Managing Technology Consultants

1
Managing Technology Consultants

• Managing consultants
• Technology Transfer
• Do not wait to the last minute for knowledge
  transfer. Start the transition from the beginning
  of the engagement.
• Identify those folks upfront who will take over,
  and allow them the time to gain the required
  knowledge during the entire project.
• Consultants should hold meetings each week, and
  allow time for questions and answers as part of
  the knowledge transfer .
• Remember, knowledge transfer is the normal course
  of business. Every time something is done, it is
  explained why.
• Hold Consultants accountable.
• Tips for technology transfer
• Create a consultant check list
• Build it into the contract
• Manage a consultant like an employee

• It is not Magic
• With magic, we expect to see the impossible
  happen right before our eyes. People tend to look
  at Technology in that same magical way.
• Take a simple cell phone for instance. A few
  hundred years ago, a Yankee in King Authors
  Court would have seemed like quite the wizard if
  he had his nifty i-phone with him. The magic of
  abracadabra is almost as mystifying as
  technical jargon (virtual servers, DMZs, SOA,
  etc) used throughout the industry today.
• But, it is not magic. In the end, it is just a
  bunch of gadgets being controlled by someone like
  you and me.
• So, do not think of technology as magic. This is
  a trap into which many people easily fall. When
  people think something is magic, they do not
  apply common sense, which can lead to illogical
  thinking and unreasonable trust. Such beliefs
  can be a bad thing when it interferes with the
  ability to run a business.
• Additionally, it is important to remember that
  consultants and vendors are not magicians hired
  to resolve technology issues. They are merely
  mortals, who need to be held accountable for
  time, effort, and cost, as well as the quality of
  what is delivered.

2
Managing Technology Consultants

• A Consultant's Perspective
•  
• Consultants feel knowledge transfer is a training
  event, where they take what they have learned,
  over years of training and experience, and give
  to a client.
• Consultants often view knowledge transfer as a
  separate, billable activity, above and beyond a
  problem-solving or product deliverable engagement
  which corrects a business issue.
• Consultants often will not feel obligated to
  conduct knowledge transfer "for free", as it is
  seen as lowering a consultants value in the
  marketplace.
•  
• Note The above listed items identify what is
  generally observed in the marketplace, however,
  consultant's knowledge transfer largely depends
  on the consulting company's philosophy and
  professional motivation.

3
Managing Technology Consultants

• How to make the knowledge transfer occur
• Draw it into the contract upfront. Realize
  however there is a downside, it could drive up
  the price rate given the "Consultant's
  Perspective".
• When evaluating a consultant, ask up front if
  knowledge transfer is included within the quoted
  rates. If yes, build the knowledge transfer
  language into the contract, along with the quoted
  rates.  If no, you may have grounds to dismiss
  that vendor from consideration if inherent
  knowledge transfer is not included within the
  quoted rates.

4
Managing Technology Consultants

• Identify the employee target(s) for knowledge
  transfer upfront
•  
• Do not wait until the end of the engagement to
  try and force a transition blitz.  The learning
  will be short-circuited and you may find that you
  have a bunch of documentation turned over, but no
  absorption of the concepts, techniques, and
  pitfalls that must be considered to bring the
  documentation "to life".
• Assign clear accountability to the EMPLOYEE
  upfront, outlining the specific areas of
  knowledge that he or she will be accountable for
  executing once the consultant leaves.

5
Managing Technology Consultants

• Build the knowledge transfer INTO the
  Consultant's solution delivery process
• Make the accountable employee be the key point of
  contact for their knowledge transfer area as
  early as possible.  The employee is then
  established within the organization from an
  accountability/ownership perspective.  When
  issues surface or questions arise, direct them to
  the employee.  The consultant should then provide
  real-time consultation on alternative and
  recommended responses to the issue or question to
  the accountable employee.  The employee
  communicates the responds directly back to the
  asker.  This method provides true, on the job
  training, and leverages the consultant's
  expertise behind the scenes.

6
Managing Technology Consultants

• Build the knowledge transfer INTO the
  Consultant's solution delivery process
• Establish clear milestone dates for when certain
  aspects of transition should occur. An example
  would be to set dates for the following
  progression of transition for conducting project
  meetings.
• Consultant will initially host the meeting. 
• By MM/DD/YY Employee will begin hosting, with
  the consultant in the room. 
• By MM/DD/YY Employee will host, with the
  consultant via phone. 
• By MM/DD/YY Employee will host without the
  consultant present. 
• This slowly builds the confidence of the
  employee.

7
Managing Technology Consultants

• Build the knowledge transfer INTO the
  Consultant's solution delivery process
•  
• Use weekly team meetings. The team leader should
  always have a segment in a weekly team meeting
  where the project team members probe the
  consultants expertise of various topics.  Have
  the consultant talk about an issue experienced
  over the last week.  Get the consultant's
  perspective on why the issue occurred, and the
  actions that must be taken to avoid such issues
  in the future.  Make the employee(s) accountable
  for understanding the issue, and the general
  approach to solving the problem, should it occur
  in the future. 
• Employees should be upfront and forthcoming about
  where their knowledge gaps are. Don't "put on a
  front, it could suggest to the consultant that
  attempts at knowledge transfer may just lead to a
  bunch of intellectual "babble", which will not
  produce results. This may cause the consultant's
  inherent desire to transfer knowledge to become
  reduced.

8
Managing Technology Consultants

• Build the knowledge transfer INTO the
  Consultant's solution delivery process
•  
• The inherent value proposition is that the
  employee(s) become more knowledgeable, and become
  the first-responders to organizations questions
  and issues.  This allows your consultant to
  remain focused on more strategic matters, which
  is a better return on investment for the client.