Points to Note When Working with an IT Consultant

IT outsourcing is common today, and many companies also use external IT consultants for strategy and project execution. This makes projects run more effectively, but there are naturally some concerns to watch for. Here we introduce how to work with an IT consultant without failure.

Question 1. Points to Note When Using an IT Consultant

Many companies are encountering IT for the first time in the DX era. An IT consultant researches clients facing IT challenges, analyzes root causes, proposes solutions, and provides end-to-end support through system implementation and improvement. The ultimate goal is to solve the problem and drive profit growth.

That said, there are a few concerns when using an IT consultant.

1. High consulting fees

IT consulting fees are generally high. This is especially true when the company does not develop systems in-house, or when a third-party product is the better solution even if it does — in both cases, using a consultant adds cost.

2. Concerns about disclosing internal information to a third party

An IT consultant needs to grasp a wide range of information to make recommendations. For example, when developing an operations system, the consultant must fully understand the company's staff, operations, and management — which is often a source of concern.

3. Results depend heavily on the consultant's own capability

Unless the consultant is highly capable, the improvements may not be appropriate. Expectations vary, but there is a huge gap, one or two years later, between "a consultant who solves the root cause" and "a consultant who only treats surface symptoms." For companies new to DX, this is understandably a worry.

Question 2. What You Need to Avoid Failure (Countermeasures)

So what do you need to avoid failure when using an IT consultant? What should you look for when choosing one?

1. Choose a company with strong communication skills

Communication ability is key. An IT consultant needs IT skills plus business knowledge and expertise across industries. Since the work involves many stakeholders, this includes discovery skills to grasp the client's requirements and presentation skills to persuade them. Ease of communication also matters — if you cannot reach the consultant when needed, your schedule suffers, so schedule management is essential, and a shared communication tool is a good idea too.

2. Choose a company with in-house development capability

A company that can develop systems in-house is more likely to be "an IT consultant that truly understands IT." If even minor technical questions can be resolved internally, that is reassuring. Building in-house development capability also lets the company accumulate knowledge and know-how, broadening its consultants' expertise over time.

3. Clarify your objective and keep the scope focused

Solving every problem at once is extremely difficult. Set priorities, clearly define what this round of improvement should achieve, and communicate that to the consultant — so both sides can stay focused and judge progress properly.

Miichisoft Delivers on Your Expectations

To stay competitive, every company needs to make effective use of IT and other technologies.

For more on the benefits of an IT consultant, please read this article.

Reference: 6 Benefits of IT Consulting in Projects

Miichisoft also offers system development and IT consulting. We have staff with about 20 years of IT experience, plus consultants who bring accumulated domain knowledge and know-how. As discussed above, if you run into difficulties in a project, this is a major advantage — we can advise you with real IT expertise behind it.

If you have any questions about IT consulting, please contact Miichisoft.