What is a fractional CIO?

A fractional CIO is a senior technology executive who owns a company’s IT strategy, budget, vendors, architecture, and team on a part-time basis, typically a few days per month. You get the ownership and accountability of a chief information officer without the cost of a full-time executive seat.

How much does a fractional CIO cost compared to a full-time CIO?

A full-time CIO typically costs $200,000 to $350,000 per year in salary and benefits. A fractional CIO delivers the same ownership on a month-to-month retainer scoped to the days per month the work actually requires, usually a small fraction of the full-time cost.

How quickly can a fractional CIO start?

Typically within one to two weeks of agreement. The first 90 days follow a set arc: assess the systems, spend, contracts, and team in the first month, align leadership on a 12-24 month roadmap and budget in the second, and install the operating cadence in the third.

Do you replace our IT team or managed service provider?

No. We lead them. Most clients keep their internal IT staff and MSP; the fractional CIO sets the roadmap, holds vendors accountable, negotiates the contracts, and gives your existing team executive direction it has been missing.

What size company is a fractional CIO right for?

Mid-market manufacturers, distributors, and service companies, typically with meaningful technology spend and no full-time CIO. If technology decisions are being made by the CFO, an office manager, or a vendor, a fractional CIO usually pays for itself in spend discipline alone.

// Fractional CIO

Fractional CIO support for IT planning, spend, and execution.

Senior technology leadership when the work does not justify a full-time CIO.

We help leadership make practical decisions about roadmaps, budgets, vendors, operating model, and the technology team, while coordinating with security and AI work.

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The role, in full

A senior technology executive, without the full-time seat.

A fractional CIO is a senior technology executive who owns your IT agenda the way a full-time CIO would: the roadmap, the budget, the vendors, the architecture, and the team. The difference is scope. You get the judgment and the accountability for the days per month the work actually requires, not a full-time salary for a part-time problem.

In practice that means a standing seat in your leadership meetings, ownership of the technology plan and its sequence, and one person your executives can ask "where does this stand and what does it cost." We keep a regular operating cadence: weekly presence with the team, a monthly operating review with leadership, and quarterly board-level reporting. Engagements run month to month and coordinate directly with security (CISO) and AI (CAIO) work when the roadmap crosses those lines.

The first 90 days

Days 1–30

Assess

Inventory the systems, spend, contracts, and team. Interview leadership. Surface the risks and the quick wins.
Days 31–60

Align

Draft the 12–24 month roadmap and budget. Act on the urgent vendor and spend items. Agree the sequence with leadership.
Days 61–90

Operate

Install the operating cadence, set the scorecard, and put the first roadmap initiatives in motion with clear owners.

By day 90: a roadmap leadership has agreed to, a budget tied to it, and a cadence that keeps both honest.

Operating principles

Technology decisions with clear ownership and sequence.

As your fractional CIO, we focus on the decisions that are expensive to undo: systems, vendors, spend, architecture, ownership, and the cadence that keeps work moving.

Strategic roadmapping: Align technology investments with business objectives. A clear 12–24 month path with prioritized initiatives.
Budget optimization: Maximize ROI through vendor management, license rationalization, and cloud cost discipline.
Team development: Mentor your existing IT team and guide strategic hiring decisions for sustainable growth.
Board reporting: Translate technology into budget, risk, timing, AI readiness, and operating trade-offs.

When to engage

Signs it is time for a fractional CIO.

Technology spend keeps rising and nobody can say what it actually buys.
An ERP, cloud, or platform decision is looming and feels expensive to undo.
Projects stall because no one owns the technology roadmap or the sequence.
The board wants a technology plan in business terms, not jargon.

When the roadmap points to AI, the CIO sets the technology fit and integration inside our end-to-end AI Implementation solution, with CISO and CAIO alongside.

View AI Implementation

Focus areas

The technology challenges we address.

Six recurring themes we work through with mid-market manufacturing and service company leaders.

ERP modernization

Navigate complex ERP upgrades and integrations that support growth without disrupting operations.

Data strategy

Turn operational data into competitive intelligence with modern analytics and reporting.

Cloud strategy

Optimize cloud investments with hybrid strategies balancing cost, performance, and security.

Digital transformation

Modernize business processes with technology that improves efficiency and customer experience.

IT governance

Establish policies and procedures that ensure technology supports business objectives.

Cost management

Optimize technology spend through strategic vendor relationships and license management.

In every engagement

What you can expect.

Strategy: Comprehensive IT strategy aligned to business goals · Annual budget planning and prioritization
Operations: Vendor evaluation and contract negotiation · License rationalization and cloud cost discipline
Transformation: Digital transformation roadmap with milestone-based delivery and risk tracking
People: IT team mentoring and development · Hiring guidance for senior technology roles
Governance: Board-level technology reporting · Quarterly roadmap reviews · Risk register maintenance · Adoption tracking

EdgePoint Foundry

When build is the bottleneck.

CIO work often identifies process or integration gaps. Foundry is used only when custom software is the right path, and the build stays tied to the roadmap.

View Foundry

FAQ

Common questions.

What is a fractional CIO?: A fractional CIO is a senior technology executive who owns a company’s IT strategy, budget, vendors, architecture, and team on a part-time basis, typically a few days per month. You get the ownership and accountability of a chief information officer without the cost of a full-time executive seat.
How much does a fractional CIO cost compared to a full-time CIO?: A full-time CIO typically costs $200,000 to $350,000 per year in salary and benefits. A fractional CIO delivers the same ownership on a month-to-month retainer scoped to the days per month the work actually requires, usually a small fraction of the full-time cost.
How quickly can a fractional CIO start?: Typically within one to two weeks of agreement. The first 90 days follow a set arc: assess the systems, spend, contracts, and team in the first month, align leadership on a 12-24 month roadmap and budget in the second, and install the operating cadence in the third.
Do you replace our IT team or managed service provider?: No. We lead them. Most clients keep their internal IT staff and MSP; the fractional CIO sets the roadmap, holds vendors accountable, negotiates the contracts, and gives your existing team executive direction it has been missing.
What size company is a fractional CIO right for?: Mid-market manufacturers, distributors, and service companies, typically with meaningful technology spend and no full-time CIO. If technology decisions are being made by the CFO, an office manager, or a vendor, a fractional CIO usually pays for itself in spend discipline alone.

// Next step

Talk through the IT decisions.

Use a 30-minute call to review the roadmap, spend, vendor, or operating issue in front of you.

Schedule a call View all services

Fractional CIO support for IT planning, spend, and execution.

A senior technology executive, without the full-time seat.

Assess

Align

Operate