oosing A Consultant: Ch

W A Y S to

W I N !

How How do you do you win? win?

by achieving your goals. by achieving your goals.

But when you enter into a relationship with consultants, theres But when you enter into a relationship with consultants, theres also the process to consider. also the process to consider. If, onon the way transforming your business, you pay too much, If, the way to to transforming your business, you pay too much, get too little, and feel too much pain, winning isnt as as rewarding. get too little, and feel too much pain, winning isnt rewarding. In fact, you might gogo through the pain and not reach your goals. In fact, you might through the pain and not reach your goals. It happens all all the time. It happens the time. The big win is when all all pieces are place: anan actionable plan, The big win is when pieces are in in place: actionable plan, outstanding execution, and a collaborative relationship. Plus outstanding execution, and a collaborative relationship. Plus speed, flexibility, and value. And, of course, a quality outcome. speed, flexibility, and value. And, of course, a quality outcome. That happens not enough. That happens not enough. You can make it happen more often forfor your organization. You can make it happen more often your organization.

Short Answer: Short Answer:

Heres how: Heres how:

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Hire people who get Hire people who get their hands dirty. their hands dirty.
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Keep your eyes on Keep your eyes on the stars, and your the stars, and your feet on the ground. feet on the ground.

In In technology consulting, the work is technology consulting, the work is usually done byby somebody else. usually done somebody else. Theres a glaring disconnect between Theres a glaring disconnect between the people who consult and the people the people who consult and the people who execute. The consultants don't who execute. The consultants don't often get their hands dirty. often get their hands dirty. Dont buy it. it. Dont buy When consultants and technologists When consultants and technologists are in in separate organizations, there are separate organizations, there are many hand-offs. Thats when the are many hand-offs. Thats when the ball gets dropped. ball gets dropped.

A business plan divorced from the A business plan divorced from the realities of of execution can be loaded realities execution can be loaded with impractical assumptions that with impractical assumptions that have toto be unwound then re-wound, have be unwound then re-wound, which costs time and money. which costs time and money. The better way? Hire technologyThe better way? Hire technologytrained consultants who work trained consultants who work hand-in-hand, day-by-day with the hand-in-hand, day-by-day with the IT IT people who wire the project soso people who wire the project strategy translates directly into action. strategy translates directly into action. Its the shortest path toto Its the shortest path advantage. advantage.

Theodore Theodore Roosevelt Roosevelt

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Demand aa Demand roadmap. roadmap.

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IfIfyou fail to plan you fail to plan you plan to fail. you plan to fail. Anon. Anon.

Consultants are good at producing Consultants are good at producing reports. Thats not what most clients reports. Thats not what most clients want. They want a roadmap. want. They want a roadmap. A report tells you where to go.go. A A report tells you where to A roadmap shows you how to get there. roadmap shows you how to get there. ItsIts a work plan with paths, durations, a work plan with paths, durations, and milestones. It can start and milestones. It can start tomorrow. tomorrow. Are roadmaps strategic enough? Are roadmaps strategic enough? Absolutely. Absolutely.

Thats the starting point. Thats the starting point. Conceptual thinking only goes so farfar Conceptual thinking only goes so in the messy work of aligning IT with in the messy work of aligning IT with your business. Moving forward your business. Moving forward requires finely-detailed momentum. requires finely-detailed momentum. Ask forfor the roadmap. Ask the roadmap.

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Dont be wowed Dont be wowed by big. by big.

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Why not go out on Why not go out on aalimb? Isnt that limb? Isnt that where the fruit is? where the fruit is?

Theres anan old saying: You cant get Theres old saying: You cant get fired for hiring fired for hiring You know the rest. You know the rest. But are the largest consulting firms But are the largest consulting firms always the best choice? Can they always the best choice? Can they possibly dodo everything better? Is the possibly everything better? Is the price worth it? price worth it? The largest companies are very good. The largest companies are very good.

