Technology Consulting Services

One of the strategic roles that the Business Analyst (BA); Enterprise Analyst (EA) or Enterprise Architect (EA), can perform for the organization is the maintenance of an internal knowledge base, often called an internal Business Analysis Body of Knowledge.  This would be a centralized, electronic repository of artifacts concerning the organization and the environment in which it operates.  This is not a task defined in the IIBA® BABOK®, however would fall under the knowledge area of Enterprise Analysis.

This repository should describe not only the organization but the environment in which it operates. It should include an Enterprise Architecture; divided into Business Architecture, Information Architecture, Application Architecture, Technology Architecture and Security Architecture.  Along with that it should include BA training and information material to quickly ramp up newly hired Business Analysts.  Also, some type of mechanism to ensure you are capturing the business knowledge of Business Analysts who are leaving the organization, so that valuable business knowledge does not walk out the door.

When a Cincinnati, Dayton or other community business has a BA community that is actively maintaining a centralized, electronic internal body of knowledge; that organization is well on a maturity path from a BA Practice to a Business Analysis Center of Excellence (BACoE).

By maintaining this body of knowledge within the organization, the Cincinnati, Dayton or organizations across the country and globe can help deliver business analysis services across the organization at the same level of service, move its business analysts among the business lines and business units within the organization with ease and little ramp-up time, make better business decisions based on an enterprise-wide knowledge base, enable business management consulting within the organization.  These business decisions can have significant impact on the company’s bottom line.

Does your organization have an internal business analysis body of knowledge?

Come on, come on, come on, come on now Touch me, babe!  Can't you see that I am not afraid? ....... Yea, I have been listening to The Doors again.  See the complete lyrics here.  Actually we are trying to decide how, when and what to do marketing wise or as we say internally, how many times to “touch” the client.  Even a Cincinnati based Information Technology Firm is not immune to the FUD Factor.  What’s an IT Consulting Service firm to do?

One of the things that has stuck with me from my marketing class at MIT  is when the professor said that the quickest way to burn through a million dollars and have nothing to show for it, was to start marketing and advertising. We certainly need to be marketing, but if companies’ are not in a position to buy, are the marketing dollars wasted? 

Having been around for 19 years, this is the 3rd economic downturn we have experienced.  We have come out of each one a little wiser and a little stronger.  We have been positioning to leap frog our competitors during this one.  We have seen an up tick in activity, just like everyone else.  This is the 64 dollar question:  Is now the time to spend the marketing dollars?

Since today I have more questions than answers, I invite you to leave comments on How?, When?, How often?  What means?  You would like to be marketed to.  Comments will be posted following this blog, so contribute and check back to see what others think.  

 

Organizations that build strong value-driven cultures frequently achieve high performance.  The values that are developed must touch every department in the organization or the overall operation will fall short of its targeted goals.

As an IT consulting firm in Cincinnati, we see many different approaches from many different companies and it is the “out-of-the-box thinkers that seem to continually apply lateral thought process on a continual basis and always stay a few steps ahead of their competition.

One would think that IT departments would observe and learn from this but way too often they do not pay attention to the business drivers of the organization and continue to stay with the same IT infrastructure year in and year out and resist change on any level.

There are those that would argue that “if it isn’t broke don’t fix it” and I agree to a point but I believe that if IT professionals are going to contribute to building a strong value-driven culture that works to achieve the business goals of the organization they are going to have to look at new approaches that may enhance the very work they are held accountable for.

Being responsible for business development for our Cincinnati IT consulting firm, over the past couple of weeks I have approached several clients and potential clients with some new value propositions.  Many do not want to talk about them, nor are some even curious on what they are.  Everyone has a full plate and little capacity for a new application development services, IT training or IT consulting project.

However, here is a question that I have for these individuals.  If it is true that information technology changes every fifteen to eighteen months, how can the IT systems and enterprise IT applications that you have had in place for the last three to five years continue to be relevant or simply as efficient as they could be?  Do you not owe it to yourself to at least listen to what an IT consulting firm here in Cincinnati has to offer?  Perhaps that IT consultant has significant experience with a solution that can make a difference but you are unaware of it because you are resistant to change and everything is running 'smoothly'.  I can understand your hesitation but what if the new solution could greatly improve your IT infrastructure, decrease costs, fuel improved productivity or more effectively balance your IT staffing needs?   Wouldn’t it behoove you to at least listen?
 

