Chapter 31: Working with Consultants
- Chapter 31: Working with Consultants
- Working with Consultants
- What Are Your Needs?
- Project Manager and Leadership
- Selecting Individual Consultants
- Work Ethic and Attitude
- Large-Scale Project Team Structure
- Preparation for Consultant: Contracts
- Preparation for Consultant: Rates and Fees
- Preparation for Consultant: Fixed-Price Contracts
- Controlling Consulting Project Costs: Change Managementx
- Controlling Consulting Project Costs: Client Involvement
- Controlling Consulting Project Costs: Reviewing the Original Requirements
- Controlling Consulting Project Costs: Weekly Status Reports
- Controlling Consulting Project Costs: Risk and Issues Log
- Controlling Consulting Project Costs: Importance of Database Administrator
- Consulting Work Environment
- Consultant Travel and Costs
- Case Studies of Consultant Behavior
- Case Studies of Client Behavior
- Summary
Chapter 31: Working with Consultants
In this chapter
Introduction
Working with Consultants
What Are Your Needs?
Project Manager and Leadership
Selecting Individual Consultants
Work Ethic and Attitude
Large-Scale Project Team Structure
Preparation for Consultant: Contracts
Preparation for Consultant: Rates and Fees
Preparation for Consultant: Fixed-Price Contracts
Controlling Consulting Project Costs: Change Management
Controlling Consulting Project Costs: Client Involvement
Controlling Consulting Project Costs: Reviewing the Original Requirements
Controlling Consulting Project Costs: Weekly Status Reports
Controlling Consulting Project Costs: Risk and Issues Log
Controlling Consulting Project Costs: Importance of Database Administrator
Consulting Work Environment
Consultant Travel and Costs
Case Studies of Consultant Behavior
Case Studies of Client Behavior
Introduction
The decision to work with consultants can be a costly, yet necessary, decision. Almost every ERP project uses outside help during the implementation. This chapter is designed to help you understand issues involved in selecting and contracting with consultants. There are important parallel chapters that should be read in conjunction with this chapter.
Appendix A, "Employment Market," offers a significant discussion regarding the different types of skill sets that are required of consultants. It is vital that a hiring company understand the different types of consulting skill sets that might be required on a project because one size does not fit all. The skill sets of functional consultants are quite different from those of technical consultants. Consulting project management skills are a totally different discipline. Moreover, functional and technical consultants might have applied their skills only to particular disciplines. A hiring company must recognize that a functional Oracle Payroll consultant has entirely different skills from a functional Oracle Accounts Payable consultant. Before researching consulting firms, read Appendix A to establish an understanding of the different types of consulting skill sets.
Appendix B, "Consulting Market," provides a detailed summary of the different types of consulting organizations available in the Oracle market. This analysis reviews independent consultants; smaller, more specialized consulting companies; larger, diversified consulting companies; and Oracle Corporation consulting. Although Appendix B includes a perspective of advantages and disadvantages to the consultant, be sure to study the advantages and disadvantages to the hiring firm.