7 REASONS TO HIRE A SOFTWARE CONSULTANT
You may have a short term knowledge gap or be about to implement a major piece of work; consultants are available to fill both these roles; so how to choose a good consultant.
Thinking of hiring a software consultant - 3 key questions:
- When is the right time to hire a software consultant?
- How do you select the right consultant for you?
- What are the steps you have to take to manage an on-going relationship?
What are the client motivations for an external hire:
Validation - A client will know their technology better that anyone but sometimes an outside viewpoint can clarify exactly how to proceed and will give reassurance prior to making a key decision.
You're too busy - Some clients will know exactly what they want implemented but lack the resources to achieve it in a timely manner; a software consultant can be assigned to a specific project and will not be distracted by other on-going issues in the company.
Specific technology skills - There may be a requirement on a project for an amount of work in a specific area were key staff are unavailable as they do not have the skills or experience; this may be because the skills are new or that a legacy project is being maintained and existing staff are not keen to pickup skills which have a limited shelf life within the company.
Once a client has established that they would benefit from hiring, they will want to seek the best fit consultant for their role, this process is all to often handed out to an agency but in many cases there are advantages to seeking out the correct consultant more directly.
What attributes should the client be considering:
A bold character - First and foremost, an effective consultant must be a person of bold character. He or she must be the consummate professional. The consultant must be willing to put the best interest of the client ahead of their own.
For example, the consultant must be willing to tell clients things that they need to hear, but may not want to -- even if doing so means that the consultant loses business. The consultant must care deeply about her or his clients.
Solid Experience - A good consultant should have experience with the challenges or opportunities you and your company are facing. She or he may not know your specific company or industry, but you and your people know your company and your industry quite well, don’t you? What the consultant brings to the table is experience in addressing the types of issues you face.
Creative problem-solving skills - You will want the consultant you engage to be an outstanding problem solver. After all, you are hiring a consultant to help you solve problems (or take advantage of opportunities).
No matter how smart a consultant is, she or he won’t be able to help you improve your business until they fully understand the challenges you face; so keep in mind that you need to explain the root causes of the issues you face in order to reap the rewards of a potentially unexpected and beneficial solution.
How to tie all this together, keeping involved day to day:
Feedback and Reiterate - The best way to manage a relationship with on-going consultancy is to be upfront both about the gains being made and any new challenges these are creating; the process of consultancy is at it’s heart one of marginal gains - which will eventually become the transformation of systems you desire.