Growing your Small or Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) is challenging. You've invested in technology – software, online tools, maybe cloud services – to help you operate and grow. But often, these tools are acquired over time without a master plan.
Your "technology stack" – the combination of all these systems and how they (or don't) work together – might actually be creating bottlenecks, wasting money, and holding back your team's productivity.
A Technology Stack Assessment by Grassequal is designed specifically for SMEs to cut through the complexity, understand what's working and what isn't, and provide a clear roadmap for leveraging technology to achieve your business goals and drive measurable ROI.
Does This Sound Familiar?
Many growing businesses struggle with their technology. You're not alone if you experience:
Disconnected Systems
Your software doesn't share information easily, creating data silos and forcing manual data entry.
Wasted Spending
You might be paying for multiple tools that do the same thing, or not fully using the features you pay for.
Workflow Inefficiencies
Technology should speed things up, but clunky systems or manual steps are creating bottlenecks that slow down your team.
Lack of Clarity & Insight
You can't easily get the reports or data needed to make informed decisions about your business.
Outdated & Risky Technology
Relying on old or unmanaged technology increases security risks and hinders your ability to adopt modern processes.
Confusion About What's Next
You know technology is key for growth, but you lack a clear plan for future investments.
What is a Technology Stack Assessment?
Forget basic IT support focused on fixing computers. A Technology Stack Assessment is a strategic service where technology experts review the suite of software, applications, and systems your business uses.
We analyze how these tools function individually and, more importantly, how they interact (or fail to interact) to support your core business processes. The goal is to understand the current state, identify problems, uncover opportunities, and provide actionable recommendations tailored to your business needs and goals.
Understand how your systems connect
Identify automation opportunities
Optimize technology spending
How GrassEqual's Assessment Process Works
We make the process straightforward and efficient, designed to provide maximum insight with minimal disruption to your daily operations.
Discovery & Scoping
We start with a free consultation to understand your business, your key challenges, and determine the right assessment scope or package for your needs.
Information Gathering
Through focused interviews with key stakeholders and review of your current technology inventory, we gather details about the systems you use and the processes they support.
Expert Analysis
Our team reviews the collected information, analyzing your tech stack for inefficiencies, redundancies, bottlenecks, data flow issues, and opportunities for improvement.
Recommendations & Reporting
We synthesize our findings into clear, prioritized recommendations, identifying specific areas for integration, replacement, automation, or process improvement, highlighting opportunities for cost savings and efficiency gains
Presentation & Discussion
We present our findings and recommendations to you, explaining our insights in plain language and discussing potential next steps.
Our Technology Stack Assessment Packages
We offer tiered fixed-price packages designed to provide clarity and actionable insights tailored to your business size and the complexity of your technology, plus custom options for unique needs.
Insight
Ideal For:
Smaller SMEs (approx. 10-20 employees) struggling with one specific, acute technology problem that's causing frustration, wasting time, or hindering a key process. It's the perfect first step if you need expert help to quickly diagnose that one issue.
What GrassEqual Does:
- We conduct focused interview(s) with 1-2 key stakeholder(s) directly involved in the problem area.
- We analyze the relevant systems (1-2) central to the identified pain point.
- We perform expert analysis to pinpoint the root cause of the specific bottleneck or inefficiency.
What GrassEqual Delivers:
- A Clear Summary Report outlining the identified specific pain point and its confirmed root cause.
- A prioritized list of 1-3 actionable steps for addressing the issue or determining the best next course.
- Identification of opportunities for tangible time or cost savings specific to solving this pain point.
- A clear understanding of whether the issue has a simple fix or requires a more strategic solution.
Value Focus:
For $3,000, you gain rapid clarity on your most pressing tech problem, get expert validation of the issue's cause, and receive clear direction on the most effective next steps to find a solution or unlock savings for that specific pain point. Stop guessing and get focused expert insight.
Blueprint
Ideal For:
Growing SMEs (approx. 15-50 employees) whose technology is starting to feel disjointed across core functions like Sales, Operations, or Admin. This package is for you if you need a clear strategy to tackle interconnected inefficiencies, break down data silos, and prepare your technology for further growth.
What GrassEqual Does:
- We conduct interviews with 2-4 key stakeholders across relevant departments.
- We perform an in-depth review of up to 7 core business systems/tools, focusing on how they interact across functions.
- We analyze key cross-functional workflows and critical data flow.
- We identify systemic inefficiencies, redundancies, and opportunities for strategic improvement.
What GrassEqual Delivers:
- An Executive Summary outlining the key findings and strategic opportunities.
- A Detailed Assessment Report covering your current tech state, key pain points across functions, and system interdependencies.
- Prioritized list of 3-5 actionable recommendations designed to improve efficiency and identify concrete cost reduction opportunities across your core operations.
- Clear identification of redundant or underutilized software subscriptions.
- Analysis of key cross-functional workflows and critical data flow findings.
- An overview of high-level technology risks observed within the scoped areas.
