appleby.systemsAppleby Systems is Paul Appleby’s independent consultancy for AI adoption and IT security. You work directly with me, from the first conversation through the advice and agreed work.
I have been the owner and technical director of Appleby Systems in Weymouth since January 2003. My background combines leading in-house IT with running IT support and services businesses in Dorset.
I served as Head of IT at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in central London for seven years, and as Head of IT at McAfee (UK) for two years.
My business leadership experience also includes 90 Networks, where I have been owner and technical director since 2003, and Tech West, where I held the same role from 2003 to November 2023. Tech West provided IT management and support for businesses ranging from 5 to 5,000 staff.
That experience informs how I advise today. A recommendation has to work with the people, budget and systems you already have. I help you assess the options, explain the trade-offs and oversee agreed changes with your IT provider.
You may already have reliable IT support but need another perspective on a proposed investment, the protection of client information or how to introduce AI. Appleby Systems provides that specialist advice alongside the people who maintain your systems.
I start with the business: the work people need to do, the information they rely on and what happens when a system lets them down. The recommendation should make sense in that context, including the cost and the effort needed to keep it working.
AI can help with work such as preparing documents, handling enquiries and processing invoices. Whether it is useful depends on the quality of the result, the information involved and the checking people still need to do.
I consider those questions together. You should be able to improve a process while keeping appropriate control of business information. Security advice follows the same practical approach: clear responsibilities, protection that is maintained and changes that people can work with.
I receive no commission from product or licence sales. Recommendations can include improving what you already have, changing a process or deciding that a proposed purchase is unnecessary.
I explain the reasons, costs and limitations so you can challenge a recommendation before committing. You speak with the person who has considered your requirements and will help you understand the findings.
The initial conversation is free. We discuss what has prompted the enquiry, what you want to improve and any constraints. It is also an opportunity to establish whether I am the right person to help.
If there is useful work to do, we agree its scope, what you will receive and the price before it begins. I can help oversee the changes with your IT provider and make sure the people maintaining them understand what has been agreed.
I work remotely and on site, with arrangements agreed around the job. Being based in Dorset makes meetings across the South West straightforward; remote working allows me to advise businesses elsewhere in the UK too.
My consultancy works alongside your existing IT team or provider. They know your systems and day-to-day requirements; I contribute an independent assessment and support for the agreed improvements.
No. You can start with a concern, a proposed purchase or a process that is causing difficulty. The first conversation helps establish what needs examining. If you already have a defined requirement, we can discuss that directly.
The scope and price are agreed before work starts. If the requirement changes, we discuss the effect on the work and cost before proceeding.
The service is intended for established businesses that need specialist advice alongside their existing IT support. The first conversation establishes whether the work would be useful for your organisation.
The case studies on this website are illustrative. They use fictional businesses to explain the approach and potential benefits, without presenting invented figures as client results.
Fictional business situations showing how I would examine a problem. These are examples of an approach, not client engagements or measured results.
A fictional professional services firm has grown through new offices and staff changes. A client asks who can access its documents, and the firm cannot give a clear answer.
Potential benefit: Clearer responsibility for access, fewer unnecessary permissions and a more reliable answer when clients ask how their information is protected.
A fictional distribution business relies on one system for orders, stock and dispatch. Its backups report success, but nobody knows how long a serious outage would interrupt deliveries.
Potential benefit: Recovery expectations supported by evidence, clearer responsibilities and a practical basis for reducing disruption.
A fictional construction and property business handles invoices across several teams. Repeated data entry and unclear approvals cause delays, and the finance lead is considering AI.
Potential benefit: Less repeated entry and fewer avoidable queries, if the trial demonstrates a worthwhile improvement after checking and running costs are included.
Tell me what you want to improve or understand. The initial conversation is free.