In weak economic conditions, your company’s decision makers need the ability to understand how the company is performing against its targets. They simply do not have the time to sift through stacks of reports to find out what’s right – or wrong.  By linking applications, processes and information technology support together any organization will be able to measure exactly how they are performing against their targets.

The management team of any organization uses dashboards, gauges, charts and other graphical elements to translate complex information into a dynamic view of business conditions.  Is it possible to take this same approach when it comes to mapping IT’s relevance to the business targets of the organization?  The short answer is absolutely, but one must start with a plan and that plan should begin with an IT Wellness Check™.

In the IT consulting industry we find too many organizations that try to piecemeal their information technology systems together.  The problem with this is the mere fact that everyone everywhere is dependent on technology, and in this environment, every CIO and IT manager must know that their IT departments are in line with the business goals of the organization.  In these times of economic downturn downturn IT departments are one of the first departments to be cut.  In many cases, this results in the slowdown of production and contributes to missing the business targets of the organization.

An IT Wellness Check™ protects against economic challenges by shoring up internal operations to ensure the entire organization is running at peak efficiency.  IT is a vital part of any organization's internal operations, and a proper IT strategy is critical for IT departments to gain insight and to connect operational details to business drivers.  The IT Wellness Check™ is your business plan to make sure there are no inefficiencies, that you are operationally sound and that there is less chance that your budgets and your department will get cut.  That application development services project that you are trying to get approved will have a better chance of acceptance if you can show exactly how it relates to the business goals of the organization.

Remember, non-technical people often do not realize the consequences of the actions they take when they cut budgets and staff.  It is our job as responsible information technology professionals to make sure we are always operating at peak efficiency and paint the picture for upper management that shows why specific people, applications or IT infrastructure are necessary to assist them in meeting the business targets of the organization.
 

Just about every aspect of the world today is in transition and the IT services industry is no exception to this statement.  Professional IT services personnel must come to terms with the fact that the skills that they have developed in the past are valuable but they are not enough to sustain long-term growth in the IT field of today.

Technology touches every aspect of our lives and large enterprise organizations are dependent on technology to even operate.  The face of information technology consulting services has changed as well because being technical is not enough to meet the required skill sets of organizations.

Gartner has reported that the IT skills from yesterday are not enough to sustain an IT professional today.  The needs of business have changed and the IT professional of today needs to understand business and the business goals of their organization.  Everything and everyone needs to not only understand the big picture, they need to know how to flourish in it.

Gone are the days where IT departments were an island unto themselves.  The enterprise of today is an integrated machine that touches every part of the organization.  If an IT manager proposes a certain type of technology they must also be able to come up with the business case for their proposal.  Organizations need to understand and justify IT projects and not do them simply because the IT department suggests them.

This approach to business justification and accountability has also crossed over into the information technology staffing industry as well.  It is a fact that organizations will continue to need outside technical help but this technical help will have to be business savvy as well - there are no more shortcuts.  Just being technical is not enough anymore; an IT staffing person must appreciate the fact that they are placed in a position to do a job, but they must also understand the pressure that organization is dealing with when it comes to ensuring that information technology meets the needs of the company.  Firms are seeking staffers that can operate and function on both sides of the line, business and technology.

If one commits to this exciting world of information technology consulting services they must also commit to a pledge of life-long learning.  To not do so will not meet the needs of today’s business world and will place that person on the outside looking in and wondering why they did not get the position they sought.
 

If you're looking for a way to save some money in the tough economy, you may want to look for some help from an IT staffing firm.  Beyond typical staffing assistance, most IT staffing companies also employ IT consultants and software designers who can all combine to save you money, increase productivity, and increase your efficiency.

Believe it or not companies like mine, Star Base Inc., can do all of this.  Over and beyond placing candidates for your projects, Star Base can help improve productivity by ensuring that your company is using the right software for the right application.  If application development is not your organizations area of expertise IT staffing firms can recommend new software or write custom software that can meet your organizational needs.

