Why Most IT Projects in Saudi Arabia Overrun
Industry benchmarks suggest 60–70% of IT projects miss budget, timeline, or scope — and that's in mature markets with established PMO discipline. In Saudi Arabia, where the talent pool is younger and the project complexity is rising fast (Vision 2030, digital transformation mandates, ERP modernization, cybersecurity uplift), the failure rate is higher. The pattern is consistent: ambitious scope, optimistic vendor promises, weak owner-side governance, and no one independent watching for the early warning signs.
IT Strategy & Roadmap
A multi-year IT plan that aligns to business strategy, sequences investment sensibly, and resists the temptation to do everything at once. Realistic budgets. Honest dependencies.
Vendor Selection & RFP
RFP design, vendor longlist and shortlist, scoring frameworks, reference calls, contract negotiation support. Independent of vendor relationships — we work for you, not them.
Project Management & PMO
Owner-side PMO for major IT projects (ERP, infrastructure, digital, cybersecurity). Schedule, scope, risk, and budget tracked rigorously. Executive reporting that surfaces problems before they're crises.
Digital Transformation
Cross-functional digital initiatives — process automation, customer-facing platforms, data and analytics. The strategy work, not just the technology choice.
Technology Due Diligence
For acquisitions, mergers, or major partnerships — independent assessment of target IT estate, security posture, contracts, key dependencies, and integration cost.
Independent Project Assurance
Health-check reviews of in-flight IT projects. Honest assessment of whether the project will land on time, on budget, and on value. Recommendations to recover or restructure where needed.
Where Owner-Side Governance Makes the Difference
The vendors building your ERP, your network, or your digital platform have their own commercial interests. They're not the right people to grade their own work. Yet most Saudi businesses run major IT projects without anyone on the owner side who has the experience and the bandwidth to challenge vendor estimates, validate technical decisions, or call out scope drift before it becomes a board issue. The result is predictable: projects that look on track until they aren't, and budgets that quietly expand.
Independent owner-side governance — done by people who've delivered IT projects before and who don't have skin in the vendor's commercial outcome — changes the dynamic. Decisions get tested. Scope gets defended. Risks get surfaced. Vendors raise their game when they know they're being watched by people who understand the work.
When to Bring Us In
- Before an RFP — the right structure at the start saves months of pain later.
- During vendor selection — independent scoring, reference checks, and contract review.
- At project kickoff — to set up governance, reporting, and risk discipline.
- Mid-project, when concerns emerge — for an independent health check and recovery plan.
- For strategic decisions — cloud strategy, ERP replacement, cybersecurity uplift, digital transformation.
How We Engage
Advisory Engagements
Time-boxed advisory — usually 4–12 weeks — to address a specific strategic question. Output is a written recommendation with the evidence behind it.
Project Management
Embedded owner-side PMO for the duration of a project. Weekly steering reports, escalation pathways, vendor management, change control.
Retainer Advisory
Ongoing advisory relationship — typically 1–4 days per month — for businesses without an in-house CIO. Strategic input on technology decisions as they emerge.
Independent Assurance
Periodic health-checks on ongoing projects. Fresh-eyes review, honest assessment, actionable recommendations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are you vendor-independent?
Yes. We hold partnerships across major vendors for delivery purposes but we don't take referral commissions or hidden margins. Recommendations are made for fit, not for our commercial interest.
What types of projects do you manage?
ERP implementations (SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, Odoo, NetSuite), infrastructure migrations, cybersecurity programs, digital transformation initiatives, ZATCA Phase 2 e-invoicing rollouts, M&A integrations.
Do you have PMP-qualified project managers?
Yes. Our PMs hold PMP, PRINCE2, or equivalent qualifications and bring Saudi-specific delivery experience — including the cultural and regulatory factors that affect Saudi projects.
What's the difference between you and a Big 4 consultancy?
Senior bench, lower overhead, faster decisions. You get senior consultants doing the work, not junior consultants supervised by partners. And our rates are 30–50% below Big 4 for comparable scope.
Can you support Vision 2030 projects?
Yes — many of our engagements support Vision 2030 alignment, whether it's regulatory readiness, public-sector tendering, or digital transformation aligned to national programs.
What does this cost?
Advisory engagements typically SAR 50,000–250,000 depending on scope. Project management runs day-rate or fixed-scope, scoped per project. Retainer advisory typically SAR 15,000–50,000 per month.
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