Intelance – Enterprise Architecture & Cybersecurity Consultancy

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the Registered Nurse of a healthcare company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We recruit and place specialist support staff for schools and families working with children who have special educational needs (SEN), ensuring every placement is safe, compliant, and tailored to the child’s unique behavioural, emotional, or learning profile.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Intelance – Enterprise Architecture & Cybersecurity Consultancy to accomplish?

• Build a secure, auditable digital platform for candidate management and placement that meets or exceeds Ofsted, CQC, and GDPR standards
• Achieve Cyber Essentials certification across the business to unlock public sector contracts and reassure schools, local authorities, and parents that all sensitive data (including DBS, references, and child profiles) is protected end-to-end.
• Streamline and automate our onboarding, referencing, and placement processes to reduce time-to-hire for critical SEN support staff, free up our senior team from firefighting admin, and deliver faster, safer placements for vulnerable children.

SOLUTION

How did you find Intelance – Enterprise Architecture & Cybersecurity Consultancy?

Referral

Why did you select Intelance – Enterprise Architecture & Cybersecurity Consultancy over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Intelance – Enterprise Architecture & Cybersecurity Consultancy were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

We brought Intelance in to help us clean up and secure our digital operations, reduce compliance risk, and prepare us for public sector growth. They started with a deep review of our entire setup - how we store candidate records, reference checks, DBS details, and placement logs - and mapped every system and risk area in detail. From there, they built a future-state architecture that replaced manual spreadsheets and siloed tools with a secure, auditable model we could scale.

They also rewrote all our security policies from scratch, implemented access controls, and built the documentation we needed to pass Cyber Essentials. On top of that, they automated parts of our onboarding and referencing workflows, cutting down time-to-hire by over 30%.

Key Deliverables:

• Full audit of candidate and compliance systems
• Future-state architecture blueprint tailored to our risk profile
• Cyber Essentials readiness pack (policies, risk register, controls)
• Access control framework and implementation
• Light-touch workflow automation (onboarding, references, DBS uploads)
• Executive summary with a step-by-step rollout plan

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Measurable Outcomes:

• Passed Cyber Essentials first time, enabling us to bid for local authority SEN staffing frameworks we were previously ineligible for.
• Reduced time-to-hire for support staff by 32%, thanks to automation of referencing, DBS validation, and onboarding workflows.
• Eliminated 100% of manual compliance tracking, replacing scattered spreadsheets with a secure, centralised audit-ready system.
• Achieved full visibility and control over staff access to sensitive child and candidate data, closing 12 security gaps identified during the initial audit.
• Cut down admin workload by 18 hours per week, freeing up our senior team to focus on placement quality and school relationships.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Intelance managed the project with speed, structure, and zero friction. Every deliverable was clearly scoped, tracked in a shared plan, and delivered on or ahead of schedule. They didn’t just dump documents on us - they walked through each output, explained the logic, and made changes instantly when our context shifted.

When we raised unexpected issues (like needing urgent help with a new compliance request from a school trust), they responded within hours and built solutions into the plan without delay or fuss. There was no chasing, no vague timelines, and no surprises - just calm, competent delivery from start to finish.

What was your primary form of communication with Intelance – Enterprise Architecture & Cybersecurity Consultancy?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

What stood out most was how fast they understood the real-world risks we face - not just IT problems, but safeguarding, compliance pressure, and the human impact of delays or mistakes in SEN placements.

Most consultants talk in abstract terms. Intelance translated complex architecture and security issues into plain English, tied every decision back to real operational impact, and made sure nothing slowed us down. They treated our business like it mattered - not like a small client to be rushed through.

Their ability to blend deep technical skill with frontline practicality was rare. And they never once tried to oversell. Just straight answers, done well, delivered fast.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Intelance – Enterprise Architecture & Cybersecurity Consultancy could have done differently?

If we had to point to anything, it would be that we sometimes needed a bit more help translating the technical terminology into what our non-technical staff could act on day-to-day. Intelance were always willing to explain, and they did so well - but a few more real-world examples or visual guides for frontline use (like onboarding checklists or a “what to do if” flow) would’ve helped us roll changes out even faster internally.

That said, they were highly responsive any time we asked for clarification - and always took feedback on board immediately.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Operations Manager of Lavender Health & Social Care Ltd

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We’re a small specialist healthcare provider that helps patients transition safely from hospital to home by coordinating care, medication, and recovery support.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Intelance – Enterprise Architecture & Cybersecurity Consultancy to accomplish?

• To map out and clean up our disconnected digital systems - patient records, referral workflows, and inventory tracking — and design a future-proof IT architecture that could actually scale with our growth, reduce risk, and eliminate duplication.
• To prepare for Cyber Essentials certification by tightening up our security policies, access controls, and data handling procedures - and to do this without disrupting our day-to-day patient care or overwhelming our small in-house team.
• To explore how AI could help us automate repetitive admin tasks (like appointment confirmations and discharge follow-ups) and free up our clinical staff to focus on patients

SOLUTION

How did you find Intelance – Enterprise Architecture & Cybersecurity Consultancy?

• Online Search
• Referral

Why did you select Intelance – Enterprise Architecture & Cybersecurity Consultancy over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Intelance – Enterprise Architecture & Cybersecurity Consultancy were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Intelance carried out a full Enterprise Architecture and Cybersecurity engagement for us over an 18-week period. We are a small healthcare provider with no internal IT team, and our digital setup had grown in a patchwork - a mix of cloud folders, manual spreadsheets, outdated systems, and no clear structure. We needed expert help to untangle the mess, reduce risk, and future-proof our operations.

