Frequently Asked Questions
Explore our most frequently asked questions about our IT consultancy services.
Whether you're curious about IT performance reviews, IT sourcing best practices, independent IT assurance, or IT transparency, we’re here to help.
General FAQs
Yes. ImprovIT provides completely independent, vendor-neutral IT assessments. We don’t resell software, tools, or services, so our benchmarking and consultancy advice is 100% objective and unbiased. This means you get trusted recommendations based purely on evidence and what’s best for your organisation.
Yes. ImprovIT works with both public sector and private sector clients, delivering independent IT consultancy and benchmarking across a wide range of industries. Our experience spans Utilities, Financial Services, Central Government, Local Government, Higher Education, Manufacturing, the NHS and Service Providers, as well as many other sectors.
We deliver fair and objective IT benchmarking by comparing your organisation with peers of a similar size, complexity, and service scope. Because we are an independent IT consultancy, we also apply cross-industry best practices, recognising that innovation and excellence can come from any sector. This ensures your assessment is both relevant and evidence-based, while still reflecting the uniqueness of your organisation.
As part of our independent IT consultancy and benchmarking, we evaluate how your organisation uses AI and automation within IT services. This includes measuring the impact on service performance, support efficiency, cost optimisation, and quality. For example, we may assess the percentage of incidents resolved without human intervention, helping you understand where automation is adding value and where improvements are possible.
We deliver objective IT benchmarking by using a large, continually updated dataset that covers multiple industries. This allows us to make fair and relevant comparisons based on your organisation’s scale, complexity, and maturity. By drawing insights from across sectors, we provide independent IT consultancy that highlights best practice and performance opportunities, regardless of industry.
Most IT benchmarking reviews or consultancy engagements are completed within 4 to 8 weeks, depending on the scope and complexity of your requirements. Some services, such as IT assurance, may run in parallel with your programme or project activities, meaning the duration is set by your organisation’s needs. We always agree clear timescales and scope upfront, so you know exactly what to expect before the engagement begins.
Our deliverables are designed to be practical and easy to use. You will receive a presentation, a detailed benchmarking report, and an executive summary, all supported by insights and prioritised recommendations. These can be provided in PDF format or through an interactive Business Intelligence (BI) solution, depending on your preference.
IT Performance FAQs
An IT performance review from ImprovIT includes a full evaluation of your KPIs, service performance metrics, IT costs, and process maturity. As part of our independent IT benchmarking and consultancy, we identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement, giving you clear recommendations to improve efficiency, reduce cost, and increase value from IT.
We measure IT Value for Money by benchmarking your costs, service quality, and complexity against a relevant peer group using our proven Value for Money framework. As an independent IT consultancy, we provide objective insight into whether your IT spend is delivering efficiency and value compared to similar organisations, highlighting where savings and improvements can be made.
ImprovIT defines IT Value for Money as being achieved when the cost of your IT services is equal to or lower than a relevant peer group, while service quality is equal to or higher than those peers. Through our independent IT benchmarking, we assess both cost and quality to give you a clear, evidence-based view of whether your IT is delivering true value.
Yes. We assess process maturity using recognised frameworks such as ITIL, COBIT, and CMMI where applicable. This helps ensure your IT processes are measured against industry standards and best practice, providing clear insight into strengths, gaps, and opportunities for improvement.
From an ImprovIT benchmarking or consultancy engagement, you can expect clear insights into what’s working well, what needs improvement, and where to focus your efforts to boost IT performance, service quality, and cost efficiency. Our evidence-based recommendations highlight opportunities to reduce risk, optimise IT value, and achieve measurable savings.
Yes, we review the full information security domain, including cyber security governance, threat detection, incident resolution, risk management, and alignment of security practices with business needs. Our information security benchmarking assessment highlights strengths, gaps, and opportunities to improve resilience and reduce security risk.
We measure customer and end-user satisfaction through a mix of methods, including analysing existing feedback, conducting surveys and interviews, and reviewing user experience data. A unique aspect of our independent IT consultancy approach is that we assess both the importance of each service to users and their level of satisfaction. This enables us to pinpoint the improvements that will have the greatest impact on end-user experience, IT service quality, and overall customer perception.
