What is Consulting?
April 29, 2008
“Good Morning”
“Do you have a need for Contract Programmers?”
Here at LUCRUM, Chuck has done a great job at filtering our email solicitations. However, I still get the one above from some guy named Patrick Harris….it reminds me of how LUCRUM is positioned in the market as a consulting firm providing business and technology solutions.
There’s a real difference between “contract programmer” and “consultant.” The industry often mingles the definitions together and customers tend to negotiate for consulting services using “contract programmer” pricing.
LUCRUM has had a rich history of hiring IT professionals that thrive on “consulting” using their technology skills. With that statement, let’s ask ourselves “what is a consultant?” Consulting is bringing expertise of one’s experiences into a firm on a project or fee basis. One of the ironies of consulting is that the goal of the consultant must be to make him or herself obsolete.” All of us have been in the position of being frustrated (either as an internal or external consultant or even as a perm-placement worker) by management’s careful efforts to defeat any and all attempts on our part to transfer the knowledge we had to at least one (other) person in the organization. This puzzles me because I learned early on in my career that it is far more probable that a company will retain “intuitive knowledge” about their system/applications/data/whatever if more than one person has that knowledge.
To provide our technology expertise is simply not enough in today’s global economy. The disparity between India (and other Asian-based services) and the US will continue to have companies use “contract programmers” that are truly just “coders” and not consultants.
Why do I bring this up? It’s our livelihood! I also know that our mantra has been “85% social and 15% technical.” My ratio is skewed purposely to emphasize the requirement to “over-communicate” on every part of our daily assignment. The technology works; it doesn’t work if people are not communicating. As consultants, it’s up to us to take the lead responsibility with the customer on communications. That’s our largest challenge. You’ll see LUCRUM’s focus to grow our capabilities in this area with Customer Alignment Sessions, leveraging Whole Brain Organizational Development processes internally and with our customers, and a new larger emphasis on the consultant, and in developing unique professional skills. Jodie Heflin, as our Delivery Leader, has the proven track record of Customer-oriented 85/15 skills. It’s her goal to get all of our firm up to a higher level of capability; to “think” as a part of our customer’s business in addition to our technology capabilities.
Sphere: Related ContentBusiness Intelligence, Country Music, Peter Drucker and You!
April 27, 2008
I get a lot of emails every day! I got this one that I didn’t delete and then felt strong enough to comment on it.
“In a recent survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), nearly 80% of executives said that a Business Intelligence strategy would improve their company’s ability to enhance customer service and react quickly to market changes. However, fewer than 15% felt their organization has applied best practices to its use of business data.”
I love music. I love all types of music. I am not a Country Music fan though. I am a fan of Country Music Song Titles. There’s a title to a country music song (no music yet!) that I made up about the business problem that is one of the biggest problems in the entire economy. Here’s what it is: Companies go to great lengths to hire top notch people. Then they give them business responsibilities and the authority to act on the business responsibilities. Then, they don’t give them the complete tools to get the right analysis to get to the “right decision.” So, here’s my song title:
“You don’t know what you have done by the time you’ve already done it”
Is that right out of Nashville or what? Decision-makers and categorically speaking, Knowledge Workers” are nowadays tasked with making a lot of very timely and important decisions. After we have them on-board with what famous business professor, Dr. Peter Drucker, says is the 20% unique aspects of the business (he professed that 80% of all businesses are the same)…once they really gain expertise and experience in the business, we don’t necessarily give them the right tools to analyze their data and the general performance of the business. Perhaps another song title goes like this:
“I know she knows, but I can’t get it out of her”
Certainly, what we mean here is that the data is in the system. The person just doesn’t know how to get it out!” Conceptual thinking skills are not the norm in the Information technology world. Operating software systems, running networks, ensuring security, closing double-entry book keeping systems, and the normal “run the business” part of IT constitutes a majority of the activity. How’s this for another song:
“His left brain won’t talk to his right brain, so he won’t answer the door.”
OK, perhaps that one didn’t work….
The lack of relevant facts or real understanding in the decision making process is so apparent to person trying to sort through all of the data that surrounds them. Recently, I read 2 more statistics:
• More information has been produced in the last 30 years than in the previous 5,000
• Corporate data is doubling every 3 years
I am myself, “what happens to all of this data?” Another song title?
“I spent too much time looking for my data when the decision timeframe has come and gone”
Gartner calls it the “Fact Gap.” It’s kind of a “decision gridlock” which even with gas at $ 4.00 per gallon or higher is what we are going to see this summer on the construction-laden highways!
So, how do you figure out whether there is a Fact Gap in your organization or business? Perhaps there’s truly is a Fact Gap in your business? Here are some potential symptoms for this:
Excessive discounting
• Expensive marketing programs that do not result in revenue enhancement
• New product introductions are less successful than expected
• Low inventory turns per year
From a knowledge worker viewpoint, you can start to see symptoms where decision making that is unscientific resulting in …
• Inefficiency in production
• Missed opportunities
• Inability to react proactively
• Lost market share
• Excessive expense
• Lost revenue and profits
• Customer dissatisfaction
Perhaps one last song title will provide a summary of my topic:
“She turned data into information and he didn’t even know he had the answers!”
