The average business replaces its information system once every 10 years. It is recommended to choose correctly.
Needless to say (but I will point it out anyway), choosing an information system is a very important and significant decision for an organization. A correct choice will be such that the information system will support the corporate strategy plans and will allow the company to grow in the directions and goals it sets for itself.
The company will conduct a search, ask colleagues in the field about the leading software and what they use, meet with several software companies who will testify that they can provide a solution, and sign a project with the software company that sounded the most convincing, or whose salesperson was the most successful.
Quite surprisingly, when it comes to planning to build a house, few will do it without an architect, but when it comes to purchasing software, many companies do it without a consultant.
Why do you need a consultant to choose an information system?
- Mainly and most importantly – an information systems consultant simply makes the project happen!
- Because already at the beginning of the project they know how to plan and tell you how much time and money it would take.
- Because they will direct the project to bring savings and efficiency in addition to managing the processes.
- Because they know the systems and their capabilities, and quickly know how to leave only the relevant systems on the table.
- Because they know the leading application companies and know how to find the application company with experience and understanding in your exact field.
- Because they are your “phone a friend”, someone who is by your side in meetings and makes sure that you ask for what you really need and get the most out of it.
- Because information systems consulting is their profession – they quickly understand what you need, know what you can get from the information systems, and they help you make important decisions.
- Because a correct choice and a successful project direct you to do what you are best at, and will save you time and money.
- Because they will save you from yourself, and help you define a focused, high-value project to your organization.
How do I choose the right consultant for me?
Of course, the consultant’s experience and your chemistry with them are extremely important, but it is also very important that the consultant works with similar clients in your field and order of magnitude.
It is important that the costs and working methods match the size of your company.
The conduct and method of working in a project in a company of thousands of employees is very different from a project in a company with tens or hundreds of employees.
In projects that are significant for the organization, it is desirable that a consultant accompany the project from the initial phase to the launch phase – the launching of the information system.
The Work Process
The work process can change due to the client’s wishes and the type of project. It can be deepened in some places and shortened in others, but as a rule these are the main steps:
Step 1: Study the existing situation and defining the goals
Step 2: Write a characterization that will clearly define the goals and scope of the system
Step 3: Market analysis, locate relevant systems and suppliers
Step 4: Choose a system and an implementing provider
Step 5: Carry out a detailed characterization and building a work plan in stages
Step 6: Application and launch
Does a consultant make the project more expensive?
Obviously, a consultant has a cost, but a consultant in most cases will actually reduce the total cost of the project.
A consultant knows how to estimate the costs at the very beginning of the project, so that you can make a knowledge-based and won’t find yourself in the middle of a project with no end in sight and expenses that have already exceeded the planned budget.
With the help of a consultant, the choice of the system will be correct for your organization in the long-term, thus saving you the costs of replacing the system after a short period.
A consultant will bring their experience and a broad view, and will lead to efficiency – reducing costs and solving issues that can be automated.
