Joliet, IL · Veteran-Owned Technology Consulting
Something About Your
Technology Is Not Working.
You might not know exactly what. You just know things are harder than they should be and nobody is giving you a straight answer. That is where we come in.
Your Business Grew.
Your Technology Did Not Keep Up.
Most growing businesses are operating on assumptions about their technology. Here is what that usually looks like.
You could not list every tool you are paying for or where your data lives. The last person who knew left.
They respond when things break but never explain why the same problems keep happening. You are paying for reaction, not diagnosis.
Someone built it years ago. It does not show up on Google. It does not bring in leads.
You are paying for tools you do not fully use and contracts nobody has reviewed in years.
Something broke or nearly went very wrong. You handled it in the moment. The underlying cause is still there.
Every provider you talk to wants to get you on a call before they will tell you anything useful.
These are not IT problems. They are business problems. And they are fixable, once you are working with someone who starts by understanding your business.
No pitch. Just a straight answer about whether we can help.
Most Providers Treat Symptoms.
We Find the Root Cause.
Most providers show up with a preset toolkit and apply it whether it fits or not. We start by understanding how your business actually runs. Technology decisions follow from that.
Diagnosis before prescription
We learn how your business works before recommending anything. No default packages. No one-size-fits-all solutions.
You talk to the person doing the work
No sales team. No account managers. No handoffs. Patrick or Elenor. The same person who diagnoses the problem is the one who fixes it.
IT and digital under one roof
Infrastructure, security, web, and digital presence. All managed by the same team. No gaps between vendors. Nothing falls through the cracks.
Honest answers, plain language
We tell you what is going on in terms you actually understand. If we are not the right fit, we will say so and point you in the right direction.
A Clear Path Forward.
No Guesswork.
Every engagement follows the same three stages. You always know where you are, what comes next, and why it matters.
Diagnose
We map your actual environment and find what has been overlooked or misidentified.
- Systems and network inventory
- Security posture review
- Risk and gap identification
- Written findings with priorities
Stabilize
We fix what matters most. Reliable, documented, and built to last.
- Critical issue remediation
- Security hardening
- Documentation and runbooks
- Staff guidance where needed
Protect
Ongoing support keeps your technology running and your business protected as it grows.
- Proactive monitoring
- Patch and update management
- Ongoing security oversight
- Fractional vCTO advisory
Most Small Businesses
Have Versions of the Same Problems.
Outdated systems. Compliance gaps. Websites built by whoever was available. Marketing nobody owns. Here is the work we usually find ourselves doing, sized to what your business actually needs. Pick what makes sense, or just tell us what is going on and we will recommend.
Technology Assessment
We map your systems, identify risks, and give you a clear picture of what needs attention. From $1,500.
Learn moreIT Services and Fractional vCTO
Strategic technology leadership without a full-time hire. Roadmaps, budgets, vendor calls, risk reviews. From $3,500/month.
Learn moreCybersecurity
Audits, vulnerability scanning, access reviews, and ongoing monitoring. A clear picture of what is exposed and a plan to fix it.
Learn moreBusiness Systems and Automation
Custom workflows, forms, dashboards, integrations, and small internal apps built around how your business actually works.
Learn moreWeb and Digital Services
Custom websites, SEO, Google Ads, AI search, and content marketing. Month-to-month, no contracts, real reporting.
Learn moreTechnology Planning
A documented multi-year plan for your technology. Built around where your business is actually headed, not vendor sales pitches.
Learn moreBuilt for the Verticals We Know.
We work with small and mid-sized businesses across these industries, with deep experience in their specific compliance, technology, and operational realities.
Healthcare
HIPAA, EHR, patient data, and uptime that does not forgive mistakes.
See healthcare servicesLegal
Confidentiality, document security, and a real online presence.
See legal servicesFinancial Services
PCI compliance, customer data protection, and audit-ready systems.
See financial services servicesManufacturing
Floor uptime, ERP and MES support, and ransomware-aware infrastructure.
See manufacturing servicesReal Estate
MLS integrations, transaction security, and search visibility for listings.
