CortexForge unveils client-owned systems inside Microsoft

CortexForge has introduced what it calls client-owned operational intelligence systems built inside customers' Microsoft environments. The approach is intended to keep data under client control and reduce reliance on outside software vendors.

The Saskatoon-based consultancy is targeting organisations that have accumulated multiple software tools but still rely on spreadsheets, email inboxes, paper forms and shared folders for critical operational work. Its model focuses on building systems within Microsoft Power Platform, Dataverse, Power BI, Microsoft 365 and SharePoint, rather than moving work into separate external platforms.

The structure is designed to ensure clients retain ownership of both the system and its underlying data, while keeping permissions, records and governance within their existing environment. CortexForge also says it applies responsible AI principles through an internal Ethics Division, positioning AI as a support tool rather than a decision-maker.

The consultancy describes these systems as a digital operating layer that organises records, preserves context and helps staff review history and risk. In its view, many organisations face operational blind spots because important information is spread across too many systems and informal processes, making it harder to know what happened, who is responsible and whether decisions are being made with complete information.

Vice President Shayla Tarasoff said the issue is not a lack of software, but the strain created when workers are expected to bridge fragmented systems themselves.

"Technology shouldn't demand endless resilience from workers; it must help create it. Our client-owned systems of trust bring structure and calm without losing the human side of complex work," said Shayla Tarasoff, vice president of CortexForge.

The company has outlined several demonstrator systems built with mock data to show how the model can be applied across sectors including property management, transport and fleet management, financial tracking, field coordination, animal care and clinical documentation.

Demonstrator systems

One example, Citadel Matrix, is aimed at property owners, landlords, facilities teams and building managers. It brings together building information, maintenance records, permits, tenant details, inspections and floor plans in one system, allowing staff to review the status of multiple sites without switching between email chains, paper files and separate contact lists.

Another, WayMark, focuses on transport and fleet operations. It is designed to link vehicle inspections, routes, repairs and time records to a specific vehicle and point in time, giving drivers, mechanics and managers a shared record of faults, service decisions and operating status.

Treasury Vault is positioned as a financial tracking and reporting tool. It is intended to combine spending records, receipts and transaction data in a structured format that can be analysed through dashboards, allowing managers to monitor trends, categories and costs that may be diverging from expectations.

According to CortexForge, WatchCore addresses field operations in higher-risk environments. It allows frontline workers to log incidents, notes and attachments from the field, while supervisors and senior leaders receive a live view of activity, follow-up needs and broader operational trends.

For animal care providers, EmberTrack is designed to consolidate care records for shelters, clinics and rescues. The system stores details such as medications, procedures, behavioural notes and wellbeing updates so teams can track an animal's status over time and support handovers between shifts.

StillMind, meanwhile, is built for therapists, supervisors and care teams. It connects appointments, session notes, check-ins and review records to the relevant client and provider, with the aim of reducing documentation errors and improving continuity of care.

Tailored builds

CortexForge says the demonstrator environments are not fixed software products and are not sold as standard templates. Instead, they are meant to show how the consultancy approaches system design for clients with different workflows, risks, reporting needs and governance requirements.

Projects begin by identifying where information is being lost, where work slows down and where pressure points emerge in day-to-day operations. From there, the consultancy builds systems around each client's own processes, data boundaries and organisational structure.

That emphasis on tailoring reflects the firm's broader position on software design. Rather than adding another layer of applications to already crowded technology estates, CortexForge argues that many organisations need better structure in the systems they already govern.

President Maverick Tarasoff said the market would move away from a growing mix of disconnected tools.

"The future of enterprise software will not be defined by more disconnected tools. It will be defined by governed environments where records, responsibility, risk, and human judgment can move together," said Tarasoff.