Specialty engineering, architecture, and consulting firms running multi-discipline teams across project files, CAD libraries, and tier-one client contracts. The IT that fits how engineers actually work - not a generic SMB stack bolted on top of CAD and project workflows.
Four Buyer Profiles
Four growth postures across the 10–300 person band. The IT priorities and engagement model that fits each - for engineering & architecture specifically.
01
15-person specialty engineering shop · Foundation
Situation: Founder is the de facto IT person. Business runs on Dropbox and Google Workspace. No formal cyber program. Pre-inflection - has not yet won the contract that triples revenue.
IT priority: Identity foundation, project-file integrity, backup discipline, basic cyber baseline.
Best fit: Fractional engagement - senior IT capability on demand.
02
30-person specialty firm just won a multi-year contract · Onboarding
Situation: Multi-year contract larger than the previous three years of revenue combined. About to scale 3× and discover IT problems they don't yet know they have.
IT priority: Standardization, identity, cyber baseline, vendor governance. The IT scaffolding the new contract assumes you have.
Best fit: Fractional engagement - scaling under deadline pressure.
03
75-person engineering firm winning RFPs in two provinces · Neutral
Situation: Fighting on margin. Integrating field-data and project-management systems that don't talk to each other. IT discipline becomes a real differentiator.
IT priority: Operational discipline, integration, project margin visibility, customer-system reach.
Best fit: Co-Managed engagement - your IT lead keeps the role, we add the senior layer.
04
130-person firm planning Houston expansion or acquisitions · Offensive
Situation: M&A integration capability is the question. Expansion-stage. The next acquisition or geographic expansion depends on whether IT can carry it.
IT priority: Integration capacity, M&A-ready data architecture, 90-day target evaluation playbook.
Best fit: Bundled engagement - full ownership, board-grade reporting.
Capabilities
The capabilities a project-led firm needs that a generic MSP doesn't carry.
CAD libraries, project files, version control, multi-team collaboration. The file infrastructure your project margins actually depend on.
Province-to-province operations. Site-to-site bandwidth, project-file sync, multi-office identity.
Tier-one customer security questionnaires you can actually answer. SOC 2 readiness. Cyber insurance underwriter requirements.
When the firm acquires or gets acquired. Pre-LOI diligence, integration playbooks, carve-out work.
Site survey data, field reports, project deliverables. The IT layer that sits between the field and the project team.
Strategic IT layer at Co-Managed or Premier. Fractional CIO function for firms without a senior IT hire.
30 minutes. No pitch. We answer your questions about project IT, multi-site operations, and what your firm should be doing differently.
Capability
Operating beyond Calgary? You're not alone.
Live operations right now in Thailand, Jakarta, and Singapore. Two sister NOC/SOC entities (ESIEM Canada, Echo Protocol Singapore) running follow-the-sun coverage. Project history in Istanbul, Turkey, and Africa. International capability is layered on top of any engagement model, in any industry vertical.