Yes. We help organisations improve IT user experience by identifying pain points, analysing feedback, and benchmarking service performance against peers. We provide clear recommendations to improve service quality, enhance communication with end-users, and increase overall satisfaction.
Yes. It is possible to benchmark IT service quality alone, particularly when the focus is on operational improvement and enhancing user experience. However, for situations such as contract renewals, sourcing decisions, or demonstrating IT value at board level, combining service quality with cost benchmarking provides the most complete and compelling view.
For an accurate IT benchmark, we typically need around 12 months of data. This usually includes service volumes, unit costs, SLA outcomes, resolver group models, and relevant contract schedules or rate cards. As your benchmarking partner, ImprovIT provides a clear, tailored data request list on day one, making it straightforward to supply what’s needed.
Yes. IT benchmarking is valuable for all delivery models — whether your IT services are fully insourced, outsourced to one or more providers, or delivered through a hybrid approach. As an independent IT consultancy, ImprovIT benchmarks cost, service quality, and performance across any model, giving you a fair comparison against peers and helping you demonstrate value for money.
We recommend running a full independent IT benchmark every 18–24 months, supported by a lighter annual pulse check on core KPIs. An additional benchmark should be scheduled 12–18 months before major outsourcing renewals or significant IT change programmes. If IT costs begin to rise unexpectedly or service pain points increase, it’s wise to run a benchmark immediately. Regular benchmarking ensures your IT services remain cost-effective, competitive, and aligned to business needs.
Learn more about our IT performance reviews.
IT Sourcing FAQs
During an IT outsourcing contract renewal, we review supplier performance, pricing, risk, and service quality to determine whether the current sourcing model is still delivering value for money. ImprovIT also benchmarks your contract against the market, highlighting opportunities to reduce cost, improve service quality, and strengthen supplier accountability.
Yes. We support organisations throughout the IT sourcing process — from strategy development and market engagement to RFP design and supplier evaluation. As an independent IT consultancy, ImprovIT provides objective guidance that ensures your requirements are clear, your proposals are fairly assessed, and your supplier selection delivers the best value for money.
ImprovIT is a fully independent IT consultancy, which means we have no ties to vendors or service providers. We ensure impartiality by using peer data, service performance metrics, and pricing benchmarks to provide objective, evidence-based comparisons. This guarantees that our recommendations are unbiased and focused solely on delivering the best outcome for your organisation.
We help organisations reduce IT costs by benchmarking your spend and delivery model against relevant market peers. This objective comparison highlights inefficiencies and opportunities for smarter sourcing, contract optimisation, and improved service models. Our recommendations are impartial and focused on helping you achieve sustainable savings without compromising service quality.
Yes. As an independent IT consultancy, ImprovIT supports clients during contract negotiations by providing objective benchmarks on cost, service quality, and performance. Armed with market evidence, we help you negotiate better terms, avoid supplier bias, and secure agreements that deliver long-term value for money without compromising service quality.
IT benchmarking provides a fact-based foundation for outsourcing decisions. By comparing your current costs, service levels, and delivery model against peer organisations and market standards, we show where outsourcing could reduce costs, improve performance, and ensure any risks are identified and managed effectively. This evidence ensures sourcing decisions are made with confidence, supported by independent insight rather than supplier claims.
Yes. ImprovIT benchmarks cloud services across Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS). We assess cloud provider pricing, performance, flexibility, and service quality, giving you a clear view of value for money compared to peers. Whether you are adopting cloud, expanding usage, or renewing contracts, our independent benchmarks help you optimise spend and provider choice.
Learn more about our IT sourcing services.
IT Assurance FAQs
IT Assurance is the independent validation of whether your IT plans, programmes, investments, or services are delivering the outcomes, value, and benefits promised. At ImprovIT, our IT assurance services provide an objective, evidence-based view of progress, risks, and delivery confidence — helping you keep projects on track and aligned to business goals.
IT Assurance is most valuable during major programmes, digital transformations, sourcing or contract renewals, and periods of significant change. It is also essential when there are contract disputes, delivery concerns, or when senior stakeholders need additional confidence that projects are on track. By engaging independent IT assurance at the right time, you gain early visibility of risks and evidence-based recommendations to keep delivery aligned with business goals.