See real estate servicesBanking
PCI implementation experience inside financial institutions, audit-ready.
See banking servicesConstruction
Field-to-office connectivity, project documentation, and reliable mobile workflows.
See construction servicesNonprofits
Donor data protection, lean budgets, and grant-ready documentation.
See nonprofits services
What Happens When
You Reach Out.
Tell Us What Is Going On
Describe your situation. We respond with a straight answer, not a form letter.
We Learn How You Work
We ask about your business, your processes, and how your team operates before recommending anything.
You Get a Clear Proposal
Fixed price, defined scope, plain language. You know what you are getting before anything starts.
We Get to Work
Patrick or Elenor handles your project directly. When something needs a decision, we explain the options and let you make the call.
Step one is easy. Just tell us what is happening.
Start the Conversation
Built for the Real World,
Not the Sales Deck.
Regulated industries, messy infrastructure, growing teams with no documentation. Here is what that experience means for you.
We work across vendors and systems
Your technology is a mix of tools from different eras. We make it work together, or help you find something that works better.
Real compliance and recovery experience
HIPAA and PCI implementation experience inside financial institutions and healthcare organizations. Disaster recovery planning and testing where downtime means regulatory violations. Hands-on implementation, not theoretical knowledge.
Military-grade discipline
U.S. Army communications and IT security with a secret clearance, managing classified satellite networks. Documentation, follow-through, and doing it right the first time.
We speak your language
We explain what is happening, why it matters, and what your options are. In terms that help you decide, not terms that make us sound smart.
A partnership across IT and digital
Patrick and Elenor work as one team. IT, cybersecurity, web, SEO, and digital strategy live under one roof, so nothing falls through the cracks.
Built for growing businesses
We work best with 1-to-75-person companies. Large enough to have real systems. Small enough that the owner is still involved.
The People Behind
the Diagnosis.
20+ years of combined experience across IT, cybersecurity, web, and digital strategy. Patrick and Elenor work as a partnership, sharing every client engagement so technology and digital presence stay aligned.
Patrick spent over a decade solving IT problems that other people could not figure out. In the U.S. Army, he worked on classified satellite communication networks and secret networks with a secret clearance. After service, he gained implementation experience inside multiple banks under PCI compliance and inside healthcare organizations under HIPAA. Environments where the consequences of getting something wrong were significant.
He has a particular ability to find problems that are not obvious and trace them back to where they actually started. That is where the name Root Cause comes from.
Elenor has built websites for businesses across real estate, healthcare, legal, security, and health and wellness. She approaches every project from strategy first, search visibility, conversion, and brand, before a single layout is sketched.
She does not start a project by picking a template. She starts by understanding what you are trying to accomplish, who your customers are, and what is currently getting in the way.
Things People Usually Ask.
What happens when I reach out? Am I going to get a sales pitch?
How is this different from any other IT company?
What size businesses do you work with?
Do you only work with businesses in your area?
Can you handle both our IT and our website?
What does it cost?
Do I have to sign a long-term contract?
What if I just need one thing fixed?
Ready to Find Out What Is
Actually Going On?
A few quick questions about your situation, then tell us what is going on at the end. We will respond with an honest answer about whether we can help.
Thanks. We got your message.
We will review what you sent and be in touch within one business day. You should also see an automatic confirmation email from info@rootcausetechnology.com within a minute or two. If you do not see it, check your spam folder.
If something is urgent in the meantime, you can reply directly to that confirmation email or call (815) 714-8819.
Or email directly: info@rootcausetechnology.com
Based in Joliet.
Working with Small Businesses Across the Country.
We are a Joliet-based technology consulting firm. Most of our work is delivered remotely, so it does not matter where you are based. We are equally happy supporting a five-person team in Frankfort or a thirty-person team three states away.
- Joliet
- Plainfield
- Naperville
- Aurora
- Bolingbrook
- Lockport
- Oak Brook
- Schaumburg
- Orland Park
- Tinley Park
- Chicago
- Anywhere remote
Tell Us What Is Going On.
No pitch. No package you did not ask for. Just a real answer about whether we can help, from the person who would actually do the work.