Sometimes being a leader is lonely
Our latest publications
FCG sponsored University of Texas at Dallas class projects – Dr. Tom Hill
- Winter 2023 semester project – CIO Brain Trial install MSI file
- Fall 2021 semester project – CIO Brain Asset Management Application Design
- Fall 2019 semester project – Using Blockchain to enhance trustworthiness of business processes: A goal-oriented approach
- Fall 2019 semester project – Automated Time Sheet Tracking
- Spring 2018 semester project – Final Status Report, Final Presentation
- Fall 2018 semester project – Build Automobile Insurance Event-Recording Blockchain with Simulation of IoT Devices
Blogs
- Common problems we find (Mike Sarokin)
Recently published by Tom Hill: Covid-19-ContactTracing
Fellows Consulting Group Our Value Proposition
FCG is five partners with more than 150 years of combined IT experience serving enterprise clients.
Our small size provides you flexibility; our experience provides you fast and insightful results.
We pride ourselves in practicality. Getting IT projects started right or back on track is our passion.
We look at the big picture, see things through the eyes of a leader, and act not just for now, but for the long-term.
Quality, Productivity and Innovation Services
Delivering services whether it is software development / maintenance or infrastructure needs to carefully balance quality with productivity and innovation. We often find that when organizations only look at one of these three areas that other areas suffer.
As former CTO’s responsible for technical delivery we spent much of our time reviewing our teams’ structure, talent and performance and as a result have developed a keen eye in spotting deficiencies followed by plans to grow the teams.
FCG often finds that because an organization is rated at certain CMMi level or has implemented ITIL it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are really operating as efficiently as possible. We dig deep into the organization to find the true operating performance capability and recommend good-fit improvements.
Also, as former EDS /HP Fellows we were focused on innovation. We often reviewed projects, assisted with proposals, and challenged the teams to look at the big picture and solve the problem at hand from an innovative perspective.
FCG can assist with the following:
- Conduct detailed process assessments using CMMi, ITIL and other best practice models and compliance standards.
- Participate in RFPs reviews and identify innovative solutions
- Enhance key processes for productivity
- Establish an innovation program
- Embedding innovation into the technical job family
- Sponsoring joint innovation programs with major IT vendors
Assessment and Remediation Services
Senior leadership intuition often tells them something isn’t right with critical IT projects or organizational performance. FCG respects the challenges of delivering complex solutions often with short timeframes and budget constraints.
FCG provides in depth assessments to quickly understand root cause issues and can roll up their sleeves and get you back on track.
FCG partners can assist with services including:
- Troubled Project triage
- Analyzing Application/system architecture and performance
- Assessing & optimizing Organization/Team performance
- IT Operations analysis & optimization
Recent leadership questions answered for our clients
- Is my team operating as effectively and efficiently as possible? How can they improve?
- Is the architecture solid enough to build on for the future?
- Does this project put us at undo risk for overrun, delays or downtime?
- Is the estimate that the team produced reasonable?
- Are our operations and software development teams using best-in-class tools and processes?
- Are we measuring productivity correctly?
- Can the current team deliver the project?
Recent leadership questions answered for our clients
- Is my team operating effectively and efficiently as possible? How can they improve?
- How should I estimate projects?
- I don’t have confidence in the estimates my team has produced. Are these estimates reasonable?
- Can you help us create an innovation section to a large RFP?
- Are we using the right tools to do the job?
- Are the metrics we are collecting the right metrics and are we using the data effectively to drive improvements?
Transformation Services
Effective IT Leaders continually look to change with the needs of the business. These changes can be of the architecture, applications, operations and organizational processes.
FCG partners can assist with services including:
- IT organizational transformation
- Application transformation
- IT operations transformations
- IT standards development
- Enterprise Architecture modernization
We have been involved in a number of transformation activities during our careers.
