The IT consulting business is valued at $426 billion and has been growing at an exponential rate. This success indicates the need of consulting services and the value it brings to businesses seeking support to elevate IT investments.
Have you got a major project coming up, but aren’t sure your existing IT team can handle it? Here are 5 signs it’s time to get help from a hired consultant.
1. SPECIALIZED SKILLS GAP
You may have some great people on your IT team. You have no doubts about their commitment to your business- They are talented IT professionals, but at times, they lack certain skills that could elevate the business process.
The tech world is rapidly changing, which means so are the skillsets needed to be successful. New technologies and methods are a feature of the industry. No matter how good our people are, it’s tough to keep up with every innovation and development.
A new software rollout or hardware solution means new skills for the IT team. Sometimes it’s not possible for them to learn everything they need in the required time scales. You need to get a quick injection of new knowledge- This is where your hired consultant can help you excel.
An IT consultant may be implementing new technologies as the core part of their job. They have the expertise you need and can fill the difficult void of skill gaps on your team.
2. MORE RESOURCES, NOW
It’s important for you to manage your human resources efficiently. Having large numbers of surplus IT people on hand to support when you have a peak in demand is ineffective. This does mean that the pressure on your core IT team can be intense from time to time.
Extra demands on your IT team can arise when you have a new IT development, business growth, a business crisis or some other change. You can probably handle a short or minor change in demand but what if you need resources for a long period of time or you need change to happen now?
There are alternatives to hiring consultants. You could put off the project until you can recruit permanent IT department team members. You could train some of your own people. Both of these solutions introduce delay and expense. Increasing IT team size raises problems- Cost of recruitment, onboarding, training, potential layoffs, etc.
Hiring an IT consultant leads to a rapid and cost-effective way of increasing your IT resources. IT consultants are used to moving around companies and projects with ease. They get up to speed quickly and when the project is over, they disappear with little fuss.
3. FRESH SET OF EYES
Have you ever found that you stop seeing things that are there every day? A flyer on a company noticeboard can be there for months and nobody notices that it’s advertising an event that took place a year ago. A new employee, on their first day, sees the flyer and notices that it’s out of date.
Familiarity makes it difficult to see even the most obvious things. Old habits and distrust of unfamiliar things can make us resistant to change. The right hired consultant can come into your business with a fresh set of eyes. They see things that your IT team have accepted and become familiar with it. They recognize when these things are obstacles, when progression is needed, and when methodologies used are inefficient or outdated.
Partly because consultants are regularly in and out of multiple businesses, they transfer learning from elsewhere. If they have solved the same problems previously they hit the ground running with a short learning curve. They are an effective way of challenging norms, innovating and getting a fresh perspective.
4. CATALYSTS FOR CHANGE
Consultants are very familiar with change due to constantly having to adapt to new people and environments. No two businesses are identical so it’s normal for them to deal with changing their work habits and get to know new people too.
This change readiness can be a very useful resource whenever you have a difficult change to implement. IT consultants recognize that change in IT systems is not just about the technical change. There are also business processes and personnel implications too.
An IT consultant can help setup a clear vision for IT teams and build upon their current skillsets to keep the business process productive. They can transfer knowledge, skills, and experience, strengthening the confidence and commitment of the team. As a catalyst for change, an IT consultant can help the team establish the needed plan or strategy to elevate competitive edge- Once the change is in place, you will have a more independent and adaptable team.
5. FOCUS ON THE CORE BUSINESS
You’ve got a major project to implement. Your team is excited about it and ready to get started. On the first day of the project, a business-critical system goes down. Where should you focus your efforts? How will the wider business react if you say that the in-house IT team is not able to get back to work because they have a new project starting today? You are unlikely to get much support.
In-house IT teams are likely to prioritize the core business. Focusing on the business today might be short term but that’s the reality of organizational life. Without success in the short term, there is no long term.
Hiring IT consultants allows your in-house IT team to deliver the day to day service your business needs. Business operations can continue to be supported while the IT consultants help you prepare for the future.
HIRED CONSULTANT
A balance of in-house team members and a hired consultant or even a team of consultants can help deliver your business change projects effectively and efficiently. Let your team play to their strengths. Give the team the support they need and what the business could utilize to impact competitive edge.
Let us help you with your team and software solutions.