Click on the links below for the answers to each question.

Not really. The Intuitus consultant network is predominantly, although not exclusively, UK based and it is not unusual for the due diligence to require overseas travel or communication with companies (or parts of companies) that are based overseas, especially where buy-outs from multinational parent companies are concerned. Moreover, the Intuitus consultant network comprises executive-level individuals, many of whom have extensive experience of working in different countries and in cross-border environments.

Absolutely. Our advice and recommendations would be of no value if you could not. IT due diligence engagements tend to be relatively short and require consultants with experience in both the systems and market sector of the company being assessed. Intuitus deploys executive-level consultants with a helicopter vision that is borne from years of experience and who can intuitively determine where some areas may require more scrutiny than others. Our findings are factual and based upon cross-validation wherever possible, and we do not hide behind a multitude of caveats. Our recommendations are based upon expert judgement. Furthermore, Intuitus has Professional Indemnity insurance, with cover up to £1,000,000 for each and every claim.

Of course, and we would fully understand your desire to check references before engaging with us for the first time. If you can provide us with an indication of your requirement we will provide you with contact details of one or more relevant referees.

Intuitus is always looking to expand its consultant network. If you are independent, have a strong IT management and/or technology background, have been consulting at Board level for a number of years and are generally available to undertake consulting opportunities such as those suggested within this website, please get in touch. In the first instance, send an email with contact details and up to date CV to calum.stewart@intuitus.co.uk.

Clearly this will depend upon the specific, agreed scope of work and the accessibility of the personnel and information that we are assessing. However, as a rough guide, the due diligence will typically require an elapsed time of between two and three weeks. This allows for initial preparation, documentation review, the on-site assessments, reporting time and the final debrief. We always include a timetable as part of our due diligence proposal and we make every effort to keep to this.

We recognise that, whilst the exclusivity period for investors is longer than it was a few years ago, it doesn’t mean to say that the IT due diligence is commissioned at the start of this period. Consequently, an IT adviser must still be able to respond quickly to investor’s requests for due diligence. The breadth and depth of Intuitus’ consultant network is a key strength of our business model and it means that there are few, if any, key man dependencies. Our consultant network has specifically been designed so that we can quickly respond to requirements for consulting expertise and, more importantly, actually deploy this expertise at very short notice. We aim to be able to start the due diligence assessments, if required, within a week’s notice. This responsiveness also means that Intuitus can provide investors with access to an 11th hour source of expertise if IT-related issues are highlighted during the course of other due diligence exercises (e.g. finance or legal due diligence), which require further expert evaluation before deal completion.

It depends. At the very least, we suggest that investors should consciously consider, for every transaction, the potential risks of an investee company’s IT systems and then determine whether it is necessary to commission an IT due diligence assessment. The difficulty is that few investors will feel qualified to identify potential IT risk. This may be compounded by the first impression that many companies may have an insignificant dependency on IT systems and that these systems present little or no risk to the transaction.

Two simple examples illustrate the modern-day corporate dependency on IT systems: high street retailers depend upon electronic point of sale (EPOS) systems to collect payments, which will usually be integrated with stock control and accounts systems; the leisure sector relies heavily upon integrated ticket booking systems that allow the public to book tickets over the phone, over the Internet, at various kiosks etc, each of which will be integrated with back office functions. Yet on face value these IT dependencies may not seem obvious.

In other respects, the unplanned downtime (due to fire, flood, theft etc.) of any company’s systems could have a significant impact on business revenues unless relevant disaster recovery plans have been drawn up, implemented and regularly tested. Or, an investee company could be making ambitious revenue projections (for trade over the Internet or otherwise). How does the investor truly know whether that company has adequate business continuity procedures or whether its systems can grow with the business and support the projected level of increased trade?

Intuitus will take a pro-active lead in drawing up a scope of work for the due diligence that is relevant both to the transaction and to the nature of the investee’s business.

Intuitus provides investors with a single point of contact for IT consulting expertise for all transactions, regardless of technology or market sector. This is achieved by virtue of Intuitus’ extensive network of independent consultants. All consultants work under contract to Intuitus and act as Intuitus representatives. They are provided with Intuitus work standards, guidelines and templates which, allied to their own domains of expertise, ensure that our clients receive an Intuitus service of the highest quality, time and again. Moreover, we have years of in-house due diligence experience. This means that we have a real understanding of both the generic investment process and what investors are looking for from their due diligence service providers.

In summary, Intuitus provides independent, deal-specific, technical consulting expertise that is married to a real understanding of the corporate finance transaction process. We believe that we are unique in our ability to offer this breadth of capability, quality of service and ability to respond.