A customer is the pillar of any organisation. This calls for substantial investment for any company to maintain good relations with their customers. Any slight mistake regarding customers’ relations can put a business at the verge of closure, which is detrimental. In line with this, it becomes imperative for any company to engage into viable customer relationship models that will ensure maintaining the current customers in the business and attracting new customers. A company should ensure that it’s customer need driven and the customer pillar is strong and unshakable.

Competition is vital in every industry and this keeps all the firms on their toes in trying to maintain their niche market. Due to this competition, many management models have emerged to help in the management of the customer relations. One of these models is customer relationship management (CRM) model. CRM is all you need if you want to be a leader in that specialized market. This is a model used in client, customer and sales projection management. It synchronizes, organizes, and automates businesses processes by using technology. These business processes may include sales activities, technical support and marketing customer services.

CRM is practice, when implemented successfully reduces the overall costs of marketing operations and customer services. It is part of the company’s business strategy and the company should take caution in the implementation phase as it affects the entire business dimension. This necessitates the need for salesforce consulting for CRM implementation. It is imperative for the company to do salesforce consultation before implementing any CRM. This consultation gives the company a super quality procedure that will enhance the success of CRM. A company can outsource sales force consulting from consultancy companies or the company can do it internally.

In outsourcing mode, this is where the company hires an outside company’s services to help in the implementation of CRM. The firm should ensure that it settles for the best company as the better the company, the higher the success of the implementation phase. It should vet the available companies for efficiency and effectiveness, good contractual terms and overall success of the company in previous engagements. Outsourcing sales force consulting for CRM implementation may be less costly than setting an internal department to do the same.

The company can also establish an internal department to provide Sales force consulting for CRM implementation. This has an advantage of the fact that it is enable the company to be in control of the whole implementation process. It also enhances flexibility of the company as they can perform their activities at their own pace. Nevertheless, it is very expensive for the company, as it has to create new departments and hire new employees to perform the implementation.

A CRM system has critical advantages, which a company can accrue upon its implementation. It brings about quality and efficiency in the company’s customer relations, decrease overall companies costs and hence increase in profitability. It is advisable for every company to use the system if it has to remain in today’s competitive market.

I remember one of my very good clients’ once telling me what the definition of a consultant was. She said, “Craig, do you know what the definition of a consultant is?” I began to worry, had I done something wrong? I replied, “Is this a trick question”. She smiled and said, “A consultant is someone who borrows your watch to tell you what time it is and then keeps it”. I pondered the full meaning for a second and then laughed, thinking to my self, I would return the watch.

This was her opinion as a result of a 12 month project that produced three large binders which defined a new software program that a very large consulting firm had prepared and hoped to build. These specifications likely cost more than $250,000.00, and no doubt to build the system would cost over $1M.

Meanwhile she and I had built a similar system for 10 percent of that price which already did most of what was defined in the three binders. We were doing Joint Application Design and Rapid Application Development before these approaches were even coined. One of the binders was a regurgitation of typical IT planning jargon, (nothing about RAD or JAD either), hey, when you’re billing based on volume why not print up ten binders of all your IT methodologies and approaches. Yes, I am being cynical, but it is done all the time.

There is a certain amount of truth to this definition of a consultant. Often the client has a good idea of what they are looking for but it needs to be articulated in a manner that can help move the project forward, or justify the project, and this can take time and has an associated cost. The watch, which represents the cost associated with the work, is also a personal item, dear to the client, (as many personal projects can be), and in that sense makes you think that the large consulting firm who undertook this work had effectively depersonalized the entire process leaving a permanent scar, and then to make matters worse, must have done something dishonest or disrespectful to be accused of stealing the watch, or were they just forgetful at the projects close?

How has this experience shaped my career in IT consulting? I always try to be upfront, honest and engaged. I take everything as a personal challenge, and want to engage my client’s in the process in a personal, in depth, intimate manner. The projects with the best results are usually because the entire team is all in, where the overall approach and attitude is roll up the sleeves, let’s dig in and get this thing done, no B.S., let’s cut to the chase. Where are the savings and benefits, where can we cut corners and still provide great improvements and innovation? You still need to document and articulate the outcome, but, don’t take years and hundreds of trees to do it. The proto-type we built contained most of the documentation, it was essentially self-explanatory.