Information technology staffing firms can help increase your efficiency.  My organization has developed subject expertise over the past twenty years.  We know all of the tricks and shortcuts that many people do not know.  Not only can we develop business applications and process improvement we can train users how to do tasks faster and can help identify jobs at your organization that can be handled by a computer but are not.  This usually saves companies time and investment

Finally, IT staffing companies can help reduce costs.  Yes there will be an initial investment, which is a very tough decision these days. However, in the long run they will find ways to save money and more than make up for their initial costs.  If the IT professionals can find ways to have software perform jobs currently being performed by company staff, they will free that staff up for you to use on company core competencies that can produce more goods and services while reducing payroll

When excess waste is minimized increased productivity follows. So you see, IT staffing companies offer much more than simply placing IT personnel.  They have the expertise to help cut back on wasteful activities and help you focus on activities that are efficient and designed to maximize your margins.  In a highly competitive marketplace, where all of us are stretched to do more with less, this is a competitive advantage that is worth having. 
 

Enterprises will soon recognize that IT is an organizational asset, not simply an organizational structure. Senior leadership will embrace that their understanding of IT and the ability to apply this knowledge in imagining future possibilities is essential to extracting greater value from IT-enabled initiatives.  In addition, there will be broad-based acceptance that day-to-day business operations are dependent on IT and that the costs and risks are too high to continue to place the burden of responsibility solely on the CIO and the IT team.

I believe IT will transition from being the sole provider of the asset to enabling the IT capabilities of others in the enterprise.  Application development projects will no longer be centrally controlled but will be part of an entire enterprise-wide solution.  IT department will become enablers not the central focal point of technology.  Information technology consulting services will need to meet the needs of the entire organization not simply the IT department.  The dedicated IT staff of the past will need to ensure that information technology is applied in direct support of the business strategy to help the business to compete and grow while outperforming their competition.

IT business solutions will shift from servicing to coaching on the proper solutions based upon the company need.  IT departments will grow into corporate leaders instead of trying to be the one stop shop for all technology products and services.  Leaders from each department will be accountable for their own needs.  They will be accountable for meeting the needs of the business and that includes technology.  Once business leaders achieve their goals by increasing their knowledge of systems, business processes, and information and how to identify justify and execute IT-enabled change, organizations will operate as a truly integrated enterprise instead of a company of soloed departments.  Once this type of approach is embrace, communication will improve, measurable progress will be seen and a true integrated enterprise will be realized.  

The old saying goes that “perception is everything, especially in marketing or individuals feeling on what reality really is.

My organization, STAR BASE Consulting, Inc. is a technology consulting firm who offers IT Talent on Demand as one of our services to our clients.  We will offer clients temporary and fulltime consultants if clients should have the need.  The process is rather simple but can become rather trying especially when a candidate has an unrealistic expectation on what a client’s needs may be.

Large clients usually have a very structured process for everything they do.  These processes have been tried and proven over the years and it is what makes any given company successful.  It have been my experience over the last several years that everyone is being asked to do more with less and that will equate to more than forty hours a  week

Still, many software developers and consultants that I interview sometimes have an unrealistic view of what it takes to run a successful business. Listen up.  The application development business is not a nine-to-five job.  There are no constants in the application development business outside of change and anyone who has tried to meet production deadlines fully understands this.  Organizations are under tremendous pressure to produce more and better every day and a great deal of this pressure includes ensuring that information technology can be used as a competitive advantage.

It has been my experience that professionals involved in information technology are involved in this profession because they have a true passion for technology.  When one is involved in application development or web development of any kind individuals work until the project is completed to the clients’ satisfaction.  Projects are not driven by forty hour work weeks.

This situation got me curious and I decided to research on where the forty hour a week originated.   Here is what I learned:
The 8-hour day movement or 40-hour week movement (a.k.a. the Short-time movement) had its origins in the Industrial Revolution in Britain, where industrial production in large factories transformed working life and imposed long hours and poor working conditions. With working conditions unregulated, the health, welfare and morale of working people suffered. The exploitation of child labor was common. The working day could range from 10 hours up to 16 hours for six days a week. These types of conditions do not exist in the free world today, so why must we continue to embrace nine to five with an hour off for lunch?  Is this productive?

