UHX IT Foundations

Build the Foundation for Transformation

UHX IT Foundations

Realize the Possibilities

Own Your Data, Govern Your Architecture, Realize the Possibilities

IT Foundations Details

"IT Foundations" is a comprehensive evaluation of your technology infrastructure, data architecture, and system landscape. While UHX Igniters focus on specific capabilities like visibility, commerce, or AI-powered experiences, the Foundation Assessment examines the plumbing that makes everything else possible. We map your current systems, evaluate vendor relationships, assess data flows, and identify the gaps blocking transformation. You'll leave with a clear picture of where you stand, what's broken, and a strategic roadmap to build the foundation that enables everything else.

igniter solutions

The Problems Solved

Legacy systems and vendor lock-in keep luxury hospitality properties stuck. Without a clear view of your technology foundation, every initiative becomes harder than it should be. The IT Foundation Assessment reveals what's really happening beneath the surface and creates the path forward.

Integration Chaos

Disconnected systems create manual workarounds, data inconsistencies, and operational friction that slow everything down.

Data Trapped in Silos

Critical guest, operational, and business data locked in vendor systems prevents unified views and blocks AI-powered capabilities.

Vendor Lock-In

Closed architectures and proprietary systems limit your choices, inflate costs, and put your roadmap in vendor hands.

Technical Debt Accumulation

Years of quick fixes and point solutions have created a fragile ecosystem that resists change and drains resources.

No Strategic Visibility

Leadership lacks a clear picture of current technology state, making informed investment decisions nearly impossible.

Results Delivered

IT Foundations Outcomes

Clarity

A complete picture of your technology landscape, data flows, and integration health with honest assessment of where you stand.

Strategy

A prioritized roadmap that addresses critical gaps while building toward long-term transformation and AI readiness.

Control

Understanding of vendor dependencies and a path toward data sovereignty and architectural authority.

Confidence

Executive-ready materials that enable informed decisions about technology investments and transformation priorities.

Quick Wins

Practical fixes to integration health, data flows, and system performance you can implement in weeks, not months.

Roadmap

Prioritized initiatives from critical infrastructure fixes to strategic architecture evolution, with timelines and investment guidance.

What We Need to Understand

The Focus Areas

Technology Stack & Vendor Ecosystem

We inventory every system, platform, and tool in your environment, documenting how they connect, what data they hold, and the vendor relationships that govern them. This analysis reveals where you’re locked in, where you have flexibility, and which vendor relationships serve your interests versus constrain them. The result is complete visibility into your technology landscape and the leverage points for change.

Data Architecture & Flows

We trace how data moves through your organization, from source systems to consumption points, identifying where it gets stuck, duplicated, or lost. This includes evaluating your readiness for a hub-spoke architecture with data at the strategic center rather than trapped in operational systems. Understanding your data flows is essential for any AI initiative, personalization effort, or operational improvement.

Integration Landscape

We map every connection between systems, documenting the methods (API, file transfer, manual, iPaaS), frequency, reliability, and pain points. This analysis reveals the real cost of your current integration approach and identifies opportunities for consolidation, automation, and modernization. Integration health determines how quickly you can respond to new opportunities.

AI & Automation Readiness

We evaluate your foundation’s ability to support AI deployment and workflow automation. This includes assessing knowledge base potential (both structured and unstructured data), governance readiness, and the infrastructure required for organization-wide AI capabilities. Without proper foundation, AI initiatives fail. This assessment ensures you build AI on solid ground.

Architecture & Governance

We examine how technology decisions get made, who owns what, and whether your current architecture follows principles that enable transformation (composable, open, API-first) or block it (monolithic, closed, vendor-dependent). Strong governance and sound architectural principles are what separate organizations that can transform from those that remain stuck.

Value You Receive

The Deliverables^*

Technology Stack Inventory

Comprehensive catalog of all systems, platforms, and tools currently in use, including vendors, contracts, integration status, and known limitations. Your complete technology landscape in one document.

Integration Landscape Map

Visual diagram showing how systems connect, data flow direction and frequency, integration methods, and problem areas. See your entire ecosystem and its connections at a glance.

Data Flow Analysis

Documentation of where data lives, how it moves, and where it gets stuck. Identifies bottlenecks, gaps, and quality issues that block transformation initiatives.

Technology Maturity Scorecard

Assessment across Data Strategy, AI Readiness, and Technology Architecture dimensions. Provides benchmark scores and dimension-by-dimension analysis of your current state.

Critical Gap Identification

Prioritized list of the top issues blocking transformation, with business impact, root cause, and complexity assessment for each. Know exactly what to fix first.

Quick Wins List

Immediate improvements requiring minimal investment that can be completed in under 90 days. Build momentum while planning larger initiatives.

Vendor Ecosystem Evaluation

(Anchor, Cornerstone) Assessment of each major vendor relationship including lock-in risk, integration quality, and strategic recommendations: keep, replace, augment, or renegotiate.