Secondly, I try to end the project on a good foot This can be achieved by providing a post- mortem report, free of charge, that briefly outlines what we did, why we did it, what the goals were, the pitfalls, lessons learned, items the client needs to know about system maintenance and support, and most importantly, what we were not able to do, and what steps could be taken in the future to ensure the projects success and ongoing improvement.

Importance of Consulting on IT

These days, you rarely find a company that does not depend on computers, the Internet, and other sophisticated gadgets to support their operations. But just like any other mechanical devices, these electronic-dependent gadgets are not perfect. They crash down, malfunction, give erroneous data, and die. So to make sure that their operations go smoothly as planned, companies depend on their IT staff to address these technical issues and problems. But while these in-house employees may be at the top of their game, their abilities are limited. So to make up for these limitations, the need to hire an IT consulting firm cannot be overly emphasized.

Things to Consider When Choosing a Firm

Consulting firms see other problems that in-house employees are not able to detect. They can present problems from different perspectives, so you can come up with a better solution to your company’s IT-related issues. Also, since these firms value their clients so much, they put you first and work as quick as a flash.

Of course, results vary from one firm to the other, but in general, hiring the services of an IT firm is beneficial to your business. But to make sure that you get the best services, here are some factors to consider.

1. Quick and efficient methods
Firms vary in the method that they employ to solve IT-related problems. But what you want is the most efficient and quick method that can accurately address your company’s needs. So before you agree to anything, you must have a thorough understanding of what the firm does to assess, evaluate, and solve your company’s technical problems.

2. Extensive experience
Technical problems vary in nature, ranging from simple troubleshooting concerns to a much more complicated problem such as setting up an electrical room. So you want an IT consulting firm that has had exposure to different kinds of problems to make sure that your IT problems are solved as quickly as possible. An IT firm with extensive knowledge and experience does not rely on trial-and-error but tackles the problem in a scientific and systematic manner.

3. 24/7 Customer support / service
Technical problems and issues can happen anytime, so you want a firm that you can rely on whenever you need their services. As much as possible, choose a company that offers excellent customer service and offers 24/7 customer support.

Aside from those above-stated factors, other things that you can consider include the following: years in business, payment method, ease and convenience of payment, pricing options, and your other preferences.

At a time when many businesses are focused on cost cutting, retaining IT network consultants is often a last-ditch effort to solve a major IT problem. However, being proactive and hiring consultants before major problems occur often saves the most money. Knowing the right time to hire consultants can be challenging, but certain signs indicate that the assistance of consultants will eventually be necessary. Below are signs that a company should contract with a provider of managed IT services sooner rather than later.

No Business Continuity Plan

A business continuity plan establishes what a company will do to restore its IT infrastructure if a disaster strikes. A good plan typically involves four considerations:

Data backup and recovery
Emergency hardware
An alternative business location
Support staff
Even companies that do have a continuity plan often go out business when a disaster cripples the IT infrastructure. According to DTI/PricewaterhouseCoopers, over forty percent of businesses that experience a significant data loss go out of business. If your company lacks a business continuity plan, it should start developing one today.

Insufficient Project Management System

Some companies take on demanding projects that are more demanding without upgrading the project management system. This can lead to projects that are over-schedule, lacking in quality, or both. Most companies need a system that is accessible remotely, allows information to be communicated in real time, and lets managers observe task progress in real time. If your company’s system is not meeting the needs of its projects, delaying implementing a new system could result in losing clients.

Budget Issues

IT budget issues are one of the most common problems IT network consultants address. Many companies recognize the benefits of network upgrades, but are hesitant to increase the budget. In some cases, this scenario results in a company saving less money that it would earn by making the upgrades. A provider of managed IT services will point out when this is the case.

Data is Only Stored Onsite

When a company only stores data onsite, it risks losing the data when a disaster strikes. The data could also be lost to theft. While there is no shortage of offsite data storage options, choosing the right one requires foresight. Ideally, a company should receive offsite data storage as a part of its business continuity plan. Storing the data with the provider of the plan’s resources (backup hardware, alternate business location, and support staff) is recommended, as it simplifies the implementation of the plan in an emergency.

Conclusion

Knowing when to hire IT network consultants is difficult, especially when IT issues do not cause major problems. However, the difference between a minor problem and a major one is often just a matter of time. When a business lacks a disaster recovery plan, has difficulty managing projects, experiences IT budget issues, stores data solely onsite, or receives insufficient technical support, it should request the assistance of a provider of managed IT services to keep these problems from leading to bigger ones.