Finally, let’s talk about today’s reality.  The economy has tanked, individuals are losing jobs left and right around the world and employers understand that they control the market today.  The forty hour work week is a practice of the past but actual went by the wayside for American workers towards the end of the eighties.  Everyone is being asked to do more with less and that my include working more for less. 

For those developers that do not want to work more than forty hours a week.  I offer this. Remember there are plenty of foreign nationals with excellent skills that are more than willing to work those extra hours just to taste the freedom and the opportunity that this country has to offer.  Count your blessings and reconsider when an employer asks you to extend yourself because perception is not always reality in today’s workspace.

Information technology consulting enables me to observe many organizations and to determine what works and what doesn’t.  In the past the one basic quality that an IT strategy consultant needed was to be technical and to have a skill in a given area.  However what was true yesterday is not true today.  Today, it seems this is a nice quality to have but it is not the only characteristic one needs to advance their career in information technology.

To succeed today as an IT strategy consultant, and to advance your career to the “next level”, you need some very basic skills or qualities that most successful IT consultants have. There is a commonality amongst successful IT consultants that I see that enable individuals to stand-out from their peers.  Those traits include:

1. The ability to assess needs.  Technology as s business moves at the “speed of light” and organization needs true business partners to assist them with good judicial decisions.

2. The successful IT strategy consultant must be able to create a vision.  If you cannot articulate how an application or an integration solution should work, you cannot expect to have acceptance from the person or group you are trying to influence.
 
3. You must have the ability to create a plan and to create a map to carry out your plans.  Plans cannot be approved if they cannot be understood.

4. Ability to pool resources.  Focusing on how to identify the right resources at the right time greatly enhances the chances that your vision and plan can gain acceptance with your client or organization.

5. Must adapt to a “client service” mindset.  A high level of client service is important for any successful IT organization.  Make sure that you not only understand your department or clients needs, you also know how to meet them.

6. The ability to manage projects.  It is well known that over 70% of all IT project failures are a result of poor project management.  Make sure your projects do not contribute to this statistic.

7. Ability to accept and respond to change management processes.  Getting things done by accepting the fact that things will change will go along way in advancing ones career in IT consulting.

8. Ability to communicate effectively.  Many projects fail because visions and plans are not communicated effectively.  Organizations and/or clients cannot endorse what they do not understand.  Technology consultants that achieve the greatest career success are those that communicate effectively.

9. Understand how to prove return-on-investment (ROI).  Organizations and managers in today’s marketplace must be able to provide a ROI for any project.  Make sure that you can attach a clear picture of ROI for an application or project that you are a part of.

10. Be flexible.  Things change in today’s IT environment on a regular basis.  Make sure you are not so rigid that you are unable to “think outside of the box”.

The qualities that I have spoken about here are not etched in stone but they are qualities that I have observed to help and assist any IT strategy consultant that is trying to advance his or her career.

Many organizations that are a part of IT outsourcing and business transformation outsourcing (BTO) are slightly concerned about the economy in 2009.  However, IT outsourcing was important before Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers, Freddie and Fannie, AIG, and the big three automotive manufacturers. These events have underscored the importance of outsourcing because companies believe that transformational outsourcing can help them to service the economic downturn.

According to the International Outsourcing Forum (IOF), "the global outsourcing and off shoring market is expected to grow from approximately $10bn today, to between $50bn and $60bn by 2009". This dramatic market growth will create an additional three million jobs worldwide by 2009. While one million jobs are likely to remain ‘near shore’, the remaining two million will be relocated based on the price performance of location."

I believe here in the United States that when it comes to technology and the value it can bring, organizations realize that it is a vital lifeline for their very existence.  More and more organizations are also coming to the realization that they do not have to do everything internally but can partner with the right trusted technology consultant to handle many of their IT needs.  The economic downturn events of the past couple of months have made organizations come to terms with their vulnerability and question what they will need to survive in the coming years.

IT Outsourcing will remain a viable business in the year 2009.  As companies seek to reduce payroll while increasing productivity there is going to be a need for IT talent.  Where will organizations look for this talent?  The answer is quite simply where ever they have to.  More organizations are going to increase their working relationships with those trusted partners that can help manage their risks and provide IT talent on demand.

