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Helping product businesses unlock value from technology

Technology strategy for manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers

About Us

Technology investments can be daunting — and expensive when they go wrong. Every project has icebergs: the risks, assumptions and decisions that, if you get them wrong, can sink the whole thing.

At Strategy Room, we help leadership teams plot the right course in the first place, navigate the icebergs before they hit, and make sure you get to your destination in one piece.

 

We work with product businesses — manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers — at the moments that matter most. Some clients engage us to pressure-test a single high-stakes decision. Others retain us to provide ongoing leadership through periods of transformation.

"Outcomes not technology"

In every case, we care about outcomes not technology. There's a reason you made that investment in the first place. We make sure we understand it at the beginning and achieve it at the end.

Between us, we've sat on both sides of the table — as clients making technology investments and as partners delivering them. That dual perspective means we know how delivery partners think, how they price, and where the value can get lost. We use that knowledge to make sure our clients get the outcomes they paid for.

Our Services

Explore our range of comprehensive consulting services designed to address your specific business needs and drive sustainable growth

Technology Decision Reviews

A focused entry point when a significant technology decision is approaching. 

Designed to:

 

  • Clarify options and trade-offs 

  • Identify risk and false assumptions 

  • Provide confidence before major commitment 

Technology Strategy & Roadmap Definition

For organisations that need a clear, realistic view of how technology supports their business over the next 2–5 years. 

This includes: 

  • Aligning technology priorities to business objectives 

  • Defining sequencing, dependencies and investment horizons 

  • Creating a roadmap leadership can actually execute 

 

Pragmatic, commercially grounded and free from vendor bias.

Fractional Technology & Transformation Director

Ongoing senior leadership without the overhead of a full-time role. 

We work alongside MDs and leadership teams to: 

  • Shape and steer technology-enabled change 

  • Challenge thinking and assumptions 

  • Provide continuity across multiple initiatives 

  • Act as a trusted decision partner during periods of uncertainty

Programme Leadership & Independent Oversight 

Senior oversight once initiatives are underway. 

This focuses on: 

  • Keeping programmes aligned to original intent 

  • Managing risk, scope and value realisation 

  • Holding delivery partners to account 

  • Intervening early when momentum or confidence drops 

Capability & Operating Model Design

Support in shaping the organisation needed to sustain change. 

This may include: 

  • Defining future technology leadership roles 

  • Supporting CTO or senior hire design and transition 

  • Reviewing supplier and delivery models 

  • Strengthening internal governance and decision-making 

  • Designing future operating model for value realisation

Steve Motley

Steve Motley.jpg

Principal Consultant

Twenty years ago, in my first role at a business strategy consultancy, I asked the firm’s principal whether I could join him on a client visit as a junior consultant. 

“You need more grey hairs before you can call yourself a consultant,” he replied. 

Twenty years on, my career has come full circle. I now run my own strategy and technology consultancy – and I’ve thankfully acquired the grey hairs I was missing back then. 

Over the last 15 years I’ve worked in Director-level roles across consultancy, manufacturing, distribution, retail and technology. Most recently, I served as Managing Director of an intelligent automation consultancy, helping organisations use technology to drive efficiency, resilience and growth. 

More than a decade of my career has been spent leading complex technology and transformation programmes. I’ve been accountable for the decisions, the budgets, the outcomes – and the consequences when things don’t go to plan. 

Associate Consultant

Mike brings over 20 years’ experience helping global consumer product brands drive profitable growth through digital channels.

He specialises in developing and delivering digital strategies that generate measurable improvements in customer acquisition, revenue growth and customer experience.

A significant part of Mike’s work focuses on helping organisations gain greater clarity from their web analytics and marketing data, enabling more confident, insight-led decision-making.

Increasingly, he supports clients in applying AI to optimise digital marketing performance — improving targeting, campaign efficiency and return on investment.

Mike leads digital marketing and eCommerce optimisation engagements for Strategy Room, working closely with clients to translate strategy into measurable commercial outcomes. 

Mike Jessop

Jessop.jfif

What people say about us

"What really impressed me was that Steve could work in the detail and then switch quickly into a more strategic approach. Due to this versatility he was able to support the project team and get the very best from them."
 
"I've worked with Steve over many years and have always been impressed with his pragmatic and hands on attitude to delivery. He has a great strategic approach and importantly is easy to work with." 

Nick Marshall

Managing Director, Omega Red Group

Neil Griffiths

Site Director, RS Safety

Our Experience

Our experience spans a breadth of technologies that are prevalent within manufacturing, wholesale, distribution and retail sectors. Some of the highlights include the following technology categories.

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) / Material Requirements Planning (MRP)

Experience in both developing bespoke solutions and implementing off the shelf applications. Any ERP / MRP project requires meticulous planning, sufficient resource and organisational change alongside the technical delivery. We have the knowledge and experience to help you land these projects successfully, unlocking the value of why you invested in them in the first place. 

Intelligent Automation

Product orientated businesses often have many high volume transactional processes which can make them perfect candidates for implementing intelligent automation solutions. The finance and customer service functions are often prime candidates for automation.  

eCommerce

The eCommerce channel is not new to most product orientated businesses but it is often under utilised. Deployed successfully, eCommerce can be a game changer for product businesses, driving profitable growth and reducing the burden on internal teams. Strategy Room can support you across the lifecycle from the initial implementation of an eCommerce channel through to the optimisation of the channel.   

Business Intelligence

Many product based businesses we speak to still rely on the manual analysis of spreadsheets or pre-baked reports from isolated systems to provide insight into their business. Our consultants have spent years helping clients understand what insights will really help unlock business and customer value. We've also got hands on experience getting that insight built through some of the leading business intelligence tools on the market.      

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