A 10-day decision package that prevents expensive platform mistakes before commitments are locked.
A major initiative is heading to the board. The business case looks polished. The vendor is confident. The timeline is aggressive. Everyone says “move fast.”
But something doesn’t add up — and nobody’s saying it out loud.
The Pre Board Gate is a 10-day, evidence-based decision dossier that gives CFOs, CIOs, and investment committees the independent clarity they need before approving irreversible commitments on cloud, SAP, AI, or platform investments.
Who This Is For
This engagement is designed for:
- CFOs and investment committees approving large technology spend who need a neutral view before signing
- CIOs presenting business cases to the board who want them stress-tested before they’re challenged
- Corporate Strategy teams evaluating competing vendor proposals with no independent benchmark
Specifically built for decisions involving:
- Cloud consolidation or data centre exits
- SAP / ERP modernization programs
- Security platform investments
- AI platforms and data foundations
- Major vendor selections or re-commitments
What You Get
Four deliverables — one story, one recommendation, evidence-based:
1. Decision Dossier (6–8 pages) Not a slide deck. A single narrative with one clear recommendation, backed by evidence. Written for the people approving the spend, not the people proposing it.
2. Risk Register (Board Version) Top risks, mitigations, and ownership — no fluff. The risks your vendor won’t surface and your internal team may not see.
3. Architecture & Operating Model Implications What actually changes if you say yes — for security, operations, governance, and cost. The second-order effects that don’t appear in the business case.
4. Commercial Sanity Check What costs are missing. What assumptions are unsafe. What to demand from vendors before signing. The section that typically saves multiples of the engagement fee.
When to Use It
- A big initiative is about to be approved and the business case feels… optimistic
- You have competing vendor narratives and no neutral view
- There’s pressure to “move fast,” but downside risk is not visible
- You want board-grade clarity without a 3-month consulting cycle
If any of these sound familiar, the Pre Board Gate exists to give you the answer in 10 days — not 10 weeks.
How It Works
Ten business days. Three phases. One decision-ready package.
| Phase | Activity |
|---|---|
| Day 1–3 | Review business case, architecture, and vendor proposals — understand what’s being asked for and what’s being promised |
| Day 4–7 | Challenge assumptions, validate dependencies, triangulate risks — test the narrative against evidence |
| Day 8–10 | Produce the dossier + executive briefing — deliver a board-grade recommendation with clear approval conditions |
No months-long discovery. No 50-person consulting team. One senior operator, ten days, one deliverable that answers the question: should we spend this money?
Financial Outlook
Based on benchmark data from similar enterprise environments:
| Area | Target Outcome |
|---|---|
| Cloud Run-Rate Optimization | Target up to a 30% reduction in cloud run-rate within 6 months by identifying over-provisioning early — before commitments lock it in |
| TCO Rationalization | Achieve a 20% reduction in Total Cost of Ownership by streamlining the application landscape and removing redundant components |
| AI Value Protection | Distinguish strategic value from “pilot hype” to ensure capital is committed only to defensible use cases |
| Commitment Risk Mitigation | Restore control by identifying missing costs and unsafe vendor assumptions before final approval |
Benchmark figures from similar enterprise environments. Actual results depend on your specific contracts, program maturity, and business requirements.
Why Leaders Commission This
10-Day Decision Clarity. Bypass long consulting cycles with a board-grade decision package delivered in 10 business days. Evaluate major cloud, SAP, or AI investments on the timeline your board actually works on — not the timeline your consultancy prefers.
Neutral Commercial Sanity Check. Eliminate vendor optimism by identifying missing costs, unsafe assumptions, and the real impact on your operating model. An independent view from someone who’s been on both sides — the buyer approving spend and the consultant proposing it.
Enforceable Approval Conditions. Establish specific “approve only if X is true” criteria and a clear decision tree to protect against irreversible commitments. The board doesn’t just get a recommendation — they get a framework for conditional approval that holds vendors and program teams accountable.
What This Is Not
- ❌ Not a transformation plan
- ❌ Not vendor evaluation theater
- ❌ Not a strategy deck that delays the decision further
✅ It’s a decision gate — designed to prevent irreversible commitments by answering one question clearly: should we spend this money, and under what conditions?
Who Delivers This
This engagement is led by Alex Cuciurean — a Business-IT leader with 20+ years in enterprise technology, including cloud transformation, ERP modernization, and vendor governance across manufacturing, financial services, and technology. Alex has reviewed and challenged multi-million dollar business cases from both sides of the table — as the enterprise leader approving the spend and as the consultant building the proposal. The Pre Board Gate reflects that dual perspective: it’s built to protect the people signing the cheque.
Ready to Stress-Test a Decision?
Book a 20-minute scoping call to discuss the investment heading to your board.
📧 [email protected] 📞 +40 774 602 534
📄 Download the Pre Board Gate Flyer (PDF)A two-page overview of the engagement — scope, deliverables, timeline, and financial outlook. Share it with your CFO or investment committee before the next approval cycle.