Here’s exactly what they did:

1. Current-State Digital Systems Audit: They mapped out every system we used - from patient referral forms, shared drives, and booking software to how we handled medications and clinical notes. They produced a visual systems map and highlighted all the overlaps, missing links, and security gaps in plain English.

2. Future-State Architecture Blueprint: Intelance designed a target architecture tailored to a small, regulated healthcare provider. It clearly showed which tools we should keep, what we should phase out, and how to connect our systems so we could work faster and safer - all using affordable, off-the-shelf solutions that didn’t require extra staff.

3. Cyber Essentials Readiness Pack: They created every policy, risk log, access control list, and technical control we needed to apply for Cyber Essentials. They also walked us through what to say to staff and how to enforce the new policies without overwhelming the team.

4. AI Automation Feasibility Report: We asked them if AI could help with repetitive admin. They assessed our workflows, ran a quick pilot simulation using dummy data, and gave us a clear report on where automation made sense (e.g., appointment reminders, discharge tracking), and where it didn’t.

 
Key Deliverables:

• Visual current-state systems map
• Future-state architecture model
• Cybersecurity risk register and policy pack
• Cyber Essentials readiness checklist
• AI automation feasibility report
• Executive summary with 6-month implementation plan

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

1. 28% reduction in time spent on admin per staff member (within 6 weeks): By implementing Intelance’s recommended architecture and low-code automation fixes, we eliminated multiple manual tasks - especially around appointment tracking, patient onboarding, and care coordination. One clinician said: “It feels like I got 2 hours of my day back.”

2. Cyber Essentials readiness achieved in 30 days: We went from zero formal cybersecurity controls to being fully audit-ready for Cyber Essentials in just under a month. Every policy, asset inventory, and access review was delivered in a format our team could actually understand and use - without needing an IT manager.

3. 100% system visibility for the first time: Before Intelance, no one had a full view of what tech we were using, how it connected (or didn’t), and where the risks were. After their audit and architecture blueprint, we had a single-page visual map of our entire ecosystem - something we now use for onboarding and compliance reviews.

4. Clear AI opportunity shortlist with real feasibility scoring: Instead of vague hype, Intelance gave us a shortlist of 3 AI use cases tailored to our real data and processes - each scored by cost, risk, and ROI. This let us prioritise one automation pilot (discharge tracking) with minimal disruption and real impact.

5. Executive buy-in and internal alignment: We had been trying for months to get leadership aligned on digital priorities. Intelance’s visual models and straight-talking summaries finally cut through - the board signed off on a 6-month implementation roadmap on the spot after their final presentation.

Summary of Outcomes:

• 28% admin time savings
• Audit-ready in 30 days
• Full systems visibility
• Prioritised AI roadmap
• Executive alignment and approved budget

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Intelance didn’t just deliver on time - they delivered ahead of schedule on every single milestone.

Every deadline was agreed upfront, tracked through a live project tracker we could access at any time, and backed by real weekly updates.

They ran a clear 3-phase delivery model:

• Phase 1: Discovery & Mapping – completed in 6 working days, with visuals delivered early for feedback.
• Phase 2: Architecture & Cyber Readiness Design – delivered in full 2 days ahead of plan, with optional revisions built in.
• Phase 3: Final Outputs & Board Presentation – deck submitted 48 hours before the exec meeting, allowing internal review time and customisation.

They responded to every question - even the "silly ones" - without jargon or delay. If something wasn’t clear, they either re-explained it in plain English or rewrote the document entirely, without pushback.

When we changed direction mid-project and asked them to explore AI automation as an extra stream, they didn’t panic or charge more - they scoped it out, gave us options, and plugged it into the existing plan.

They made it feel like we had an in-house digital strategy team - without the headcount.

What was your primary form of communication with Intelance – Enterprise Architecture & Cybersecurity Consultancy?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

What stood out wasn’t just their technical knowledge - it was how quickly they understood our world.

They didn’t treat us like a small business needing generic “IT transformation.” They treated us like a mission-critical operation with real patients depending on every system, every policy, every minute saved. Within two days, they were using our language, naming our problems before we did, and explaining solutions in plain English without dumbing anything down.

What’s truly unique is their ability to combine:

• Enterprise-level strategic thinking
• Regulated-industry precision
• Small-business realism

Most consultancies force you to pick one. Intelance gave us all three. They could talk Cyber Essentials and AI automation at board level, but also spot why reception staff were wasting 3 hours a week chasing discharge notes - and fix it without a fuss.

And they never once hid behind buzzwords. No fluff. No slides for the sake of slides. Just honest work, delivered fast, with empathy and surgical clarity.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Intelance – Enterprise Architecture & Cybersecurity Consultancy could have done differently?

Honestly, there’s very little I would change - but if I had to nitpick, it would be this:

We had one moment where the AI automation pilot was almost too lean. The team gave us a lightweight simulation using dummy data, which was helpful - but in hindsight, we should’ve pushed for a slightly deeper proof-of-concept with real patient flows. They absolutely would’ve delivered it, but we didn’t ask - and they didn’t want to overwhelm us or waste budget, which I respect.

So if anything, I’d say:
Next time, be a bit more assertive when you know we’re under-scoping something valuable. You’ve earned the trust - we would’ve listened.

Other than that, every piece of their work was high-quality, on time, and directly useful.