Information technology underpins every business. In today’s era of digital transformation, IT isn’t just a support function. IT underlies sales, production development, and product delivery.

So when you invite an IT consulting firm to take over an aspect of your technology management, development, or support, you aren’t just handing over infrastructure; you’re handing over your business. That means it’s crucially important that when you hire an IT consulting firm, you hire the one that’s right for you.

Start By Defining Your Aims

Start by figuring out what you hope to accomplish by bringing in consultants. IT consulting firms can provide a wide range of services, including strategic advising; systems and network design, implementation, and support; software development and support; remote and managed services; and help desk operations.

Along with defining the nature of the services you need, consider why you need consultants rather than addressing the problem with in-house resources. Your team might lack expertise, lack capacity for a short-term special project, or need an outside, unbiased opinion.

Select an IT Consulting Firm That Suits Your Company and Scale

If you decide that working with an IT consulting firm makes sense given your goals and the services you need, you need to find a consulting firm that will work effectively with you.

Cost is certainly a factor, but also consider other criteria such as the firm’s technical expertise, their industry knowledge, any vendor specialization, and their capability to cope with the special needs of enterprise or small business solutions. Make sure they have a history of working successfully with businesses like yours, but don’t settle for a firm that offers only cookie-cutter solution. Your consulting firm should craft a solution custom-designed to work in your specific environment.

Work Together With the IT Consulting Firm to Achieve Success

You wouldn’t bring an employee on board without offering guidance and direction, and you should exert the same level of oversight and control, if not more, when bringing in an IT consulting firm.

Make sure your contract details the scope of the work and the service level objectives, and how success will be monitored. Because situations change, understand how changes in scope will be handled. And even though you’re just initiating the project, think about how ownership will be transitioned back to you when the contract ends. You’ll want to make sure you receive comprehensive documentation of the designs, implementations, and support procedures the consulting firm develops on your behalf.

Read the Prescient Solutions Guide to Hiring an IT Consulting Firm

Think you’re ready to hire an IT consulting firm? Read the Prescient Solutions Guide to Hiring an IT Consulting Firm first. The guide will help you decide whether working with an IT consulting firm is appropriate for your situation, offers a checklist to evaluate IT consulting firms to see if they’re a good fit for you, and suggests how to work with your consultants to make sure the project is a success.

Prescient Solutions has been delivering IT consulting services to business and governmental organizations of all sizes for 20 years, so we know what goes into a successful working relationship between consulting firms and their clients. Contact us to learn how our certified experts can apply their knowledge to helping your business grow.