If we can turn data into information and empower business decision makers with the information they need to run the enterprise, there’s certainly a true opportunity to gain competitive advantage.
Sphere: Related ContentEat our own dog food!
April 25, 2008
It’s great to see LÛCRUM eat our own dog food! That may sound negative but it’s really a very positive statement. I heard this phase regularly from a former manager. What this means is if a product or procedure is good enough to recommend to our customer’s, it’s good enough for us to use as well.
Yesterday I had my first opportunity to participate in an Alignment Session at LÛCRUM. In simple terms, an Alignment Sessions is one of LÛCRUM’s differentiating tools we offer to our clients to help organizations align on key business decisions.
Our LÛCRUM meeting was to look at a new internal system. Our senior management team and key system users followed the Alignment Session process to help drive to consensus and define next steps. The process helped us document the current system’s Strengths (ie, it’s free!), Problems (ie, too many manual processes), Threats (ie, might cost too much), and Opportunities (ie, interface with other business systems). From that point we were able to define our required Objectives and differentiate those from the ‘Nice to Haves’. Then we documented the Challenges (ie data conversion), Resources (ie PM, Sponsor), and finally our Game Plan (a high level project plan).
As the project manager of this internal project, I am thrilled to have at the end of the session all the information I need to complete a Project Charter and move forward on the project. In addition, I’m comfortable that the right people are aligned on the decision. I went home that day feeling like the day had been a big success.
April 22nd 2008 Job Postings
April 22, 2008
LUCRUM is growing - fast. As a result, we are constantly on the lookout for exceptional people to join the LUCRUM team. Below is a current listing of jobs I am looking to fill here at LUCRUM. Because we are growing so rapidly, the list changes frequently, so it pays to check it out regularly. Here is a listing of openings that I have an immediate need to fill for the week of April 22nd, 2008
1. 2 recruiters
2. SharePoint mid-level developers and one SharePoint senior level dev
3. A mid-level Rails developer that is competent on the platform and can work directly with clients
4. Junior to Mid DB2 DBA
5. A PHP developer that also has competency in one of the following: SQL Server, .NET (C#), SharePoint, MS Reporting Services
6. A mid-level designer that can interface with business people. This designer would be responsible for mostly web and some print design. Knowing Flash is a major plus here.
Before you apply, you might want to snoop around our blog and check us out. In fact we encourage you to do so. No corporate speak here, just real people posting real thoughts about work and life at LUCRUM. You should be able to get a pretty good feel for who we are and what we are all about. Then, if you decide you are still interested in joining our team, which we hope you will be, contact me. - Andy Erickson.
Sphere: Related ContentWe Win When We Talk About Them
April 17, 2008
I never thought I would pick up sales tips from James Carville, but sure enough it has happened. Over the past weekend I was watching one of the Sunday morning political shows, and Carville, joined by his wife Mary Matalin, was discussing the 2008 Presidential Campaign. Specifically he discussed one of the tenets of running a great campaign he learned from former President Clinton, who love him or hate him, was a great campaigner. The idea he put forth was so simple but so correct. “If we are talking about them, we are winning.” “If we are talking about us, we are losing.” Now, the idea behind his comment is perhaps a little different in the context of a political campaign as opposed to a sales call, but how incredibly insightful is that. The best sales calls often involve very little “selling.” If the person across the table from you is talking, and you are discussing them - not you - you are winning. I have experienced sales calls where you trot out every feature, function, advantage, benefit, company history, past clients, and on and on, only to walk away saying to myself, “I just don’t think we will win that one.” By the same token, many of the best calls I have ever made, involve asking questions, and then listening to someone else talk about themselves. Yes I can tell people LUCRUM is Cincinnati’s best provider of Data Warehousing, Business Intelligence, Collaboration, (all of which I believe) until I am blue in the face, but if I don’t understand them first, I am losing.
I observed this first hand today while on a sales call with two of my colleagues. We had a great meeting that lasted well over an hour, very little of which was spent discussing LUCRUM. In doing so, we identified numerous business problems LUCRUM can solve through our understanding of technology. More importantly we took the first steps toward building a new relationship with them based on understanding of their unique business needs. No pushy sales pitch. No dog and pony show. Just having a real and meaningful conversation about them When we are talking about them… we win.
Sphere: Related ContentCertified or Certifiable?
April 10, 2008
Ok, so you’ve been around the block a few times and think you know your stuff when it comes to Microsoft technologies. What better way to prove it than to obtain a formal certification in your field of expertise? Well for one, where do you start? In a sea of dizzying acronyms (MCSD, MCSA, MCITP, MCPD, MCTS, MCSE, MCDBA…), how is one to survive the turbulent waters and inherent confusion of this journey? Better yet, how are your customers supposed to understand these 4 character “feathers in your cap” that everyone displays proudly on their resume and business cards? Good questions…
A number of our own LÛCRUM certifiables have navigated these waters in the past and to date they are the proud recipients of 15 such certifications.
