Choosing the right consultant can work well for your company. If Irish companies have an unfairly negative view of IT consultants, it is hard to blame them. IT consultants are subject to few rules and regulations. There is no supervisory body to guarantee a standard level of service. But companies can enjoy the considerable benefit of a consultant's knowledge and experience if they think carefully about what needs to be done and which consultant they choose to do it. Denis Neavyn, general manager of Sureskills.com, says companies can be resistant to the idea of seeking outside help when they think they can manage the project themselves in-house. "People have a big problem in realising that there is a very broad range of skills involved in implementing new technologies.
But the market is changing and more people accept that they can't do it all themselves. Using a consultancy gives them access to more experience and a larger pool of skills. The project can be completed more quickly and they can learn a great deal," he said. Companies need to be if they are to gain the most from the consultant. But before they throw their doors, they should look carefully at who they are dealing with.
Companies don't necessarily need to fear cowboy contractors, but they do need to be wary. It is far more common for consultants to claim they have experience in areas they know little about, promising they will have everything done on time and under budget.
"We have dealt with a company that ordered a project from another consultancy , which, 14 months later still hadn't been completed," said Neavyn. He advises companies to ask for references from the potential consultant. Have they done something similar before? If so, can you speak to their old customers? The only way you can be sure of your consultant's credentials is by checking on previous work. Any repu company with a good record should be willing to provide names of former clients.
Sureskills.com has even been asked to supply the CVs of the individual consultants who would be working on the project. Certification from a major industry body can also be a helpful way of sorting the wheat from the chaff.
No individual consultant can cover all bases, so companies should shop around for the consultant who offers the expertise they need. A company with a complex project may benefit from using a larger consultancy with a wider range of skills.
Small businesses should also look at consultancies, large or small, to deal with problems. Skills shortages, for example, can be solved by a consultancy offering `half a person' to fill a key position one or two days a week. Staff can offload a time-consuming infrastructure overhaul or move on to a new project allowing a consultancy to backfill more routine work on a temporary basis.
To get the most out of a consultant, a company has to up. At the initial stages, a consultant needs good access to the company to make a fair and accurate assessment of the project. Neavyn suggests that this take the form of an audit, possibly taking two or three days. The fee for this work can be paid upfront or added to the overall charge at the end of the project, should the consultant win the contract. The company should be specific in its aims and have a clear set of goals to discuss with the consultant.
The company should also be with its staff, informing them what the consultant will be doing and assuring them that their own positions are not at risk. "There is a growing market in Ireland for IT consultancy, but there is work to be done convincing people that we are there to help them," said Neavyn.