I predict that IT outsourcing and technology consulting will have a “busy year” next year for three reasons:

1. The slowdown in the world economy
2. The Presidential election is over and some level of stability will occur
3. Organizations realize that technology can make a huge difference in productivity and profitability and will seek out trusted advisors to assist them in making a difference

Those are my thoughts, what say you?

This morning I attended a seminar that was designed to be an informational seminar on the value of business process management and work process design.  The session was to last one hour and it took every minute of that hour to discuss--leaving little time for questions and answers. 

The two presenters missed the mark because they were emerged in their world of information technology consulting with little regard for the audience.  I believed that between the two of them they used every possible acronym and buzz-word known in the Information Technology Consulting industry.  I could tell the audience was bored and I know I was. It left me questioning why I came to the seminar in the first place.  So, on my drive back, it got me thinking on what is it that organizations want to hear and how do they like to converse.

First and foremost, I believe that any audience wants an individual to speak to them clearly and precisely.  I do not believe that decision makers appreciate technical jargon because many times they are not familiar with and people in the technology consulting business have a tendency to talk at them instead of to them.  That is exactly what happened this morning.

I am a technology consulting that works to help assist clients to use technology to solve problems and to build a competitive advantage.  I make it a point to make sure I place myself in any potential clients’ shoes and talk to them and engage them into conversation.  Once a client believes that someone really wants to listen and understand their challenges they are much more inclined to listen to what it is you are trying to convey.

In the technology consulting services industry we have to remember that clients and potential clients cannot be enamored with your product or services until you understand exactly what they are dealing with.  Once you understand, then you can diagnose.

Technology changes rapidly and organizations DO need assistance to stay on top of it all.  However, these organizations need partners to listen first and diagnose next.  In any type of seminars, the audience is usually there to gain knowledge but they need to completely understand what a subject is all about before they can understand and actually get value from what is being presented.  My suggestion is to set the table before you serve the meal in any conversation about technology and technology services.

As organizations grow, they often outgrow their IT departments. Business needs out pace their infrastructure.  This includes personnel, structure, process, and procedures.  Help can be provided to "mature" an IT department to a point where it is professionally managed and can scale with a growing operation. Often this includes a thorough implementation of procedures and processes that help the group become more dependable, secure, and able to meet the demands of the internal and external customers.

Recently, I had a meeting with a CIO of a sizeable firm that produces products for industry 24/7.  During the course of my “fact-finding” mission I made sure the individual I was meeting with understood that I was there to listen and to understand what challenges he had before him.  Over a period of time, my audience of one started to grasp the idea that I actually wanted to provide help and began to tell me what overwhelming challenges he faced.  The CEO of his organization was cutting IT budgets with little to no understanding of how this affected the operations of the organization and he was shouldering the blame from internal departments

In technology consulting services we often have a difficult time getting to the problem because IT departments are usually overburdened and overprotective of their departments.  Fact of the matter is that IT personnel and CIO’s are stretched so much they have little time to take a step back and look at their overall operations and infrastructure because they are too consumed in maintaining the day-to-day operations.

The value of a professional technology consulting services company is that they can offer an offer an objective opinion without pre-conceived ideas.  My firm STAR BASE, Inc. offers an IT Wellness Check™ that is designed to examine the IT infrastructure as well as the operational efficiency of an organization.  At the end of the survey a profile report is developed and our findings are given to the client.  This serves as a “checks and balance” report that allows the client to know exactly where they stand on IT, their IT perspective, as well as how IT meets the business goals and objectives of the organization.

How does your IT measure up?  Are you meeting your goals or are you just maintaining?  I would suggest that any CIO or CFO give these areas serious consideration to ensure 2009 will be an operationally sound and productive
New Year!

If you take the time to investigate, you will understand that technology is a vital part of our daily lives.  Technology is not just for business, but it can mean the difference of being competitive or not, delivering services and products or not, and it can actually make a real difference in winning and losing.  Recently we witnessed right before our eyes how president-elect Barack Obama and his team revolutionized the use of the Internet to reach millions of people to make a difference and raise more electoral funding ever.  Political campaigns will never again be approached in the same way.

