Fractional IT leadership
Part-time IT leadership at any level, from CIO to team manager. I help small teams get organized, make decisions, tighten up their processes, and compare tools side by side against what matters most to you.
West Michigan IT Consulting
IT leadership, consulting, and hands-on support for small and mid-sized businesses.
Barwis Consulting is an independent, vendor-neutral IT firm. I provide part-time IT leadership, fix the systems problem in front of you today, and help plan your next infrastructure move.
Work is provided remotely and on-site for clients in West Michigan, with remote consulting available for clients elsewhere.
Schedule a 15-minute introductory callServices
Some clients need one problem fixed. Others want ongoing support, or help planning what comes next.
Audits and planning
Reviews of your infrastructure, software tools, domain, and email setup to find what can be fixed, simplified, or improved, plus planning for the projects that follow.
Systems and infrastructure
Windows and Linux administration, network support, troubleshooting, and reliable day-to-day operations.
Security and identity
Security hardening and identity management that reduce risk without adding friction to everyday work. That includes setting up your email so it stays out of spam folders and is harder for scammers to impersonate.
Cloud and collaboration
Google Workspace, email, cloud services, and migrations planned around how your team works.
Website refreshes
A clean, modern website for businesses with an outdated site, only a Facebook page, or nothing at all. Even a simple one-page site shows customers what you do and how to reach you.
Project and incident support
Extra hands when a project is short on capacity, and steady help when something critical breaks.
Documentation and process
Written documentation and repeatable processes, so important details don't live only in one person's head.
How Barwis Works
My rule is "if it ain't broke, make it better." Systems that work can usually work better, and I look for what's slow, expensive, or fragile while it's still running.
Understand first
Learn the current environment, the business need, and the constraints before recommending anything.
Plan before changing
Changes are planned, documented, and explained before they're made, so your team knows what's coming.
Stay vendor-neutral
Recommendations are based on fit, reliability, security, and long-term cost.
About
Barwis Consulting, LLC is an independent technology consulting firm based in Holland, Michigan.
I explain tradeoffs in plain language, document the work, and leave clients with systems they can understand and maintain themselves.
How I lead
I start with why: where we're going and why it matters. Then I trust people to decide how to get there. I try to hire people who are better than me at the job, and I give them work that stretches them. If someone wants to change direction, I want to hear it, but they'll need to convince me first.
I give feedback all the time, good and bad, and I try to deliver it with care. Nobody on my team should be surprised by anything in a performance review. One-on-ones are for the person, not for status updates: how they're doing, what they need, and where they want to grow. Everyone should be able to answer "how do you know you're winning?" for themselves and their team.
Books that shaped how I lead include Start with Why, Radical Candor, Mindset, The Lost Art of Listening, Turn the Ship Around, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, and The Phoenix Project.
Start a Conversation
Tell me what you're working on.
Book a 15-minute video call on Microsoft Teams. Tell me what you're working on or what's giving you trouble, and we'll figure out whether I can help.
Book a 15-minute call
Prefer email? info@barwisconsulting.com