Richard Danks

How to Build a 100-Day Acquisition Integration Plan That Actually Gets Used

A 100-day integration plan only works if leaders use it. The structure, ownership, and rhythm that separates value-driving plans from those that get filed.

Accelerating your value chain through automation, integration, and AI

How to combine automation, integration, and AI into a faster, more resilient value chain - removing execution friction and connecting the chain end to end.

AI data readiness for mid-market businesses: what to assess before you invest

Most mid-market AI projects fail because the underlying data is not ready. The five dimensions of AI data readiness and how to assess where you actually are.

AI in business: reducing headcount or multiplying capability?

Two narratives dominate AI: cost reduction through headcount cuts, and capability amplification. Both are valid. How to think about it as an operating model decision.

AI in Your Operating Model

AI return on investment: how mid-market leaders should assess the business case

How to evaluate AI investments in a mid-market context, where value appears first, and which assumptions routinely distort the business case.

Why Your Board Pack Is Costing You Investor Confidence

When should a mid-market business hire a consultant instead of a permanent leader?

When external flexible capability is the better option and when a permanent hire is what the business needs - a guide to the consultant vs hire decision.

Data governance framework: a practical guide for mid-market companies

Most mid-market businesses know they have data quality issues before they have a framework. How to build data governance that improves reporting.

Digital transformation for middle market companies: what actually works

Enterprise playbooks fail at £50m-£200m scale. The sequencing, technology choices, and leadership model that actually work - and the mistakes that stall most mid-market programmes.

Dynamics NAV end of life replacement options: the three real choices

Dynamics NAV end of life replacement options, explained without a sales pitch: Business Central, a wider selection, or staying put, and how to choose.

The First 100 Days After an Acquisition: What Actually Goes Wrong

Most acquisition value is lost in the first 100 days. This guide covers the integration mistakes PE-backed businesses make most often - and how to avoid them.

Fractional CTO vs Permanent CTO: how to choose for a mid-market business

Fractional CTO vs permanent CTO for mid-market: when each fits, the true cost of ownership, capability differences, and how to avoid an expensive mis-hire.

How to assess an AI agency's experience with mid-market companies

Most AI agencies claim mid-market experience. Few have it. A practical framework, red flags, reference questions, and a scorecard to assess any agency before you commit.

How to Assess Technology Maturity in a Mid-Market Business

How to conduct a technology maturity assessment: the eight dimensions, how to score them, and what a board-ready output looks like for mid-market businesses.

How to Evaluate an AI Vendor: A Framework for Mid-Market Businesses

AI vendors make ambitious claims. This framework helps mid-market leadership teams evaluate AI vendors honestly - separating genuine capability from well-packaged noise.

How to Get Your TMS Right: A Guide for Haulage and Logistics Businesses

Most TMS implementations go wrong before the contract is signed. This guide covers what to look for, what to avoid, and how to run a selection process that protects you.

How to run an ERP selection process without getting it wrong

Step-by-step ERP selection guide for mid-market businesses. Requirements, shortlisting, vendor comparison by sector, demos, TCO, and the mistakes that make implementations fail.

When an interim IT director makes more sense than a permanent hire

When a business needs immediate technology leadership for a defined period, not a permanent hire. When interim makes sense and what businesses get wrong.

What PE-Backed Businesses Get Wrong About the First 100 Days

Operational transformation in PE-backed businesses: the 12-month value creation window

PE operational transformation either takes hold or stalls in the first 12 months. How to execute the value creation plan - not just write it.

Programme recovery consultants UK: what good recovery actually looks like

Programme recovery consultants for UK mid-market firms. An honest review first, senior partners who do the work, and the option to say close it down.

Single source of truth: what it really means in a mid-market business

Why single source of truth projects fail in mid-market businesses, what good looks like, and how to restore reporting confidence without a full overhaul.

SOX compliance and IT general controls: a practical guide for mid-market finance teams

SOX 404 depends on IT general controls far more than most finance teams realise. What ITGCs are, where they fail, and what auditors actually look for.

SOX ITGC scoping checklist for mid-market companies

SOX ITGC scoping checklist for mid-market companies. In-scope systems, the four ITGC domains, common scoping mistakes, and what auditors look for.

Technology Integration After a Merger: What to Do First

Technology integration after a merger is complex. What to assess, how to sequence the work, and what to avoid in the first 90 days post-close.

Technology Maturity Models Explained: Which One Should Your Business Use?

Gartner, CMMI, MIT CISR - which technology maturity model is right for your mid-market business? A practical guide to the frameworks, the five levels, and how to use them.

How to build a technology roadmap for a mid-market business

How to build a technology roadmap that sequences investment around commercial priorities - not just technical ambition. Built for mid-market businesses.

Technology Strategy for Mid-Market Businesses: A Complete Guide

A complete guide to technology strategy for mid-market businesses: data, ERP, AI, digital transformation, fractional CTO, and governance. £20m-£200m scale.

The Client Conversation Most Accountants Avoid

When management accounts signal an operational problem, most accountants stay quiet. This guide explains how to raise it - and when to refer.

What does a business diagnostic actually deliver? And what should you expect from one.

A business diagnostic is not a report about problems you already know about. Here is what a well-scoped 14-day independent review produces - and what it does not.

What is a Data Strategy? A Practical Guide for Leadership Teams

A data strategy tells you what data you need, how to trust it, and what decisions it should inform. This guide explains what good looks like - and why most data strategies fail.

What is a Fractional CTO? (And when does a mid-market business need one)

A fractional CTO provides senior technology leadership without the cost of a full-time hire. This guide explains what they do, when to use one, and what to look for.

What is a value creation plan? And how PE-backed businesses actually deliver it.

A value creation plan is the operational roadmap that turns an investment thesis into EBITDA. Here is what one contains, how it gets built, and where most fail in delivery.

What is Business Transformation? A Practical Guide for Mid-Market Leaders

What business transformation actually means, why most programmes fail, and how mid-market businesses should approach it. Practical guide covering diagnostics, governance, and recovery.

Interim and Fractional Leadership: The Complete Guide for Mid-Market Businesses

Interim vs fractional leadership: what each means, which roles are available, what they cost, and how to decide. UK mid-market guide.

What is Technology Maturity? A Guide for Mid-Market Business Leaders

What technology maturity means, why it matters, and how mid-market businesses can assess where they stand across the five maturity levels and eight key dimensions.

When to Call a Programme Recovery Specialist (And What to Expect)

A failing transformation programme rarely fixes itself. The triggers that mean call a recovery specialist now, plus what UK programme rescue costs and involves.

When should you replace your BI platform?

Replacing a BI platform is a significant investment. Before committing, establish whether the problem is actually the platform. In many mid-market businesses, it is not.

Why acquisition synergies fail to materialise

Most acquisition synergies are lost in the first 100 days after close - not in the deal room. The five operational reasons why, and what to do differently.

Why management information is not trusted - and how to fix it

When the board stops trusting the numbers, the problem is the data feeding it. Five root causes and the path to a single trusted version of the truth.

Why Your Board Pack Is Wrong: The MI Reliability Problem

Most mid-market board packs contain numbers that cannot be relied upon. This guide explains why management information fails and how to fix the root cause.