In the field of technology consulting services, consultants use technology to solve problems and to enhance the working environment to become more productive.  In online learning we use technology and technology consulting services as a way to reach more learners in less time.  Like technology the face of learning has changed forever and organizations around the world are using technology to reach employees, customers and partners to better inform and educate them about processes, methodologies, procedures, and just basic knowledge on their product and services.

The value of technology is clear.  Technology can equip the people of any organization with the knowledge and tools they need to keep their systems and solutions long after an initial project has been implemented.  Good technology consultants do not tell clients what to do, instead that consultant uses technology to help organizations to develop solutions based on collective knowledge and experience.  Together organizations and technology can create solutions that were previously unimaginable.

Technology is simply a tool that can be used to ones advantage regardless of the task you have before you.  Many times I find myself marveling at the way we use to do things in the working world verses the way we accomplish tasks today.  When the computer first appeared on the scene developers touted how this “marvelous tool” would help us in working less and accomplishing more.   Well, I do not believe anyone believes it has helped any of us to work less but we would all agree it has assisted us in becoming more productive.  More production equates into being more competitive and keeping one step ahead of our competition. 

Those of us that have devoted our lives to technology consulting services enjoy being challenged to come up with workable solutions that fits a clients needs and is driven by technology.  I would suggest that technology will continue to evolve and those organizations that do not currently embrace it as a difference maker would best be served by taking a second look and deciding how it can make your world better as well.

It seems that we have become a keyword driven society these days.  I just got back from the annual NACCB show.  This is where IT staffing and IT consulting firms gather to talk and learn about best practices going on in the industry.  There were several Ohio IT services firms represented.  Star base, Inc was the only Cincinnati information technology company attending.

One thing that is amazing to me is the sophistication of the résumé tracking software that is available.  The IT staffing industry is becoming very automated just like other industries.  All of the software is able to parse a résumé and extract the keywords to populate a candidate profile.  This makes it very easy for the recruiters to do keyword searches.  But woe to those that don’t have the right keywords.  Seems like some are turning keywords into "buzz words" and job specifications. 

I was talking to a fellow owner, who has been in IT consulting for many years.  His firm specializes in Oracle data conversions and IT staffing.  He was telling me about a staffing requisition that required Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle database skills.  The client was going to convert from one database to the other.  This is something that they have done many times and have extensive experience.  But because the résumé they submitted did not have the same exact version number on it, the candidate was rejected.

Those of us in IT consulting know that conversion tools don’t usually change much from version to version and having experience with what the “got yas” are is critical to success.  Apparently this customer was just looking at the keywords and couldn’t see beyond them.

This past week I attended the annual conference for the National Association for Computer Consultants Business (NACCB) www.naccb.org in Florida
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NACCB is the only national trade association exclusively serving IT services companies.  The organization was founded to set high standards in the IT industry, as well as to share the best practices and to understand and practice professionally inside and outside of the industry for the purpose of better serving our clients.

There was extreme value in attending this conference.  It was not only a great opportunity to learn, but it was a great way to build camaraderie amongst our peers and better understand the best practices amongst our competitors as well.  On my way home this past weekend, I decided that most IT organizations go above and beyond to meet the needs of clients and have a sincere interest in trying to exceeding expectations

Delivering IT services in Cincinnati is challenging, as well as rewarding. It requires one to have patience and persistence to find the right candidate for the right position for a client.  Cincinnati IT jobs are no different than any other region of the country, but it requires consultants to think outside of the box and go beyond a simple candidate search to ensure they deliver the very best.  Technology consulting is a very demanding profession and it would behoove any candidate to be prepared as they search for a new position. 

The job market of today has become very demanding.  Talent is at a premium and competition is keen.  Organizations are searching for the “best of the best” so they can standout and differentiate themselves from the competition.  Companies no longer have the luxury of hiring one person for one position – individuals need to be able to multitask while being skilled in multiple areas. Trends show that the baby boomers are retiring every 8 seconds in this country.  That means that organizations are under tremendous pressure to produce new talent quickly and that this new talent must have a wide array of both skills and talent. Possible candidates need to comprehend that the old work place is no longer in existence and would do them selves a service to adapt to the new world while taking the approach of becoming a life long learner.