How to solve urgent ICT issues and build a strategic vision
- Chris Gracie
- Nov 20, 2025
- 4 min read
Here are 7 proven steps to turn your system issues into an executive ready strategy
When ICT problems start to erode service delivery and stakeholder confidence, you need a fast and reliable route to identify the real causes and build a future‑proof solution. This 7-step process is proven to convert those blocking issues into a clear delivery plan the board can approve and your team can implement.
The seven steps (what they do and the immediate benefits)
Identify critical challenges
Bring people together to list and prioritise the urgent challenges that threaten service delivery, continuity and stakeholder trust. We focus on short, high‑impact containment actions that reduce probability and immediate impact. Park complex and costly options until stability is restored. The immediate goal is a prioritised risk/issues register with named owners and fast containment actions that stop escalation, restore executive confidence and give operations the breathing space to plan next steps.
Root cause analysis
After containment we move from firefighting symptoms to digging up the root causes. We use structured interviews, observations and repeatable tools such as Five Whys and Fishbone templates. This work converts noisy incidents into a set of verifiable root causes.
Journey mapping
With causes identified, next we visualise how work flows across teams, systems and stakeholders on an operational blueprint. With the why and what established, mapping the end-to-end process reveals where root cause findings live and how they ripple up- and downstream. These maps unlock a clear vision for how issues can be resolved and begin the conversation about what a future, friction-free process would look like.
Indicative business case
Building on the clarity from journey mapping, we translate the mapped processes and root‑cause findings into documented business requirements using MoSCoW prioritisation (Must have, Should have, Could have, Won’t have) and by breaking workflows into user stories and use cases. This makes requirements testable, traceable and directly linked to the problems you’ve already uncovered, so vendors and stakeholders can see what success looks like. Armed with these system requirements you can evaluate solution options that balance feasibility, viability and value. The indicative business case is essential for securing continued investment; when the board and executive align around the prioritised requirements and options, the organisation can move to evidence‑based decisions about strategy, scope and funding.
Market engagement
We run focused market tests and scenario‑based evaluations that score technical capability, delivery experience and cultural fit alongside cost. The result is a competitive short‑list of vendors who can realistically deliver the chosen approach and who align with your risk appetite and operating culture. Running formal market engagements like a Request For Proposal (RFP) creates a demonstrable pathway for meeting your business requirements and resolving the identified risks and issues. This is a fun process where you get to compare vendors and imagine what the future could look like!
Detailed business case
Write a board-ready case with a concise problem statement, future vision, preferred solution, quantifies benefits, costs and risks and includes a delivery roadmap and a robust management plan. Once preferred solutions and vendors are identified, executive focus narrows to mitigating the risks associated with those proposals. The detailed business case converts the indicative options into a decision-grade document with a delivery roadmap that addresses strategy, commercial model, finance and feasibility and move you confidently into delivery.
Implementation
We deliver through phased discovery, design, build, test and handover using best‑practice project management, business analysis and quality gates. The immediate benefits are predictable delivery, controlled risk, aligned SLAs and a supported transition into operations with runbooks and handover commitments.
Why this process works (again and again)
The process stabilises urgent problems quickly while creating the space for strategic thinking , preventing repeated spend on surface‑level fixes. Stabilisation restores executive confidence and unlocks time and funding for deeper analysis. Root cause work and journey mapping then show exactly what and where to invest, focusing effort on the highest‑impact problems. The two‑stage business case (indicative then detailed) identifies the best strategic options using evidence and de‑risks vendor selection before major spend. Market engagement ensures vendor fit beyond price, increasing the likelihood of sustained, supported outcomes.
Practical advice for leaders using this process
Start with containment actions you can achieve within 30 days and avoid quick fixes becoming permanent workarounds. Use structured templates and be thorough with requirements gathering and journey mapping, as these will be the foundation of your project and how you will hold vendors accountable for delivering your future vision. Plan robust governance structures, stage gates and and acceptance criteria into the delivery plan to prevent scope drift and ensure accountability.
How Pro Partner helps
Pro Partner lives and breathes this winning process - we've developed it over years of working with businesses across New Zealand, just like yours, with the same challenging executives, general managers and technical SME's. We're experienced leading and supporting businesses through structured rapid risk triage, structured diagnosis, market testing and working with executives to write board-ready business cases through to managing the delivery of multi-million dollar projects. Our approach is independent, vendor-neutral and focused entirely on partnering with you to resolve those threatening risks and issues and delivering outcomes that improve businesses continuity, delivery and reputation.
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