 |
|
Why hire a consultant? |
Even when an organization believes that they are covering all bases, circumstances may exist or arise that warrant bringing in special expertise or have a disinterested 3rd party perform some evaluations:
- There may be specific technology areas where
in-house staff does not have breadth or depth of knowledge needed
to carry a project to timely and satisfactory completion. Needs clearly
vary from organization to organization, but some examples are infrequent
or complex software updates, interdepartmental needs assessment,
or specialized training.
- Some tasks occur infrequently so that it is difficult to maintain
adequate staff training levels to meet needs. Examples are yearly or
semi-annuals updates and reports.
- Many organizations find that while their staff has the ability to
meet technology needs, they do not have the time. Important projects
are continually delayed while waiting for staff to free up time to
address the needs.
- For some projects, particularly those involving long term or strategic
plans, it can be beneficial to bring in an outside, disinterested party
to be part of the team, providing long term continuity and objective
analysis of conflicting views.
- Organizational or procedural inefficiencies may be contributing to the inability to use technology solutions to the fullest so that an organization meet their vision, mission and goals. In this situation, there may be no clear indicator that help is needed. Rather, a look at a collection of symptoms, work procedures and behaviors taken together may be the indicator that a consultant can be helpful.