Nic Wood
Founder U-PM.COM Ltd - Clever Computer Crew
About Clever Computer Crew
Clever Computer Crew was founded by Nic Wood, a technology consultant with thirty years of experience helping organisations work better — across defence, nuclear, utilities, finance, and public services, and more recently with charities, social enterprises, and small businesses across the North East.
Over those thirty years, one thing has stayed consistent: the problem is rarely the technology. It's how organisations use it — or more accurately, how they've grown around it without ever stepping back to ask whether any of it actually makes sense.
That's the problem Nic set out to solve.
Why we work the way we do
Most technology consultancies arrive with a solution already in mind. We start with questions. How does work actually flow here? Where does it slow down? What are people working around rather than working with? What would simpler look like?
We combine Lean thinking — a practical discipline for removing waste and improving flow — with deep knowledge of Microsoft 365, because most organisations already have powerful tools sitting largely unused. The goal is never to add complexity. It's to reduce it.
We're not a helpdesk. We're not here to manage your IT. We're here to help you redesign how your organisation operates — and to make sure the change actually sticks.
Who we work with
We work with small and medium businesses, charities, and social enterprises — organisations where resources are finite, people are stretched, and the gap between how things work and how they should work has real consequences.
We're particularly drawn to organisations with a genuine sense of purpose: businesses that care about how they operate, not just what they produce. That's reflected in our decision to offer pro bono support to a small number of not-for-profit organisations each year — because the sector does important work and shouldn't be priced out of good advice.
Based in County Durham
We're based in Spennymoor, County Durham, and work with organisations across the North East and remotely across the UK. We like working locally when it helps — there's something to be said for someone who understands the region, knows the business community, and can sit around a table when that matters.
What you can expect from working with us
Straight talking. No jargon, no unnecessary complexity, no solutions looking for problems. We'll tell you honestly what we think needs to change, how long it will take, and what it will cost — before any work begins. If we're not the right fit, we'll say so.
We're a small operation, which means when you work with Clever Computer Crew, you work with Nic directly. Not a junior consultant. Not an account manager. The person who will actually do the work.
Who we work best with
We work best with leaders who are genuinely committed to change — not just interested in the idea of it. People who are willing to look honestly at how their organisation operates, including the parts that are uncomfortable to examine, and who understand that lasting improvement requires their active involvement, not just their sign-off.
We'll always be straight with you about what we find and what we think needs to change. We ask the same in return.
If you're looking for someone to configure some tools and leave you to it, or to validate the current approach rather than improve it, we're probably not the right fit — and we'd rather say so now than discover it three weeks in. If you're a leader who wants to make things genuinely better and is prepared to do what that takes, we'd very much like to talk.
Get in touch
If you'd like a straightforward conversation about how your organisation works and whether we can help, we'd be glad to hear from you.