Examples include:
- Establishing an Application Modernization business practice
- Consulting on numerous Application Modernization business opportunities
- Driving depth and rigor into standards-based development
- Implementation of an Enterprise Architecture Program
Recent examples where FCG help clients transform
- Worked with proposal teams to ensure broad / big picture thinking was used in responding to proposals
- Developed proposal appendices to describe alternate and innovative approaches outside the constraints of the RFP
- Sponsored multiple university initiatives to develop industry leading prototypes for clients
- Judge on robotics competition
- University board member
Merger and Acquisition Support Services
There are a number of factors that go into a decision on whether to acquire or merge with another company and to quickly and efficiently transform / assimilate the companies and assets.
FCG partners can assist with the following services:
- Due diligence assistance
- Transition strategy and support
- Asset assessment and valuation
FCG partners are also experienced in working with legal departments to respond on legal matters.
Recent leadership questions answered for our clients
- Reviewed multiple acquisition targets. Provided client with insight into the state of the technical assets which include hardware, software and people.
- Worked with private equity companies to evaluate potential acquisition targets.
- Analyzed existing provide equity company acquisitions to answer questions such as:
- Is the technical solution flexible enough to be used in a different industry?
- Should we retain the CTO or replace that person?
- As part of a lawsuit, developed a response to “is the solution maintainable?”
- Identified the value of the acquired / merged assets
- Evaluated new merger assets for potential integration
- Reviewed the technical leadership of the acquired / merged company to determine fit
- Determined if the acquired assets are well documented and maintainable
- Evaluated multiple potential acquisition targets.
Our Target Client
Our entire careers have been supporting the global 100 enterprises. We are used to working with C-level leaders to help IT achieve the business objectives through an IT Transformation. We are committed to helping solid enterprises grow and challenged enterprises to get back on track
Our Firm
The Fellows Consulting Group is a firm that delivers services that help solid enterprises grow and challenged enterprises get back on track. We do this through a set of services to diagnose issues and develop and implement transformative strategies to help you achieve your goals. The firm was founded in 2013 by a group of seasoned IT professionals that had all achieved the title of Fellow based on careers of excellence and thought leadership
Dan Bertrand
Dan is an IT executive who has made significant impact while in multiple senior leadership roles over the past 25 years. Key roles of Chief Technology Officer, Infrastructure Delivery Executive, Chief Technologist, & Account Manager have given Dan an extremely broad base of hands-on experience to draw on. Dan has assisted some of the largest and most complex companies in the world to transform their application portfolio & operations, infrastructure processes & landscape, service portfolio, and innovation programs & capabilities.
Dr. Tom Hill
In his fifty years in the IT industry, he has directed enterprise-level transformations from: mainframe to time-sharing, mainframe to client server, client server to mobile and client server to cloud. He loves to tackle the most difficult CIO/CTO problems and he has the ability to explain technology’s value to business executives. In retirement, he mentors local IT organizations, charities, school districts and universities; while completing his dissertation in software engineering “architecture simulation”.
Tom recently completed his PhD. A presentation of his dissertation “Confirming and Reconfirming Architectural Decisions: A Goal-oriented Simulation Approach is available here.
Ben Patel
Nothing pleases Ben more than to see the business and IT work together to create business value. As a senior IT leader and a trusted advisor to the business, Ben has successfully driven IT Transformation programs that led to successful business outcomes. Ben understands that it is important to remove roadblocks that are inhibiting the IT Transformation. As a result, he has worked closely with senior leaders to turn around critical projects that were in the critical path for the IT Transformation. He also enjoys engaging global and diverse teams to design and deploy innovative business solutions
Bill Phifer
Bill understands that the quality of products and services is only as good as the process used to create them. Having led or participated in over 100 process appraisals using various best practice models (CMMI, ITIL, etc.), he enjoys identifying process capability and developing detailed action plans for improvement. This knowledge is also helpful in recognizing systemic process problems that threaten program and project successes.
Mike Sarokin
Mike likes to work with all levels of an IT and the business organization. He has worked with senior executives to guide the organization with their strategic direction and has rolled up his sleeves in helping developers resolve critical delivery issues. Much of Mike’s career has been spent delivering high risk / high reward projects. Often those projects involved the use of emerging technology.