Through independent IT assurance, ImprovIT helps identify a wide range of risks, including gaps in delivery, performance shortfalls, compliance issues, and misaligned commercial or contractual arrangements. By uncovering these early, we provide clear, evidence-based recommendations that reduce uncertainty, improve delivery confidence, and ensure IT programmes stay aligned with business objectives.
Yes. As part of our IT assurance and benchmarking services, ImprovIT validates supplier claims and technology capabilities by testing performance data and outcomes against your expectations and relevant peer benchmarks. This independent validation gives you confidence in supplier promises, ensures technologies deliver as advertised, and helps you make informed investment decisions.
IT Assurance delivers confidence that your IT programmes and investments are on track to achieve their intended outcomes. ImprovIT’s independent assurance identifies risks early, validates progress against business goals, and highlights opportunities to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and strengthen governance. The result is greater delivery confidence, fewer surprises, and better value from IT change.
Unlike project management or a Project Management Office (PMO), IT Assurance is completely independent. While PMOs and project managers track delivery progress from within the organisation, assurance provides an external, objective perspective. ImprovIT’s IT assurance evaluates whether programmes are truly delivering the expected outcomes, value, and benefits, benchmarking against peer performance and industry best practice. This impartial view complements internal governance and supplier reporting, giving stakeholders greater confidence in delivery.
Yes. Digital transformation initiatives carry high levels of complexity and risk, making independent assurance especially valuable. ImprovIT provides IT assurance for digital transformation programmes by assessing progress, costs, risks, and outcomes against best practice and peer benchmarks. Our evidence-based insights give senior stakeholders confidence that transformation is delivering measurable value and remains aligned to business strategy.
Learn more about our IT assurance services.
IT Transparency FAQs
IT Transparency means making IT’s performance, costs, risks, and value fully visible to the wider business. At ImprovIT, we help organisations achieve IT cost transparency and service visibility, enabling clear show-back and charge-back models. By providing evidence of how IT spend links to business value, transparency builds trust with stakeholders and supports better decision-making.
ImprovIT delivers IT transparency through structured assessments, stakeholder interviews, detailed cost and service breakdowns, and actionable performance dashboards. As an independent IT consultancy, we make IT costs, performance, and risks visible in a way that business stakeholders can understand. This clarity supports IT show-back and charge-back models, strengthens accountability, and helps organisations make better investment decisions.
Increased IT transparency delivers multiple business benefits. It enables better strategic decisions by linking IT costs and performance directly to business outcomes, supports clearer prioritisation of initiatives, and builds greater trust with stakeholders. With full visibility of IT spend and service value, organisations can align IT investment to business goals, improve accountability, and demonstrate value for money.
No. IT Transparency goes far beyond reporting. At ImprovIT, it’s about creating clarity, improving communication, and linking IT activity with measurable business value. While reports are a component, true IT transparency connects costs, performance, and outcomes in a way that stakeholders can understand and act on — helping the business see IT as a strategic enabler, not just a cost centre.
IT Transparency is important because it connects IT performance and spend directly to business outcomes. Without transparency, IT can be seen only as a cost centre. With it, organisations can show how IT enables growth, efficiency, and innovation. At ImprovIT, we help clients build IT cost and service visibility that strengthens decision-making, builds trust with stakeholders, and demonstrates the true value of IT.
IT Transparency provides the data foundation for effective show-back and charge-back models. By making IT costs and service usage visible at a business unit or department level, organisations can allocate costs fairly and encourage more responsible consumption of IT resources. ImprovIT helps design clear dashboards and reporting that enable IT to demonstrate value while ensuring business stakeholders understand what they are paying for.
Yes. With clear visibility of IT costs, risks, and performance, transparency strengthens governance by enabling fact-based discussions at board level. It creates accountability by showing which services deliver value and by providing comparisons to peer costs. ImprovIT’s transparency frameworks give senior leaders confidence that IT decisions are grounded in evidence and aligned with organisational priorities.
Learn more about our IT transparency services.
Still Have Questions? Let’s Talk.
Still Have Questions? Let’s Talk.
Whether you’re looking for tailored advice, specific service details, or just want to talk things through, our consultants are ready to help.
