• Technology that the business depends on to function is in dire need of upgrading. • The business may be in the position of requiring new technology to meet business goals. • The business may be in need of assistance to help repair broken processes or to reconcile a project that has gone off of the rails in scope or cost.
• Admitting that in-house capabilities may be currently insufficient for a variety of reasons • Acknowledgement that attentiveness to business needs may have been neglected • Admission that costs were not appropriately budgeted for or the scope of a project was not properly managed • Perception that management has lost faith in the capabilities of internal staff
• Internal staff would not routinely be expected to have the level of experience in major system implementations and upgrades that a specialist consultant would have • Insufficient training of staff is an all-too common problem • New technology or new requirements for technology that are unfamiliar, and leveraging an experienced consultant who has been there before is prudent and reasonable • Consulting engagements often are paid for from alternative budget categories, or have been budgeted in their own right.
• Commit to participating fully in the consulting process and learning not only what skills gaps may exist but also what strengths may be attained during knowledge transfer • Realize that the consultant's success is your success – and that their failure is yours, too! Be prepared to do what it takes to make it successful.
• Use the engagement as a learning opportunity - make professionals on the project team better at what they do and therefore more valuable to the organization • Coach staff to participate fully, engaging consultants to elicit knowledge transfer with the intent of attaining the capabilities that were found to be insufficient • Control demagoguery which is a primary reason that many engagements are derailed • Commit to a training plan for affected IT professionals based on the results of the engagement
• Make sure that personalities mesh reasonably well • Make sure that knowledge transfer is absolutely part of the deal • Require documentation for results and require detailed processes and procedures to effectively manage and maintain systems as well as workflow associated with the technology that is considered and/or implemented • Make sure to hire consultants that are experts and give weighted consideration to recommendations made therein. That's why they were hired in the first place!