
  • Additional trading systems, and market data systems have been rolled out
  • Company has doubled revenues and has recently filed to go public

Client: Software Company

Challenge: This VC backed Software Company's product was in trouble as a result of bad technology decisions and execution.

Actions:

  • Organizational Change: Reorganized and right-sized the technology team and replaced the CTO
  • Took over the CTO position
  • Created a software architecture and development plan for the next generation product
  • Installed new processes for purchasing, help desk, bug reporting, source code management, and software development

Results:

  • Stabilized the technology and improved customer satisfaction
  • Reduced cost and improved software development efficiency
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