Data Architecture Deep-Dive

(Anchor, Cornerstone) Detailed analysis of data layer readiness including hub-spoke feasibility, CDP considerations, identity resolution capability, and governance requirements.

AI Readiness Assessment

(Anchor, Cornerstone) Evaluation of your foundation for AI deployment including knowledge base potential, structured and unstructured data inventory, and governance requirements.

Gap Analysis Matrix

(Anchor, Cornerstone) Current state versus target state across all foundation dimensions. Prioritized view of what must be built or improved to enable transformation.

12-Month Transformation Roadmap

(Anchor, Cornerstone) Prioritized sequence of initiatives with timelines, dependencies, investment ranges, and success metrics. Your strategic plan for the year ahead.

Budget Framework

(Anchor, Cornerstone) Order of magnitude investment requirements for roadmap initiatives including technology costs, implementation costs, and phasing options.

Business Case Document

(Cornerstone) Board-ready investment justification including current state costs, transformation benefits, ROI projections, and risk analysis. Get approval for what comes next.

Governance & Operating Model

(Cornerstone) Framework for how your organization should manage technology decisions, data governance, AI ethics, vendor relationships, and ongoing optimization.

24-Month Strategic Roadmap

(Cornerstone) Extended transformation plan covering the full journey from current state to target architecture, with quarterly milestones and capability maturation stages.

Executive Alignment Documentation

(Cornerstone) Record of decisions, commitments, and accountability from working sessions. Ensures organizational alignment for transformation ahead.

* Included deliverables are determined by the program outlined below.

unforgettable human experiences

IT Foundations Programs

Transform signals into visibility where guests and agents look

Groundwork

1-2 Weeks

$12,950

1-Day Workshop
2-3 Interviews
One Property
Maturity Scorecard
Quick Wins List

Inquire Now

Recommend

Anchor

2-3 Weeks

$24,950

1-Day Workshop
Everything in Groundwork
5-7 Interviews
Vendor & AI Analysis
12-Month Roadmap

Inquire Now

Cornerstone

3-4 Weeks

$39,950

2-Day Workshops
Everything in Anchor
8-12 Interviews
Business Case
24-Month Roadmap

Inquire Now

You Decide

Forge

Build Your Own

Quote

Custom Scoping
Select Deliverables
Multi-Property Options
On-Site Available
Custom Quote

Inquire Now

All UHX IT Foundations programs are priced as remote engagements. On-site engagements are available for an additional fee. See the details in the pricing chart below.

Compare Programs

Select from these to see the details.

Groundwork

Anchor

Cornerstone

Build Your Own

Forge

Duration

1-2 Weeks

3-4 Weeks

6-8 Weeks

You Decide

Workshop

1 Day

2 Days

You Decide

Stakeholder Interviews

2-3

5-6

8-12

You Decide

Properties Covered

One

Two

Up to Four

You Decide

Roadmap Horizon

Quick Wins

12 Months

24 Months

You Decide

Discovery & Assessment

Technology Stack Inventory

Integration Landscape Map

Data Flow Analysis

Technology Maturity Scorecard

Critical Gap Identification

Quick Wins List

Executive Summary Presentation

Strategic Analysis

Vendor Ecosystem Evaluation

Data Architecture Deep-Dive

AI Readiness Assessment

Gap Analysis Matrix

12-Month Transformation Roadmap

Budget Framework

Executive Presentation

Strategic Foundation

Business Case Document

Governance & Operating Model

24-Month Strategic Roadmap

Executive Alignment Documentation

On-Site Options

+$3,000

+$5,000

You Decide

Investment

12,950

$24,950

$39,950

Quote

Inquire Now

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What is UHX IT Foundations?

UHX IT Foundations evaluates your technology infrastructure, data architecture, and system landscape to identify gaps blocking transformation. Unlike UHX Igniters that focus on specific capabilities like visibility or commerce, IT Foundations examines the underlying plumbing that makes everything else work: how your systems connect, where your data lives, and whether your architecture enables or constrains change.

How is UHX IT Foundations different from the UHX Igniters?

UHX Igniters focus on specific business capabilities: making your property visible to AI, enabling conversational commerce, empowering guests with AI, or improving operational efficiency. UHX IT Foundations focuses on the technology infrastructure that enables all of those capabilities. Think of Igniters as what you want to accomplish. IT Foundations addresses whether your plumbing can support it.

Who should lead the UHX IT Foundations engagement from our side?

IT leadership (CTO, CIO, VP/Director of Technology) typically owns this engagement, but successful assessments involve stakeholders from Marketing and Operations as well. Your technology foundation serves the entire organization, so cross-functional input improves the assessment quality and builds alignment for transformation.

What if we don't have dedicated IT leadership?

Many luxury properties operate without full-time technology executives. UHX IT Foundations works regardless of your internal structure. We engage with whoever manages your technology relationships and decisions today, whether that's a GM, operations director, or outsourced IT provider. Part of our value is providing the strategic technology leadership you may not have internally.

