The Altioras approach
We look at the work behind the system, test changes with the staff who use it, and leave clear decisions and operating instructions behind.
Our starting point
We review how work moves through finance, records, and utility billing: where staff re-enter data, wait for approvals, reconcile reports, or work around the system. We separate configuration and process issues from problems that require a new system.
Then we define the scope with agency staff: affected departments, purchasing requirements, available capacity, cost, and how to measure the result. The recommendation may be a process change, targeted support, or a system replacement—only when the findings support it.
How an engagement moves
Some agencies need only an assessment. Others need help with purchasing, implementation, or ongoing operations. At each stage, staff can review the findings and decide what comes next.
What is getting in the way of the work?
We listen to the people who use the process, map the current handoffs, and distinguish a system limitation from a policy, staffing, or configuration problem. Replacing software is not the default answer.
What gets documented
A current-state picture, the constraints that matter, and a prioritized list of problems to solve.
Decision to make
Agree on the problem before agreeing on a solution.
What should change, and what should stay?
We compare fixes to the current system, added operational support, and replacement options against available staff time, purchasing rules, schedule, and cost.
What gets documented
A scoped plan with responsibilities, decision points, dependencies, and a basis for procurement when needed.
Decision to make
Approve a path the agency can fund and support.
Can the agency see progress before go-live?
Work moves through defined milestones. We review changes with the people affected, surface risks early, and check that new processes actually work across departments rather than only in a project meeting.
What gets documented
Milestone decisions, issue and risk tracking, tested workflows, and documented changes.
Decision to make
Accept each phase based on what works, not just what was presented.
Who will own this after the project team leaves?
We close the loop with training, operational documentation, and named owners. If the agency wants continuing support, managed operations or advisory can follow; if not, the handoff should still stand on its own.
What gets documented
A handover of procedures, open items, ownership, and next priorities.
Decision to make
Confirm the team can operate and improve what was delivered.
AI and practical innovation
Our assessments can involve contracts, system inventories, process notes, support tickets, and interviews across departments. We use AI and other approved tools to organize that material and spot questions worth investigating. Our team checks the evidence with agency staff before a finding or recommendation goes into the report.
Agree on the assessment questions, then request the relevant policies, contracts, reports, and workflow examples. Where allowed, digital collection and transcription help us organize input without asking staff to repeat the same information.
With agency-approved tools and data handling, we can sort documents, compare contract terms, group recurring ticket issues, and draft questions for staff. This helps focus interviews on exceptions and handoffs rather than reading every file aloud together.
We trace each finding back to a record or staff-confirmed workflow, check AI-generated summaries for errors, and review the conclusions with the people who do the work. The agency receives the evidence, open questions, and options—not a tool-generated verdict.
We agree with the agency on what information a tool may process before using it. Sensitive agency or resident records do not go into unapproved public AI tools; people remain responsible for the assessment and its recommendations.
Different entry points
The first useful step depends on whether you are stabilizing a current operation, making a purchasing decision, or setting direction across the agency.
The ERP is live, but manual workarounds and backlogs persist.
A sensible first move
Review workflows and configuration before recommending replacement.
The platform is aging, and leadership needs a credible choice.
A sensible first move
Clarify requirements and procurement constraints before vendor evaluation.
The agency needs a plan, but not another permanent executive role.
A sensible first move
Sequence the decisions, ownership, and investments that cannot wait.
Accountability in practice
We document tradeoffs in language that staff, leadership, and procurement can use. When a vendor is involved, we work for the agency, not as the vendor’s sales channel.
That includes new tools: we document what was tested, where it failed, who reviews the output, and what the agency must maintain.
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