About R. Maestas
An Independent IT & Business Management Consultant
Ricardo is a multi-domain expert in information technology and business management, working to harmonize his clients’ IT departments and business operations. Using strategic IT solutions, he helps businesses grow and improve while staying modern and competitive.
Working alongside trusted IT departments to lead lasting change.
R.M dives into every engagement by seeking a profound understanding of his clients’ businesses through keen observation and inquiry. This sets the stage for guidance where management techniques and technology solutions work harmoniously. That's when things get real: Ricardo's approach to solutions involves rallying diverse stakeholders by eliminating barriers and facilitating collaboration across departments. Businesses aren't just enhanced; they’re revolutionized as they become more competitive, efficient, and sustainable.
Bridging the gap between those running the business and those ensuring the business runs.
As a professional in a non-technical field, do you long for a peer with strong technical abilities? As a technology professional, do you wish to work with subject matter experts who share a technology-first mindset?
Sometimes it can seem like IT departments are speaking a different language than the rest of the business. From the mountains that divide these two domains, Ricardo works with both business and technical stakeholders to chart roads to the digital future and build collaboration bridges to get them there.
Clients
Your own trusted IT department knows and supports your business. That’s why R.M works alongside IT teams – not in place of them. Ricardo guides them so they can lead the change that enhances their services so the business realizes the outcomes.
Industries
Ricardo’s core competency lies in the industrial and manufacturing sectors, with specific professional experience in food production and other manufacturing verticals.
Affiliations
As an independent IT & Management consultant, Ricardo doesn’t re-sell SaaS and isn’t affiliated with any particular vendor. Rather, he recommends services that are in his clients’ best interest and serves their businesses completely.
Delivering sustainable solutions intended to grow with your company.
As companies grow and mature, the IT department must evolve in tandem. By selecting, or designing, sustainable technology solutions — those that grow with the company — Operations and IT keep pace with each other. A dynamic business/IT relationship empowers your company to seize new opportunities without being shackled by outdated legacy solutions. Likewise, a tuned-in IT department complements the business, aligning seamlessly with its forward momentum.
Approaching New Work
True fulfillment comes from work that genuinely helps people. Ricardo thrives on the energy and strength derived from guiding clients to the perfect solutions that empower their businesses to operate smoothly. Clients are energized and strengthened by streamlined collaboration among departments while everyone works together toward a common goal.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Ricardo is not a replacement for your IT vendor or department. Instead, he works alongside them – and you – to improve the value they add to your business. Ricardo works with your IT team to implement solutions that function effectively and efficiently.
Ricardo’s ideal project profile is one where there’s incongruence between the business and IT. Early in his career, Ricardo worked on a small, elite team that had to do it all and gained experience in many facets of supporting businesses and learning technologies. This trial by fire approach allowed him to hone in quickly on what worked and what wouldn't make the cut, and largely carries into his work today — enabling Ricardo to sink into a challenging project, discover the underlying issues, recommend solutions, and help implement them so all parties benefit.
Every client of Ricardo’s should have some sort of IT department — either in-house or outsourced. Companies of all sizes run into issues with their IT operations. This usually happens when miscommunication leads to implementing services and software that don't quite keep up with the business. In these cases, Ricardo thrives on bridging the gap between the business and IT.
No. Not all companies can afford an in-house IT department (and many don't need one). But Ricardo is not that contracted IT provider. His role is to come in and help lead and develop strategies, and work with the existing IT experts to implement them. For many capable IT departments, an outside Managed Service Provider may not even be necessary. If they are, Ricardo can assess the client/MSP relationship and provide recommendations to improve the value of these arrangements.
Ricardo’s background and expertise lie in food manufacturing and industrial settings. While nearly every industry has the potential to be a good fit, these two industries are where Ricardo has flourished in the past. If your business doesn't fit this profile, let's discuss it and see if R.M may still be the right fit.
Protecting client information is serious business. Ricardo will sign NDAs and always abide by confidentiality terms. He is willing to collaborate using technologies like VPNs to access client systems. You can learn more about how this works in his blog post about accessing client systems.
Engaging with Ricardo will involve using synchronous and asynchronous communication technologies, and an in-person presence as needed. He can use Notion, Teams, Zoom, Slack, or another secure collaboration platform to exchange documents, other deliverables, and exchange feedback. What it boils down to is: what works best for you?
The full benefit of working with a consultant like Ricardo happens over time, and at the client’s pace. Hourly time and materials arrangements have their place, but they can be costly and wasteful when clients are already beset by performance challenges. A retainer provides the best value to many of Ricardo’s clients, ensuring help is there when you need it and your business is not hit with unexpected bills.