But you can often achieve But you can often achieve significantly better value, equal significantly better value, equal talent, and faster, more practical talent, and faster, more practical results with consultants who are results with consultants who are closer toto the ground. closer the ground. Innovation happens atat the edge. Innovation happens the edge. Talent moves around. Cost-efficiency Talent moves around. Cost-efficiency matters. And growing firms have matters. And growing firms have more atat stake so they try to hit the more stake so they try to hit the ball out ofof the park every time. ball out the park every time. Those are four good reasons not toto Those are four good reasons not bebe wowed by big. wowed by big.

Frank Frank Scully Scully

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The important The important thing is not to thing is not to stop questioning. stop questioning.

Work with Work with specialists. specialists.

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There are generalist consultants. And There are generalist consultants. And there are specialists. there are specialists. It makes sense to to work with firms It makes sense work with firms organized around specialists. organized around specialists. Smart people succeeding every day Smart people succeeding every day in your domain can cut to to the chase. in your domain can cut the chase. Take banking. Why work with a a Take banking. Why work with generalist in finance when your generalist in finance when your problem is credit card transaction problem is credit card transaction risk? Talking to to the credit card risk risk? Talking the credit card risk consultant leads to tomore consultant leads a a more meaningful conversation. meaningful conversation.

Likewise with software packages. Likewise with software packages. Likewise with some specific part of of Likewise with some specific part your value chain. OrOr almost any other your value chain. almost any other challenge short of of total enterprise challenge short total enterprise restructuring. restructuring. Start with a specialist, dont end upup Start with a specialist, dont end with one. with one.

Albert Albert Einstein Einstein

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The conventional The conventional view serves to protect view serves to protect us from the painful us from the painful job of thinking. job of thinking.

Avoid Avoid black boxes. black boxes.

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A black box is a consulting solution A black box is a consulting solution dropped from the sky onto your dropped from the sky onto your organization. It has nono windows. Its organization. It has windows. Its asas rigid asbrick. It gets done to to you rigid as a a brick. It gets done you not with you. not with you. You dont want one of of those. You dont want one those. Black boxes are efficient for the Black boxes are efficient for the consulting organization. Often sold consulting organization. Often sold byby senior people then implemented senior people then implemented byby juniors, they are unpacked the juniors, they are unpacked the same way every time without much same way every time without much customer interference. customer interference. The downsides, of of course, are many. The downsides, course, are many. Black boxes ignore uniqueness. The Black boxes ignore uniqueness. The path might not bebe exactly right. And path might not exactly right. And

your people probably want to to do your people probably want do more than just sitsit back and watch. more than just back and watch. Theres a better way. Work with a firm Theres a better way. Work with a firm where senior advisors custom fit fit where senior advisors custom every solution to to your situation every solution your situation even the smaller, less glamorous jobs even the smaller, less glamorous jobs then work with you, not in spite of of then work with you, not in spite you. you. Customization. Transparency. Customization. Transparency. Collaboration. Flexibility. Collaboration. Flexibility. You can have it all.all. But not a black You can have it But not in in a black box. box.

J. K. Galbraith J. K. Galbraith

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Dont pay Dont pay through the nose. through the nose.
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The greatest of all The greatest of all gifts is the power to gifts is the power to estimate things at estimate things at their true worth. their true worth.

Lets get it onon the table. Excessive Lets get it the table. Excessive fees are a sore spot these days. fees are a sore spot these days. Theres a lotlot of fee-fatigue in Theres a of fee-fatigue in technology consulting. technology consulting. Many CIOs find themselves holding Many CIOs find themselves holding their noses while writing the check. their noses while writing the check. Part of of the problem having to to feed Part the problem is is having feed the pyramid top-heavy consulting the pyramid top-heavy consulting organizations with armies of of organizations with armies heavy-hitters to to support. heavy-hitters support.

And service levels frequently dont And service levels frequently dont live upup to the promise. common live to the promise. A A common cost overrun is re-doing work cost overrun is re-doing work because the strategy doesnt hold upup because the strategy doesnt hold in reality. in reality. SoSo wheres the real value? smaller wheres the real value? In In smaller firms, staffed byby hungrier specialists, firms, staffed hungrier specialists, with more offshore talent, and much with more offshore talent, and much better prices. better prices. Much better. Much better.

La La Rochefoucauld Rochefoucauld

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Skill to do Skill to do comes of doing. comes of doing.
Of Of course. course.

