What is a fractional CTO?
A Chief Technology Officer (CTO) is the person within a company who oversees and manages the use of technology to achieve the organization's goals. CTOs are senior staff with extensive technology and management experience, who are often in short supply and demand high salaries. While large, multinational organisations often have the budget to easily appoint one (or even more), smaller developing organisations could find it hard to afford these skills. Or you may already employ an overworked CTO that needs time off to study, burn down accumulated leave or take maternity leave, and cannot afford to appoint another CTO full-time.
Organisations facing these (or similar) challenges could consider contracting a fractional CTO. A fractional CTO is similar to your regular CTO with the main difference that they are not a full-time employee (FTE). They can support the organisation in a similar way to what a fulltime CTO would do. The main difference would be that they would cost far less than a full-time CTO, and are appointed on a fractional, part-time or contract basis.
The fractional Technologist
In addition to specialist CTOs, other technologists that can be appointed on a fractional basis, include Architects, Program and Project Managers, Scrum Masters, Development Managers, Technical and Engineering Leads and Business Analysts.
What value can Fractional Technologists offer?
Fractional Technologists are experienced technology professionals who offer their services to companies on a part-time or project basis. They work with companies of all sizes, from startups to established enterprises, to help them make informed technology decisions, develop technology strategies, deliver key projects and manage IT operations.
The direct benefits of engaging a fractional technologist include:
- Reduced payroll due to fractional (as opposed to full-time) engagement;
- Import just the experience, expertise and skills you need;
- Obtain a fresh, external perspective to internal challenges;
- Stay up-to-date with latest technology trends with industry experts;
- Maintain a lean technology team with scalability and flexibility in key areas;
- On-board and exit specialists as and when required on a project or delivery basis; and
- Hire specialists for expensive and hard-to-find deliverables such as cybersecurity, cloud migration and system design exercises.
Our engagement models
While our fractional technologists are contracted to clients, they operate as if they are part of our clients’ core teams and operations. As an extension of your larger team, you will get access to technical leaders to move your projects and strategic initiatives forward quicker and more efficiently.
Our technologists can be engaged in one of two ways: