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Everything you need to know about working with TrueNorth, from how we engage to how we deliver, and what we’ll require from your side.
Questions About
Working with TrueNorth Group
What does a typical engagement with TrueNorth look like from start to finish?
Every engagement starts with a discovery phase, typically two to three weeks, where we invest time understanding your business problem, your existing data and technology environment, and what success looks like in your terms. We don't start designing solutions until we've understood the problem thoroughly.
From there we move into solution design and scoping, followed by delivery in structured sprints with regular checkpoints and demos. Depending on the nature of the work, a data platform build, an AI system, a software product, or a cloud optimisation, timelines range from six weeks for a focused pilot to six months for a larger programme. We scope everything transparently before any work begins so there are no surprises on either side.
From there we move into solution design and scoping, followed by delivery in structured sprints with regular checkpoints and demos. Depending on the nature of the work, a data platform build, an AI system, a software product, or a cloud optimisation, timelines range from six weeks for a focused pilot to six months for a larger programme. We scope everything transparently before any work begins so there are no surprises on either side.
Do you work with mid-market businesses or only large enterprises?
Both. Our client base spans mid-market businesses running lean IT teams through to large enterprises with complex multi-system environments. The approach scales accordingly, a mid-market company doesn't need enterprise-grade overhead, and a large enterprise doesn't need solutions designed for a smaller operating context.
What we look for in a client isn't size, it's a genuine problem worth solving and a leadership team that's serious about using data and technology to address it.
What we look for in a client isn't size, it's a genuine problem worth solving and a leadership team that's serious about using data and technology to address it.
We're not sure exactly what we need yet. Can you still help?
Yes, and it's one of the most common situations we work from. Most organisations we engage with know they have a problem (slow reporting, rising cloud costs, AI that never shipped, systems that don't connect) but haven't yet translated it into a defined technical requirement. That's exactly what the discovery phase is for.
We help you define the problem precisely before we design the solution. Coming to us with a vague challenge is perfectly fine. Coming with a fully scoped brief is equally fine. We adapt to where you are.
We help you define the problem precisely before we design the solution. Coming to us with a vague challenge is perfectly fine. Coming with a fully scoped brief is equally fine. We adapt to where you are.
What happens if a project runs into problems or scope changes mid-delivery?
We manage this through structured sprint delivery with regular client checkpoints, so issues surface early, not at the end. Every sprint has a defined outcome that gets reviewed before the next one starts. If scope needs to change, we flag the commercial and timeline implications immediately rather than absorbing them silently and delivering something different from what was agreed.
We'd rather have an honest conversation about scope early than a difficult one at go-live. Our clients know this is how we operate from the first engagement conversation.
We'd rather have an honest conversation about scope early than a difficult one at go-live. Our clients know this is how we operate from the first engagement conversation.
Questions About
Data & AI
Our data is a mess. Do we need to fix it before we can start using AI?
Not entirely, but data quality directly determines AI quality. A model trained on fragmented, inconsistent data will produce fragmented, inconsistent outputs. So we don't pretend the problem doesn't exist, but we also don't require you to have a perfect data estate before we can begin.
In practice, we often run data and AI workstreams in parallel, cleaning and structuring the data that's most critical to the first use case while beginning the model design. We're transparent with clients about what's achievable with the data they have today versus what becomes possible once the foundations improve.
In practice, we often run data and AI workstreams in parallel, cleaning and structuring the data that's most critical to the first use case while beginning the model design. We're transparent with clients about what's achievable with the data they have today versus what becomes possible once the foundations improve.
What's the difference between a dashboard and what TrueNorth actually builds?
A dashboard is a reporting layer. What we build is everything underneath it, the data pipelines that move and clean raw data, the modelling layer that makes it consistent and trustworthy, the governance framework that ensures it stays accurate, and then the analytics layer on top. The dashboard is the last 10% of the work, not the product.
When clients come to us having already built dashboards that their teams don't trust or use, the root cause is almost always that the foundation was skipped. We fix the foundation first, then build the analytics layer on top of something solid.
When clients come to us having already built dashboards that their teams don't trust or use, the root cause is almost always that the foundation was skipped. We fix the foundation first, then build the analytics layer on top of something solid.
How long before we see a return on a data or AI investment?
It depends on the use case. A focused AI pilot on a well-defined problem, automating a manual classification process, for example, or building a demand forecasting model, can show measurable return within the first few months of go-live. A broader data platform build takes longer to pay back but compounds over time as more teams use the infrastructure and more AI use cases are built on top of it.
We define expected ROI and the timeline to it before work begins. If we can't make a credible case for the return on a proposed piece of work, we'll say so, and either reshape the scope or recommend a different starting point.
We define expected ROI and the timeline to it before work begins. If we can't make a credible case for the return on a proposed piece of work, we'll say so, and either reshape the scope or recommend a different starting point.
Can TrueNorth help us build an internal AI assistant using our own data?
Yes, this is one of the most common AI requests we receive right now, and one of the highest-value ones when done correctly. We build internal knowledge assistants and AI agents that are grounded in your organisation's own data, documents, and systems, using retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) architectures on Azure OpenAI or similar platforms.
The key distinction between a useful internal AI assistant and a disappointing one is data quality and scope definition. We spend time getting both right before building anything, and we design the system with the security and access controls your organisation requires.
The key distinction between a useful internal AI assistant and a disappointing one is data quality and scope definition. We spend time getting both right before building anything, and we design the system with the security and access controls your organisation requires.
Questions About
Cloud & Licensing
Our cloud costs are growing every month and we don't know why. Can you help?
Yes, and this is a very common situation. Cloud environments accumulate waste rapidly: unused compute instances, oversized VMs that were provisioned for peak load and never rightsized, orphaned storage, unmonitored data egress charges, and dev environments left running in production. The hyperscaler invoice is deliberately complex, which makes it hard to interrogate without specialist tooling.
We start with a cloud cost assessment, connecting to your environment via read-only access and running a structured analysis across all spend categories. Most clients are surprised both by how quickly we identify the waste and how straightforward the fixes are. We typically find savings of around 30% in the first assessment.
We start with a cloud cost assessment, connecting to your environment via read-only access and running a structured analysis across all spend categories. Most clients are surprised both by how quickly we identify the waste and how straightforward the fixes are. We typically find savings of around 30% in the first assessment.
We pay for a lot of Microsoft licenses. How do we know if we're getting value from them?
A licensing audit is the starting point. We review your entire Microsoft estate, Microsoft 365, Azure, Dynamics, and any other Microsoft products, and identify licenses that are unassigned, assigned to inactive users, or sitting at a tier that includes features nobody is using. It's remarkably common to find 18–25% of a Microsoft 365 estate going to waste.
As a Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider (CSP), we can also review whether your current procurement model, direct billing, through a reseller, or via an Enterprise Agreement, is the most commercially efficient structure for your organisation's size and usage patterns. The licensing structure itself is often where the largest savings sit.
As a Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider (CSP), we can also review whether your current procurement model, direct billing, through a reseller, or via an Enterprise Agreement, is the most commercially efficient structure for your organisation's size and usage patterns. The licensing structure itself is often where the largest savings sit.
Can you manage our cloud environment on an ongoing basis, or only set it up?
Both. For clients who want a long-term managed cloud partner, we offer ongoing infrastructure monitoring, cost optimisation reviews, security assessments, license management, and capacity planning as a managed service. This includes a regular FinOps review cycle that ensures your cloud spend stays efficient as your usage patterns evolve.
For clients who have an internal IT team and just need the initial design and migration, we deliver the project, document everything thoroughly, and hand over to your team with full knowledge transfer. The model is entirely yours to choose.
For clients who have an internal IT team and just need the initial design and migration, we deliver the project, document everything thoroughly, and hand over to your team with full knowledge transfer. The model is entirely yours to choose.
Questions About
Software Development
How is TrueNorth different from other software development agencies?
The most meaningful difference is that we're not a standalone development shop. Every piece of software we build is designed with your data architecture, your AI roadmap, and your cloud environment in mind from day one. We have dedicated practices in data, AI, and cloud alongside software development, which means we can build applications that are genuinely connected to your intelligence layer, not just isolated tools sitting beside it.
