Understand the business. Improve the result.
I investigate recurring technology expenditure and the work involved in every order. Then I help remove wasted spending, repeated administration and inefficient processes, with the full cost of change considered.
Sales can grow while the business becomes harder and more expensive to run. Another subscription, more manual checks, increased staffing, shipping corrections and extra support contacts can gradually absorb the benefit of the new orders.
I connect recurring bills with what the business actually uses and follow operational costs back to the process that creates them. That helps identify which expenditure supports useful capability and which exists because the setup has become inefficient.
The review can focus on a specific concern or form part of a wider investigation. We work with available invoices, usage, sales records, handling times and the team’s experience to build a meaningful baseline.
I examine hosting expenditure alongside website performance, traffic patterns and the work the application is doing. Oversized infrastructure may be expensive, while inefficient code or a slow integration can make even a substantial server feel inadequate.
The answer may involve configuration, caching, application improvements, a better hosting arrangement or capacity that changes with trading demand. We consider migration work, ongoing management and the customer journeys that must keep working.
In my previous CTO role, external hosting expenditure fell from £5,400 to around £2,000 per month. That was a 63% reduction, equivalent to approximately £40,800 in annualised savings. The work included moving the ecommerce environment to Cloudways and scheduling capacity around demand.
Technology charges deserve a clear reason to exist. I look at relevant API, integration and service expenditure alongside usage and the work each tool replaces. Two services may overlap, a plan may no longer fit or a paid connection may still leave considerable manual handling.
The decision takes account of capabilities, ongoing effort and dependencies. A lower subscription can create more staff work; a well-built connection can make a service considerably more useful. The full business cost guides the recommendation.
I observe payment checks, order release, picking, packing, labels and support. A task that takes a few minutes can become a substantial workload when repeated across the day.
Opportunities include removing re-keying, applying dispatch rules automatically, making stock information dependable and preventing routine delivery enquiries. I also examine order errors, replacements, returns and other causes of avoidable handling.
Time savings need a practical interpretation. They can allow the existing team to handle more orders, reduce overtime or move people to higher-value work. We distinguish those benefits from a direct reduction in expenditure.
For each worthwhile opportunity, I compare the current cost with the likely benefit and the investment needed. Development, migration, equipment, training and recurring costs belong in the calculation.
You receive priorities, assumptions, dependencies and estimated benefit or effort ranges where the information supports them. We identify which changes are straightforward and which need further investigation.
I can then implement the agreed work and review the effect against invoices and operating measures. Where you have an internal team or agency, the recommendations provide a practical starting point for their delivery.
The £1,500 Ecommerce & Operations Audit reviews expenditure relevant to your ecommerce operation, including hosting and appropriate APIs or integrations, alongside the sales and workflow investigation. It includes diagnosis and a roadmap; implementation is separately commissioned.
Detailed security, backup and recovery assessments, licence reviews and supplier-contract investigations sit outside the standard audit. If one of those areas needs attention, we can scope dedicated consultancy after discussing your requirements.
Start with a free discovery meeting lasting 30 to 45 minutes, preferably at your premises. We discuss the rising bills and workload, identify visible opportunities and decide where a proper investigation would help.
I’m based in Bournemouth and visit businesses across Dorset and through to Southampton. Defined projects can start without an audit. Consultancy is £80 per hour, with fixed project quotes and ongoing arrangements available.
The review uses your expenditure, workload and implementation costs to establish what is achievable. The recommendations explain the assumptions and how to verify the benefit.
Yes. I examine relevant service expenditure, repeated administration and the costs created by inefficient order handling. More specialist commercial or IT investigations can be separately scoped.
Yes. I can deliver hosting changes, integrations, internal tools and workflow improvements, or support your own people through implementation.
Talk directly with Tom Turner
Tell me where bills, staffing demands or order costs keep growing. We’ll explore the most useful starting points during a free discovery meeting.
Free discovery · usually 30–45 minutes · directly with Tom.
Technology for good
Have a charitable technology project in mind? As a new Nominet member, Serallo must complete 12 months’ membership before we can apply through Members’ GiveHub. We’re welcoming ideas now.