We already know our systems are a mess. Why do we need an assessment?

Knowing something is broken and understanding exactly how to fix it are different things. The assessment provides the complete picture: every system, every connection, every gap, prioritized by impact and effort. Without this clarity, transformation initiatives often address symptoms rather than root causes, or tackle the wrong problems first. The assessment ensures you invest in the right places.

How does UHX IT Foundations connect to the UHX Igniters?

UHX IT Foundations often reveals which Igniter capabilities your organization is ready for and which require foundation work first. Many clients complete IT Foundations and then move into one or more Igniters with confidence that the underlying infrastructure can support success. The roadmap explicitly identifies where Igniters fit in your transformation journey.

What access do you need to our systems for the assessment?

We need documentation access (system lists, architecture diagrams, vendor contracts), stakeholder interview time, and ideally read-only access to key systems for validation. We don't require administrative access or credentials. Most of what we need comes from conversations with your team and review of existing documentation.

Can UHX IT Foundations be done remotely?

Groundwork and Anchor can be conducted entirely remotely or with optional on-site time. Cornerstone includes a required 2-day on-site workshop because the executive alignment and cross-department working sessions are most effective in person. Remote options exist for organizations where travel isn't feasible.

How long until we see value from UHX IT Foundations?

The Quick Wins List in Groundwork identifies improvements you can implement within 90 days. Many clients begin acting on quick wins before the full assessment is complete. The larger transformation roadmap provides value over 12-24 months as you execute strategic initiatives. The assessment itself delivers value immediately through clarity and alignment.

What happens after UHX IT Foundations is complete?

The assessment produces a transformation roadmap. Execution options include: engaging Sherpera as your ongoing strategic transformation partner to guide and oversee implementation, using the roadmap to direct internal teams or other vendors, or a hybrid approach. The assessment stands alone as valuable regardless of who executes the roadmap.

We're locked into vendor contracts. Can you still help with our technology foundation?

Absolutely. Vendor contracts don't mean vendor control. The assessment identifies where you have flexibility within existing relationships and where composable approaches can create options. We help you build strategic capabilities vendors don't provide while planning for eventual contract renewals with stronger negotiating position.

How do you handle multi-property organizations?

Groundwork covers one property. For multi-property groups, we can assess a representative property first and then extend findings, or scope Anchor or Cornerstone to cover the broader portfolio. Multi-property assessments examine both property-level systems and enterprise or shared infrastructure. We'll recommend the right approach based on your specific situation.

What is the difference between Groundwork, Anchor, and Cornerstone?

Groundwork is a 1-2 week diagnostic that provides a technology maturity scorecard, critical gap identification, and quick wins list. Anchor expands to 3-4 weeks and adds vendor ecosystem evaluation, data architecture deep-dive, AI readiness assessment, and a 12-month transformation roadmap. Cornerstone is a 6-8 week comprehensive engagement that includes executive alignment sessions, business case development, governance model, and 24-month strategic roadmap.

What is a Technology Maturity Scorecard?

The Technology Maturity Scorecard assesses your current state across three foundation dimensions: Data Strategy (accessibility, quality, unified guest view), AI Readiness (knowledge base potential, structured data, governance), and Technology Architecture (system openness, composability, vendor lock-in risk). Each dimension receives a score with detailed commentary explaining strengths, weaknesses, and priorities.

What does 'hub-spoke architecture' mean for hospitality data?

Hub-spoke architecture places your data warehouse or central repository at the center of your technology ecosystem, with all other systems (PMS, CRM, booking engines, POS) connecting to it. This replaces the outdated model where PMS sits at the center. Hub-spoke gives you data sovereignty, enables unified guest views, and provides the foundation for AI and personalization initiatives.

Why does data architecture matter for AI initiatives?

AI requires accessible, unified, high-quality data to function effectively. If your guest data is scattered across disconnected systems, your operational knowledge is trapped in people's heads, and your systems don't talk to each other, AI initiatives will fail regardless of which tools you choose. Data architecture is the foundation that makes AI actually work.

What is included in the Vendor Ecosystem Evaluation?

The Vendor Ecosystem Evaluation assesses each major vendor relationship including contract terms, integration quality and openness, lock-in risk, and alignment with your transformation goals. Each vendor receives a recommendation: keep, replace, augment, or renegotiate. The evaluation also maps vendor dependencies and identifies alternative options for high-risk relationships.

How do you assess AI readiness?

AI Readiness Assessment evaluates your foundation's ability to support AI deployment. This includes knowledge base potential (what organizational knowledge exists and where), structured data inventory, unstructured content audit (documents, policies, tribal knowledge), vector database and RAG feasibility, governance readiness, and current AI deployments. The assessment identifies what foundation work is needed before AI initiatives can succeed.

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Build the Foundation for Transformation