We also start from outcomes rather than features. Before writing a line of code, we define what the software needs to change in your business, and we measure delivery against that, not against a feature checklist.
We also start from outcomes rather than features. Before writing a line of code, we define what the software needs to change in your business, and we measure delivery against that, not against a feature checklist.
Can you build on top of our existing systems, or does everything need to be rebuilt from scratch?
We almost always build on or alongside existing systems, a clean slate rebuild is rarely the right answer commercially or operationally. We assess what you have, identify what's worth keeping, and design the new work to integrate cleanly rather than replace unnecessarily. System integration and API development is one of our core capabilities precisely because most real-world environments are a mix of legacy and modern systems that need to work together.
We have an internal development team. Can you work alongside them?
Absolutely. We work as an extension of internal teams regularly, either leading delivery on specific workstreams your team doesn't have capacity or specialisation for, providing senior architecture guidance on a programme your team is building, or augmenting capacity during peak delivery periods. We adapt to your processes and tools rather than requiring you to work the way we do.
What support do you provide after a software project goes live?
Every project includes a stabilisation period post go-live where we monitor performance, address any issues that surface in production, and support your team in getting comfortable with the new system. Beyond that, we offer ongoing development retainers for clients who want a continuing build partner, covering feature iteration, performance tuning, security updates, and scale support as usage grows.
For clients who prefer to manage independently, we hand over with full documentation, source code, architecture diagrams, and a knowledge transfer session for your internal team. We make sure you're never dependent on us to keep the lights on.
For clients who prefer to manage independently, we hand over with full documentation, source code, architecture diagrams, and a knowledge transfer session for your internal team. We make sure you're never dependent on us to keep the lights on.
Questions About
Microsoft & Partnerships
What does being a Microsoft Solutions Partner actually mean in practice?
Microsoft Solutions Partner is the highest tier of Microsoft partnership, it replaced the Gold Partner programme and requires demonstrated delivery capability verified against real client outcomes, not just certifications. Our designations in Data & AI (Azure) and Digital & App Innovation (Azure) mean we've proved our ability to deliver in those specific domains at enterprise scale.
In practical terms, it means we have direct access to Microsoft engineering support, early access to platform roadmaps, and commercial relationships that benefit our clients, including CSP pricing and the ability to manage Microsoft licensing on their behalf. It's not a badge, it's a set of capabilities and relationships that make a material difference to how we deliver and what we can offer commercially.
In practical terms, it means we have direct access to Microsoft engineering support, early access to platform roadmaps, and commercial relationships that benefit our clients, including CSP pricing and the ability to manage Microsoft licensing on their behalf. It's not a badge, it's a set of capabilities and relationships that make a material difference to how we deliver and what we can offer commercially.
If we're not a Microsoft shop, can TrueNorth still help us?
Absolutely. Our Microsoft partnership is deep, but our delivery capability isn't limited to it. We work across AWS, Google Cloud, Snowflake, Databricks, and a range of open-source AI and data frameworks. If you're already invested in a different stack, we'll work within it, and if a Microsoft product is genuinely the best answer for a specific workload, we'll say so and explain why. We don't push Microsoft where it isn't the right fit.
Can you manage our cloud environment on an ongoing basis, or only set it up?
Yes. As a Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider, we can manage your Microsoft licensing directly — procurement, assignment, billing, and optimisation all through a single relationship. For most clients this is simpler and more cost-effective than managing it through a general reseller, particularly if you're also working with us on delivery. It means one accountable partner who understands both your technical environment and your commercial position across the full Microsoft stack.
Do your partnerships with Huawei and Dell mean you only recommend their hardware?
No. Our Huawei and Dell partnerships give us delivery capability in private cloud and on-premise infrastructure scenarios where those platforms are genuinely the right answer, organisations with data sovereignty requirements, specific performance needs, or regulatory constraints that public cloud doesn't fully address. We don't lead engagements with hardware recommendations. If the assessment points to public cloud, that's what we'll recommend, regardless of our private cloud partnerships.
Still have a question?
We’d Rather Talk Than Leave You Guessing.
If your question isn’t answered here, talk to our team directly. No sales pressure, just a straightforward conversation about your situation and whether we’re the right fit to help.