- Identification of potential "Build vs. Buy" scenarios for specific needs.
Value Focus:
For $5,000, you receive a strategic blueprint for your core business technology. You'll gain a clear understanding of how your systems are truly functioning (or not), identify significant opportunities to unlock productivity and reduce costs across departments, and get actionable recommendations to build a more efficient and scalable operation.
Custom Quote
Ideal For:
Sometimes, your business technology needs don't fit neatly into a predefined package. If our standard assessment options aren't the perfect fit for your unique situation, whether your requirements are smaller than, larger than, or simply different from our packages, we can create a custom scope and provide a tailored quote specifically for your business.
Payment Details
- Payment Schedule: For all fixed-price Assessment packages, payment is split into two installments:
- 50% upon project commencement (after proposal acceptance and contract signing).
- 50% upon delivery of the final assessment report.
- Payment plans may be available upon request to help spread the investment over a short period.
- Accepted Payment Methods: We accept payment via Bank Transfer (EFT/Wire) and Interac eTransfer (for Canadian companies). We also accept major Credit Cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express) processed securely online; a 3% service fee will be added to payments made by credit card. Cheque payments are not accepted.
Why Choose GrassEqual?
Problem-Focused Approach
We start by understanding your business challenges, not pushing a specific technology.
Objective & Unbiased
We don't resell software, so our recommendations are genuinely in your best interest.
Expertise in Applying the Right Tech
Our background ensures we see beyond basic fixes to find the most effective solutions.
Clarity, Not Complexity
We deliver insights and recommendations in clear, understandable language.
Benefits of a Technology Stack Assessment
Cost Optimization
Identify redundant tools and subscriptions to reduce your technology spending.
Improved Efficiency
Streamline your processes by automating manual tasks and eliminating bottlenecks.
Better Data Integration
Break down data silos and create a unified view of your business information.
Enhanced Decision Making
Gain better insights from your data to make more informed business decisions.
Future-Ready Foundation
Build a technology foundation that can scale with your business growth.
Risk Reduction
Identify potential security vulnerabilities and outdated systems before they cause problems.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a Technology Stack Assessment take?
The duration of a Technology Stack Assessment varies depending on the scope and complexity of your business technology and specific needs. Factors influencing the timeline include the number of systems to be reviewed, the intricacy of your workflows, and the availability of your team for information gathering. Typically, assessments are completed within 2 to 4 weeks.
Will the assessment disrupt our operations?
No. We design our assessment process to minimize disruption. Most of our information gathering consists of scheduled interviews with key personnel and review of documentation. We don't need to take systems offline or interfere with your day-to-day operations.
Why should we hire an external company like Grassequal for a Technology Stack Assessment instead of doing it ourselves?
While your internal team has valuable knowledge of your systems, bringing in an external expert for an assessment offers key advantages. An external firm provides an objective perspective, free from internal biases or day-to-day pressures. We bring specialized expertise in technology strategy and assessment methodologies, having seen various tech stacks and solutions across different businesses. Your internal team is likely focused on keeping operations running and may not have the dedicated time or specific expertise for a thorough, strategic review. We can identify inefficiencies, data silos, or risks that internal staff might overlook due to familiarity, providing a fresh perspective and a structured, efficient process for the assessment.
What happens after the assessment?
You'll receive our detailed findings and recommendations. You can then choose to implement these recommendations yourself, work with your existing IT team, or engage GrassEqual to help with implementation. There's no obligation to use our services beyond the assessment.
Do you recommend specific software products?
Yes, when appropriate. Our recommendations are based on your specific needs and may include specific tools or platforms. However, we don't have partnerships with software vendors, so our recommendations are unbiased and focused solely on what's best for your business.
Do you need to be familiar with my specific industry to perform the assessment?
While industry experience can be helpful, our primary focus is on understanding your unique business processes and how technology is currently supporting (or hindering) them. We are experts in technology strategy, workflow analysis, and identifying inefficiencies, which are skills transferable across many sectors. We rapidly learn the specifics of your operations to assess your technology effectively, regardless of your industry.
How much time will the assessment process require from my internal team?
We strive to minimize the demands on your team's time. The most significant time commitment involves scheduled interviews with key stakeholders (typically 1 to 1.5 hours each). You will also need to provide us with lists of your current systems and any relevant documentation you have. Our team handles all the time-intensive analysis work independently.
How do you ensure the confidentiality and security of our business information?
We understand the sensitivity of your business data and technology information. Grassequal operates under strict confidentiality agreements. We employ secure methods for data collection, storage, and analysis, treating your information with the highest level of privacy and security throughout the assessment process. Specific security measures can be outlined in our service agreement.
Ready to Stop Tech Headaches and Boost Efficiency?
Get a clear picture of your technology stack and a strategic plan to make it work for you. Schedule your free consultation to discuss how a Technology Stack Assessment can help your business.
GrassEqual
Calgary, Alberta, Canada