Over the past few years, both outsourcing and the number of IT Consultingof all stripes have grown. Since people are starting their own enterprises instead of looking for work due to the poor economy, entrepreneurship has increased. Outsourcing is viewed by the government and many businesses as a means to cut operating expenses and acquire services as needed.
It’s intriguing that there is no certification organization or specific employment need to become a consultant. If you identify as a consultant and clients are willing to pay you for your services, you are a consultant.
The question of whether consultants are actually worth all the money spent on them arises in light of this.
Consultant or contractor
My greatest salesperson is a knowledgeable customer. When hiring IT Consulting, though, a lot of consumers don’t truly understand what they are purchasing. In my opinion, there is a difference between contracting and consulting.
The performance of a specified task is included in contracting, which is distinguished by an emphasis on deliverables and hourly rates. The contractor can be required, for instance, to create a certain strategy or report or offer training. Although there are some exceptions, the majority of this type of labor entails duties that the client company is more than capable of handling. Essentially, the contractor is performing tasks that the customer is capable of performing but is unable to execute due to a lack of time or resources.
Work performed under contract has the drawback of being preoccupied with a preset deliverable. Furthermore, any qualified contractor can typically develop the deliverable. Because of this, the contractor has little room for innovation and must instead compete on the basis of price rather than skill.
Selling this can be challenging at times. I once missed a chance at a contract because the client thought I was requesting work from their company. They merely needed a plan modified to satisfy an administrative obligation.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I don’t think hiring contractors is wrong or that they should be discouraged. I actually work on a lot of contracts, usually in the capacity of a subcontractor for a bigger company. However, when working on these kinds of jobs, I am just another team member. They don’t particularly challenge me, and the client doesn’t benefit to the full extent I could.
Who is the Authority?
The idea that a consultant must always be an authority in your particular sector is a prevalent one. In many instances, this is undeniably true. However, the person working with you could not have any true specialist expertise, especially if you’re working with contractors. They may indeed have experience in your area of expertise, such as having worked as an emergency manager in the past, but that does not imply that they have unique knowledge or training in consulting techniques.
So who is the true authority? It’s actually you. You are the one with in-depth understanding of your industry, business, and issue. A consultant will never have the in-depth expertise that you do, but they will provide experience that has been cleaned up from dealing with other clients.
The truth is that many consultants—including myself—are what we refer to as “process consultants.” Our strength lies in the skill set we bring to your project, not in our level of expertise in your sector.
Utilizing Consultants
Real consulting involves building relationships. The degree of customer trust that a consultant fosters will distinguish one consultant from another. Get another consultant if you even have a niggling worry about that person’s moral character or capacity to assist you in reaching your goal.
Increasing the Value
You may make better informed judgments and get more for your consulting dollars after you are aware of these facts regarding consultants.
Start by examining your project and identifying the goals you have for it. For the time being, disregard the deliverables. You must first be aware of what results you anticipate. Once you’ve done that, you may decide whether a certain deliverable actually represents the achievement of that outcome. Additionally, you can decide if you require a contractor or a consultant.
Making the error of trying to plan out every aspect of the job in advance is usual. Contractors appreciate this since it gives them specific information on which to base the costs of their proposals. The compensation we receive as consultants is based on our performance, not on an hourly basis. In most cases, we can provide a creative solution that would work for you if you can articulate your desired outcome and the value of the project to your organization. Again, keep your attention on your goals rather than the deliverables.