Groundwork IT Advisory
Groundwork first. Growth follows. Executive technology leadership—without executive headcount.
About Groundwork IT Advisory
Strategic IT leadership without the cost of a full-time CIO
Groundwork IT Advisory provides fractional CIO and IT Director services for healthcare organizations and growing multi-site businesses that need experienced technology leadership—without the overhead of a full-time executive.
With more than 15 years of enterprise and healthcare IT leadership experience, we help organizations make better technology decisions, reduce risk, and ensure their IT investments support business goals—evaluating vendors, prioritizing initiatives, strengthening security, preparing for compliance requirements, and keeping technology aligned with where the business is going.
Turning technology challenges into clear decisions
Technology decisions carry real consequences—unexpected costs, security exposure, compliance gaps, and operational disruption. Groundwork IT Advisory helps leaders navigate those decisions with practical guidance and hands-on execution. Our services include:
- IT strategy and roadmap development — aligning technology investments with business priorities
- Vendor management and contract oversight — ensuring partners deliver value and commitments are met
- Security and compliance guidance — identifying risks before they become problems
- Infrastructure and operational improvement — building reliable foundations for growth
- Project leadership and execution — providing experienced oversight when critical initiatives cannot fail
Whether you need ongoing executive guidance, leadership through a major technology initiative, or help solving a specific IT challenge, Groundwork IT Advisory provides the experience and accountability to move your organization forward.
Strong technology decisions start with strong groundwork.
Our Services
Strategic IT Advisory Retainer
Fractional CIO Guidance Without Executive Overhead
Always-on executive judgment for organizations that have IT support or an MSP, but lack senior leadership to drive strategy, manage risk, and control tech spend.
What’s Included
- Executive Cadence: Monthly strategy sessions & quarterly roadmap check-ins
- Strategy & Budget: Tech roadmap prioritization, budgeting, and investment guidance
- Risk & Governance: Vendor contract/renewal analysis, compliance, and security oversight
- Direct Access: On-demand Slack & email access for strategic decision-making
Ideal Fit
- Organizations with an MSP or internal IT staff that lack senior executive leadership
- Companies making reactive tech decisions or worried about compliance and upcoming audits
- Growing businesses that need proactive IT governance and vendor accountability
Investment
$2,500 – $3,500 / month
Predictable, high-impact technology leadership and ongoing oversight.
Fractional CIO / IT Director (Flagship)
Complete Technology Leadership — Embedded in Your Team
This is Groundwork in full. We embed a senior IT executive into your organization to take complete ownership of your strategy, budget, security, and vendor ecosystem—delivering true executive accountability at a fraction of full-time cost.
What’s Included
- Embedded Executive Leadership: 10–15 hours/week of active management inside your leadership team
- Roadmap & Budget Ownership: Full ROI tracking, financial forecasting, and expense control
- Ecosystem Accountability: Direct management of internal IT staff and third-party MSPs
- Security & Governance: Proactive risk mitigation, policy creation, and compliance alignment
- Vendor Strategy & Negotiation: Unbiased tech selection focused purely on business ROI
Ideal Fit
- Growing businesses and healthcare practices (20–200 employees)
- Organizations with rising IT complexity and no senior technology owner
- Companies needing strategic leadership to drive execution, not just advice from the sidelines
Investment
$5,000 – $7,000 / month
Predictable, embedded executive leadership delivering measurable risk reduction and ROI.
Fixed-Scope Engagement
A Defined Challenge. A Clear Finish Line.
Targeted executive leadership for critical initiatives that require senior technology expertise without an ongoing commitment. We step in, execute your high-impact project, deliver clear documentation, and hand over the reins.
What’s Included
- Compliance & Security Audits: Comprehensive risk assessments and actionable remediation roadmaps
- EHR & Core System Migrations: Executive oversight, vendor governance, and risk-free rollouts
- Disaster Recovery Planning: Practical, tested operational recovery strategies
- Vendor Selection & RFP Management: Unbiased tech evaluation, contract negotiation, and scoping
Ideal Fit
- Organizations tackling time-sensitive technical initiatives with firm deadlines
- Businesses facing strict regulatory requirements or major software/EHR transitions
- Teams needing experienced project-based executive leadership without a long-term retainer
Investment
$5,000 – $15,000 Flat Fee
Scoped and priced upfront—guaranteed deliverables and cost before work begins.
Cost Comparison Estimator
See the estimated annual difference between a full-time W-2 CIO and Groundwork’s fractional model.
Estimates only. Full-time CIO cost is a general planning range for organizations of similar size, not a specific salary survey figure. Groundwork’s fractional cost is based on our published pricing tiers, capped at the top of our Fractional CIO / IT Director range. Actual costs vary by organization and role scope.
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Common Questions
How is this actually cheaper than hiring a full-time CIO?
A full-time CIO or IT Director typically runs well into six figures annually once you include salary, benefits, and overhead. Groundwork’s retainer and fractional engagements run $2,500–$7,000/month — you get senior-level judgment on the decisions that actually carry risk (vendor contracts, compliance, roadmap), without paying for a full-time seat you don’t yet need.
Is there a minimum contract length?
Advisory and Fractional CIO engagements run month-to-month with a 30-day notice to cancel — no multi-year lock-in. Fixed-Scope engagements are priced and scoped upfront for a defined project with a clear start and finish date.
How do the hours actually work week to week?
Fractional CIO / IT Director engagements are typically 10–15 hours/week, split between a recurring leadership cadence, vendor/project oversight, and on-demand availability for time-sensitive decisions. Advisory Retainer clients get a lighter monthly touchpoint plus on-call access rather than embedded weekly hours.
What happens if we need more time than the engagement covers?
Scope and hours are agreed upfront, so there are no surprise overages. If a project or workload grows beyond what’s scoped, we’ll flag it early and discuss adjusting the engagement tier or agreeing a separate fixed-scope project — you’re never billed outside of what you’ve agreed to.
How is this different from our MSP?
An MSP handles day-to-day support and break-fix work — tickets, patching, helpdesk. Groundwork sits above that layer: setting the strategy, holding the MSP or internal IT team accountable, negotiating vendor contracts, and owning the roadmap. Many clients keep their existing MSP and add Groundwork as the senior leadership that was missing above it.
Contact Us
Have a specific challenge or deadline? Tell us a bit about your organization and we’ll follow up within one business day.