See cost-cutting See cost-cutting as aavirtue. as virtue.

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At Attime when most companies are a a time when most companies are being told to to cut costs to the bone, being told cut costs to the bone, wouldnt you want a consultant that wouldnt you want a consultant that has cost-cutting in itsits DNA? has cost-cutting in DNA?

Ralph Ralph Waldo Emerson Waldo Emerson

In outsourcing, cost-reduction is is In outsourcing, cost-reduction religion. ItsItsmajor part of the job. religion. a a major part of the job. You become extremely adept at at You become extremely adept finding efficiencies. In fact, you are finding efficiencies. In fact, you are often compensated based onon the fat often compensated based the fat you trim and the performance you you trim and the performance you drive. drive. Consultants steeped in the Consultants steeped in the cost-reduction ethic are gold. When cost-reduction ethic are gold. When they also happen to to be outstanding they also happen be outstanding strategists, they are platinum. strategists, they are platinum.

But among consulting firms, But among consulting firms, especially the largest ones, especially the largest ones, cost-cutting is not commonly a a cost-cutting is not commonly strength. strength. Unless you come from IT IT Unless you come from outsourcing. outsourcing.

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IfIf you talk to a man in a you talk to a man in a language he understands, language he understands, that goes to his head. IfIf you that goes to his head. you talk to him in his language, talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart. that goes to his heart.

Look for Look for allegiance. allegiance.

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ItsIts rare that consultants work for the CIO. rare that consultants work for the CIO. If that sounds crazy, itsits not. There are If that sounds crazy, not. There are few consulting firms of any size that few consulting firms of any size that make the CIOs agenda their main make the CIOs agenda their main concern. concern. The largest firms are constituted to aim The largest firms are constituted to aim higher on on the food chain. The smallest higher the food chain. The smallest firms dont have what it takes to both firms dont have what it takes to both guide and run a major CIO-sponsored guide and run a major CIO-sponsored initiative. initiative. In the middle is the sweet spot of true In the middle is the sweet spot of true partnership. partnership. What does it take? What does it take?

A 100% commitment to the CIOs agenda A 100% commitment to the CIOs agenda of aligning business and technology and of aligning business and technology and the focused, pragmatic insights to make it it the focused, pragmatic insights to make happen. happen. Demonstrated staying power. Sitting Demonstrated staying power. Sitting beside the CIO, not across from him/her. beside the CIO, not across from him/her. And staying with the work, not And staying with the work, not disappearing after the sale. disappearing after the sale. The willingness to listen not just The willingness to listen not just prescribe. prescribe. And deep technology roots, so so you speak And deep technology roots, you speak a common language. a common language. It comes down to investment. A true It comes down to investment. A true partner is invested in the relationship. partner is invested in the relationship.

Nelson Nelson Mandela Mandela

Victory
Winning should feel victorious when your consultants join you in the battle, knee-deep in your issues, ready (and equipped) to do whatever it takes. Cognizant Business Consulting is helping CIOs feel exactly that way every day. Victorious.
World Headquarters:
500 Frank W. Burr Blvd. Teaneck, NJ 07666 USA Phone: +1 201 801 0233 Fax: +1 201 801 0243 Toll free: +1 888 937 3277 Email: inquiry@cognizant.com

Please call us to find out how we are different and what more we can do for you.

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Haymarket House 28-29 Haymarket London SW1Y 4SP UK Phone: +44 (0) 20 7321 4888 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7321 4890 Email: infouk@cognizant.com

Its rare that consultants work for the CIO.

www.cognizant.com

If that sounds crazy, its not. There are few consulting firms of any size that make the CIOs agenda their main concern. The largest firms are constituted to aim higher on the food chain. The smallest firms dont have what it takes to both guide and run a major CIO-sponsored initiative. In the middle is the sweet spot of true partnership. What does it take? A 100% commitment to the CIOs agenda of aligning business and technology and the focused, pragmatic insights to make it happen. Demonstrated staying power. Sitting beside the CIO, not across from him/her. And staying with the work, not disappearing after the sale. The willingness to listen not just prescribe. And deep technology roots, so you speak a common language.