An IT current state review is an independent assessment of your organisation's technology environment. It evaluates your IT strategy, infrastructure, software, governance, security, and supplier relationships, identifying what's working, where the gaps are, and what practical steps you can take to improve performance, reduce risk, and better align your technology with your business goals.

An IT audit typically focuses on compliance, controls, and financial risk. An IT current state review is broader, it looks at the whole technology landscape, including strategy alignment, infrastructure, software, and supplier relationships, with the aim of identifying opportunities for improvement and informing future technology decisions. Both are valuable, but they serve different purposes.

The timescale depends on the size and complexity of your organisation. For most SMEs, an IT current state assessment can be completed within two to four weeks, covering the review, analysis, and reporting stages. Ballards will agree a clear timeline with you before beginning the engagement.

The cost varies depending on the scope of the assessment and the size of your organisation. Ballards offers IT current state reviews at a competitive price designed to be accessible for SMEs, and the investment typically delivers a strong return by identifying cost savings, efficiency improvements, and risks that would be significantly more expensive to address if left unresolved.

Any organisation that wants to understand whether its technology is truly supporting its business goals can benefit from an IT current state assessment. It's particularly valuable for SMEs undergoing growth or change, businesses planning a digital transformation, organisations that haven't formally reviewed their IT in several years, and companies preparing for a merger, acquisition, or system replacement.

You'll receive a clear Red, Amber, Green scorecard report and a set of actionable recommendations. Many clients use the findings to develop a technology roadmap, inform a software selection process, or build a business case for IT investment. Ballards can support you through any of these next steps as part of our wider IT and digital transformation services.

Yes. An IT current state review can identify gaps in your security controls and governance that are relevant to ISO 27001 and Cyber Essentials certification. While it isn't a formal certification readiness assessment in itself, the findings provide a useful starting point and can inform a more targeted compliance programme.