How To Achieve Operational Maturity With a Fractional CTO

In this episode of Channel Insider: Partner POV, Katie Bavoso speaks with Kyle Wentworth, founder and CEO of Wentworth Consulting Group.

Wentworth is a veteran with over four decades of experience in IT and security, including nearly 30 years running his own managed service provider (MSP). His company offers fractional technology expertise, providing part-time, highly skilled technology leadership roles like the CTO, CIO, or CSO. Wentworth acts as a “tech translator,” leveraging his extensive experience to bridge the gap between business leadership and IT teams, ensuring that companies stay operationally efficient and secure.

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Wentworth Consulting Group’s mission

Wentworth says his value to businesses lies in his ability to speak the language of business and technology and in his dedication to improving operational efficiency and security for his clients.

He highlights that one of the biggest challenges businesses face is the communication gap between decision-makers and IT professionals. “Business owners most commonly don’t understand technology. They hear all the terminologies. They hear all the discussions that come up in online threads and their emails. They read about it, but it doesn’t just click. They need a translator,” Wentworth observes, noting that this disconnect can lead to costly inefficiencies.

His mission with Wentworth Consulting Group is to bridge this gap by providing businesses with the necessary expertise, whether on a fractional or full-time basis, to ensure that technology decisions are made with clarity and precision.

The role of a fractional CTO and their services

Wentworth underscores the value of a fractional CTO, a role many businesses might not realize they need. Unlike full-time hires, a fractional CTO provides highly skilled expertise part-time, making it accessible for companies that might not have the resources to maintain a full-time role. According to Wentworth, this model frees up valuable time and resources for businesses while ensuring that technology decisions are made wisely.

Curious about how businesses react to this model, Bavoso probes deeper. “How has this part-time yet highly skilled service opened doors for your clients?” she asks.

Wentworth responds that clients quickly see the value once they grasp the concept. “For most businesses, you don’t need a full-time CTO person on staff once your technology infrastructure is in place, the mentalities of good technology are in place, and you have qualified managed service providers providing the solutions. You don’t need somebody full-time on staff to do CTO-related work,” he notes.

This approach opens doors for many companies, especially those that might have yet to consider accessing such high-level expertise. It ensures that technology decisions are made by those with the right experience, thereby reducing operational risks.

Identifying and addressing operational immaturity

Bavoso inquires about the challenges companies face when they first approach Wentworth Consulting. “Where do you see the most operational immaturity or challenges at companies when they come to you? Is it something you can see right away, or do you have to dig deeper to find the issues?” she asks.

Wentworth explains that a set of diagnostic questions often reveals the underlying problems quickly. However, the real challenge lies in correcting long-standing inefficiencies that have been ingrained in the company’s operations for years. These inefficiencies, he notes, often go unnoticed until they cause significant damage.

He describes how inexperienced internal IT teams, though often well-meaning, can lead to disastrous outcomes. “Inexperienced internal IT people are devastating to large companies, and business executives just don’t understand that it’s not necessarily their fault. It’s a foundational education issue,” he asserts, pointing out that many executives fail to recognize the importance of having seasoned professionals guide their technology decisions.

Wentworth emphasizes the importance of external audits and co-managed IT services to mitigate these risks. Co-managed IT, where internal teams work in conjunction with external MSPs, is becoming increasingly common. However, the success of this model hinges on businesses’ willingness to leverage the expertise of their MSPs rather than rely solely on internal staff.

The role of governance and policy in safeguarding intellectual property

Wentworth discusses the loss of intellectual property due to employees’ improper use of free tools and cloud-based services. He emphasizes the need for strict internal policies and governance to prevent such losses.

“Business owners are losing intellectual property, not only when employees leave their business because they didn’t document how that employee performed tasks before the employee left, but they’re losing intellectual property as staff uses cloud-based services to store and implement solutions that run their business,” Wentworth cautions, as these tools often lead to data being stored in unsecured environments, potentially compromising the company’s most valuable assets.

This insight serves as a critical reminder to businesses about the importance of having strong internal policies and governance. Wentworth advocates for the development of a comprehensive business process model that documents how all processes should function, ensuring that every step is aligned with the company’s strategic goals.

Success stories and lessons learned

Bavoso asks Wentworth to share a success story, and he recounts a case where his team helped a client recover hundreds of thousands of dollars by correcting improperly processed use tax. Wentworth’s team identified the issue and helped the client recover lost funds, underscoring the value of having an external perspective.

“If you have a process in your business and you don’t have an external auditor come in and prove that process, that process could be extremely inefficient and costing you money,” Wentworth explains.

With another example, Wentworth describes how outdated technology and uneducated internal IT staff led to the improper deletion of critical data, resulting in significant financial penalties for the company. Wentworth’s intervention saved the company from further losses and emphasized the need for continuous education and technological maturity within businesses.

This anecdote reinforces the importance of regular process reviews and the need for external validation. Businesses can learn from this by ensuring that they don’t become complacent with long-standing practices. Regularly challenging and reviewing these practices with the help of external experts can uncover inefficiencies and lead to significant cost savings, demonstrating that continual improvement should be a core business strategy.

Philanthropy and supporting veterans

As the conversation nears its end, Bavoso shifts the focus to Wentworth’s philanthropic efforts, particularly his work with organizations like the Veterans Ranch, which provides equine therapy to veterans who have PTSD. Wentworth speaks about this work’s impact on veterans, describing how horses can form powerful, healing bonds with veterans through the program.

“The Veterans Ranch helps prior active duty and even some current active duty military soldiers and Marines. They help them cope with their PTSD issues through the use of horses. It’s amazing the relationship that a horse can create with a person when that horse chooses that person; the horses just inherently have that capability of reaching that person,” he says, describing the profound impact of equine therapy on veterans.

“The Veterans Ranch could really use some help and support right now, and you can go to theveteransranch.org and donate,” he adds.

Want to learn more about the “tech translator”? Tune in to the video or podcast above for more insights from Katie Bavoso and Kyle Wentworth of Wentworth Consulting Group. Be sure to like and subscribe for future interviews with solution providers and thought leaders, plus special episodes and opportunities!