| Is a computer consultant or IT consultant just a | | | | contract technical workers. The consultant has some |
| contract programmer or software engineer who uses | | | | expert technical skills (design, programming, testing) and |
| a fancy title and charges a higher rate? | | | | is likely to have at least some expertise across a wide |
| The short answer is no. Each is valuable for the right | | | | range of the skills involved in the entire birth, life and |
| type of engagement. But putting one into an | | | | eventual death of a system. But the consultant's |
| engagement where you really need the other is a | | | | professional growth is not purely addition and |
| mistake--and you can't always tell who is who by the | | | | refinement of technical skills. |
| titles on their business cards. | | | | Start with computer capability. Add business acumen, |
| Find out what they do. That will tell you what category | | | | common sense, and 'soft skills' and the result is an IT |
| is the true one, and in turn will tell you what roles are | | | | consultant. |
| appropriate to consider them for. | | | | A formal computer related project begins with |
| What Contract Technical Workers Do | | | | business analysis. This means looking at what the |
| Contract technical workers focus on exactly that--the | | | | business is doing (Point A), imagining what it needs to |
| technical skills in which they specialize. It's up to you to | | | | do instead (Point B), figuring out what has to be done |
| tell them what to implement. For a software designer, | | | | to go from Point A to Point B, and writing that down |
| you say what the software has to do. For a | | | | (business case, requirements, and so on). |
| programmer, you provide specifications for the | | | | Other tasks in the project grow from the analysis. On |
| software. | | | | the technical side, these include functional specifications |
| A good contractor is a self-starter with superb | | | | and detailed specifications, design, implementation, |
| technical skill, and can produce excellent technical work | | | | testing, source code control, training, and technical |
| with less need for supervision and motivation than | | | | support. On the human side, changes in what people |
| most regular employees. When your project is done, | | | | do have to be planned, and people have to be taught |
| the contractor leaves without fuss. Your employees | | | | their new procedures. |
| carry on with maintenance of whatever the project | | | | Each of those tasks is done by people with specific |
| built. | | | | roles, titles and skills. Many of them may labor in their |
| Here is an example of using contract technical | | | | portion of the project without seeing the overall picture |
| workers wisely. Let's say that you have decided to | | | | clearly. A good IT consultant sees it all--the business |
| build a new XYZ system to fit in with a radical change | | | | objectives to be met, human procedural changes, the |
| in business procedures. You've done the business | | | | 'big picture' Information Technology systems involved, |
| analysis in-house and have specified exactly what you | | | | and the crucial details necessary to make it all work. |
| want to build. Your IT team is competent in most of | | | | This requires a frame of mind unlike that of a contract |
| the programming skills needed. However, they have | | | | programmer. Not everyone can do it. It's one of the |
| not designed and built a major database before. In fact, | | | | reasons a consultant gets higher rates. |
| all of their previous design and programming projects | | | | Confusion in Usage of the Terms |
| have been small. The tools and techniques needed to | | | | In other fields, a consultant provides expert advice and |
| build and maintain a large system cost effectively are | | | | guidance to a client. Implementing the consultant's |
| new to them. | | | | recommendations is the client's responsibility. The line is |
| You bring in technical specialists as the team leads for | | | | not so clear in information technology. |
| the project. They do the 'heavy lifting'--the core of the | | | | Many people say they are computer consultants or IT |
| database design and construction, software design, | | | | consultants when their remit is primarily implementation, |
| source code control, and quality assurance tools and | | | | not guidance. That isn't consulting in the sense that the |
| procedures. Your IT employees work under their | | | | word is used elsewhere. |
| guidance, being mentored by the contracted specialists | | | | Good 'computer consultants' provide a blend of |
| along the way. | | | | expertise and service that goes beyond fitting |
| Your project is finished faster than if you used only | | | | computer systems to business needs--in essence, you |
| your IT team. The design, implementation, testing and | | | | get a blend of business consultant and IT consultant |
| deployment avoid the types of mistakes that happen | | | | from the best. |
| when everyone on the team is new to the tools and | | | | At the highest end of the spectrum, the IT consultant |
| techniques they are using. When the specialists leave, | | | | goes beyond the advisory role filled by consultants in |
| your entire IT team's expertise has expanded and | | | | other fields. The elite IT consultant interacts with |
| they are capable of carrying on with maintenance and | | | | people, digs into issues involving equipment, and pays |
| enhancements. | | | | attention to logistics--even such details as the height of |
| What IT / Computer Consultants Do | | | | tables or the clearance forklifts will have in a passage. |
| Many contract technical workers focus exclusively on | | | | You can engage an IT consultant for expert advice. |
| the technical work. One of the best contract | | | | However, unlike consultants in other fields, a top level |
| programmers who once worked for me said bluntly | | | | IT consultant can be also engaged to make sure the |
| that he didn't want to have to understand what the | | | | project comes through, 'from soup to nuts.' |
| equipment was supposed to do when our software | | | | Our firm provides services anywhere along this |
| sent commands to it. If I would just tell him what | | | | spectrum. But if you ask me what we do, my answer |
| software I wanted, he would write it, but he didn't want | | | | reveals the mindset of a consultant. Where computers |
| to have to pay attention to anything else. He certainly | | | | are used to help make money instead of count it, we |
| didn't want to have to interact with other people to find | | | | help our clients make more money. That's our best |
| out what they wanted. He wrote fine software, and I | | | | offering. Listen for a similar focus on improving |
| let him concentrate on what he did so well. That's the | | | | business effectiveness, and a lack of emphasis on |
| big difference between a contractor and a consultant. | | | | specific technologies, when you are looking for a top |
| Information Technology consultants usually start out as | | | | tier IT consultant. |