An independent technology advisor helps executives decide what technology investment makes sense for their business—and whether an investment is needed at all.
The role starts with the decision. What outcome is leadership trying to improve? What is preventing it today? Which alternatives deserve consideration? What assumptions would have to hold for the proposed investment to deliver value?
Those questions matter because the enterprise technology ecosystem is organized to supply answers. Vendors demonstrate products. Implementation partners explain how to deliver them. Internal teams assess architecture and operations. The executive still has to connect those perspectives to a business decision.
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Start with the business problem
A request for new software can be a symptom of a different issue: a fragmented process, weak data, unclear ownership, or capabilities the organization already owns but is not using effectively.
An advisor helps separate the desired outcome from the proposed solution. That means defining the problem, identifying the people affected, and establishing how leadership will judge success before comparing products.
For example, slow reporting does not automatically establish the need for a new analytics platform. The constraint might be inconsistent definitions, unreliable source data, or an approval process. Clarifying the constraint changes what should be evaluated.
Bring the competing recommendations onto common terms
Different providers may solve different versions of the same problem. Comparing their feature lists or quoted prices can conceal those differences.
Independent technology vendor evaluation establishes a common basis for comparison: required outcomes, essential capabilities, operating changes, dependencies, total cost, and risks. It also makes room for alternatives such as improving an existing system, reducing scope, or delaying the purchase.
The purpose is not to remove judgment from the selection. It is to make the reasoning visible enough for leadership to challenge it.
Pressure-test the technology business case
An attractive return depends on assumptions. Benefits may require adoption, process redesign, clean data, or management attention that is not included in the vendor’s scope.
An independent advisor asks who owns those changes, what resources they require, and how the economics change if the assumptions prove optimistic. The review should consider ongoing costs and internal effort as well as acquisition and implementation.
A useful question is: what evidence would make us change our recommendation? A business case that cannot accommodate that question is difficult to use as a decision tool.
Understand what independence means
Independent advice should be assessed by how the advisor is paid, what commercial relationships exist, and whether the advisor benefits from a particular vendor choice or a larger implementation.
Ask directly about referral arrangements, reseller relationships, and delivery incentives. Also ask whether the advisor is prepared to recommend using existing capabilities or making no purchase.
At BHz Advisory, the engagement is executive counsel. BHz does not sell software, carry a vendor quota, or depend on implementation hours.
Know what you should receive
The output should help someone make a decision. Depending on the question, that may include a problem statement, evaluation criteria, an assessment of alternatives, a business-case review, questions for providers, or an executive decision brief.
A defensible recommendation makes the trade-offs explicit. It explains why an option fits, the assumptions behind it, the unresolved issues, and the next steps needed before commitment.
The work should be proportionate to the decision. A confidential conversation may be enough to clarify the next step; a material investment may warrant a focused assessment or support through the selection process.
Work alongside internal teams and specialist partners
An executive technology advisor does not replace the organization’s technology leadership, procurement team, implementation partner, or specialist reviewers. Those teams hold responsibilities and expertise essential to the decision.
The advisory role connects their findings to business priorities and helps leadership examine the gaps between them. Technical architecture, security, legal terms, and delivery planning still need appropriate specialist review.
Engage while the options are still open
The most useful point to involve an advisor is often before requirements, vendor preferences, and budgets have hardened. At that stage, leadership can change the question as well as the answer.
A later review can still help. It may reveal a missing cost, an unresolved dependency, or an assumption that needs testing before a contract is signed.
Brian Hertz brings more than 25 years in enterprise technology, including experience with Oracle and Infor, to this work. BHz Advisory applies that provider-side perspective to the interests of the organization making the decision.