Thankfully Microsoft has taken a fresh approach at this process. Certifications now fall under 1 of 3 categorizations.
Technology Series – This series exhibits core technology skill on a particular product/technology. Basically nuts/bolts stuff. Typically requires 1-3 exams. Certifications in this series retire when Microsoft product support ceases, thus they have a limited lifetime.
Professional Series – A “step up” from the Technology Series, this series adds job roles in addition to technology competency. It demonstrates your ability to deliver solutions within that role. This series typically requires 1-3 exams with a Technology Series certification prerequisite. It also requires periodic recertification.
Architect Series – The Mac Daddy of Microsoft certifications. This series displays your business IT prowess in addition to in-depth technology acumen to deliver enterprise capable business solutions. This involves a rigorous entry process and a formal oral review board (conducted by peers already possessing an Architect certification) at the conclusion of the certification process. It requires periodic recertification as well.
Across all of these series, only 4 certifications remain from the previous multitude of acronym chaos. They are Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS), Microsoft Certified Professional Developer (MCPD), Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP), and finally Microsoft Certified Architect (MCA). Each of these certifications allows for specialization in a variety of areas, however, the certification remains consistent. Once obtained, your branding for resumes and business cards simplifies to your certification plus specialty (i.e. MCITP – Server Administrator).
So how does one obtain these new certifications? Depending on the series…study, study, study and perhaps practical work experience. Microsoft has detailed all the required exams for each certification/specialty combination. Of course a wealth of choices exists for getting you to the exam desk. Books, webinars, study groups, classroom learning, user groups, and conferences are all viable vehicles. Practical work experience just takes time and exposure. As a result, certification takes time and patience and is not something done overnight.
If you’re interested in more information, check out Microsoft’s certification website… http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/default.mspx
Happy learning…
Dave
Sphere: Related ContentOur Commitment to Quality
April 9, 2008
On March 21, Doug Dockery provided his perspective of the recent Business Courier article written about LÛCRUM. Doug reviewed some of the changes we’ve made to address the shortcomings in 2007. I’d like to expand on one of the focus areas for LÛCRUM - Quality.
In the 2nd quarter of 2007, LÛCRUM had already identified that we needed additional disciple and focus in the area of Project Management. It was decided to invest in a Quality Management program with the goal to bring additional standards and methodology to our projects. The program was kicked off on June 1st with the hiring of a Quality Manager. The objectives we have been following since the first weeks of the QM Office have been to ensure:
o Predictable Budgetary Outcome
o Build Quality in from the beginning
o Project Quality Assessment
o Follow the KISS Method
Since the inception of Quality Management at LÛCRUM, a number of things have changed. We’ve implemented an engagement dashboard which tracks the health of each of our engagements. This dashboard is part of a weekly review by the Delivery Leadership Team. In addition, a dynamic Utilization tracking system was implemented last summer which provides our managers with detailed information about their consultants and how time is being utilized with a client. Custom reports can be generated by a manager through excel pivot tables. And new functionality is being implemented this month with which will improve the system backend and provide additional reporting.
We’ve developed our LÛCRUM “Best Practices” standards and processes which include standard templates, training material, and the implementation of a proposal review process. A Project Management marketing handbook has been deployed to our Business Development team to share with our clients how we manage projects. And most recently we’ve completed the deployment of our iStream Project Management Methodology. iStream is a engagement program which was deployed by LÛCRUM in 1999 and has been evolving over the years. The deployment of the PM methodology brings even more disciple to the management of our client projects.
Stay tuned over the coming weeks as I will be sharing with you more details about LÛCRUM’s Quality Management program.
Sphere: Related ContentWhat’s Cooking?
April 4, 2008
One of the things many people don’t know about John Bostick is that he has a great love of the culinary arts. I was fortunate enough to attend a cooking class at Jungle Jims in which John was the guest chef.
The class, entitled “Get the Winter Cold Out with Hot Thai Food and Beer,” was held at the Jungle Jim Cooking School on April 2nd. Within a 2 hour timeframe, John and his team of helpers created a multitude of Thai dishes including an appetizer, soup, a side dish, two entrées, and a dessert. Students were provided a recipe syllabus to follow along with, as each dish was prepared. The menu for the evening included the following:
- Shrimp Sticks with Savory Dipping Sauce
- Kaeng Jud Thao Hu (Bean Curd Soup with Meat Balls)
- Gai Yang (Marinated Barbecued Chicken)
- Taeng Kwa Brio Wan (Sweet and Sour Fresh Cucumber)
- Jasmine Rice
- Beef Panang Curry
- Sticky Rice with Fresh Mango
Students not only learned how to prepare the dishes, but were also provided ethnic background on how food was prepared and served. An example of this would be that restaurants in Thailand do not have knives at the table because they have a belief that food should be prepared in bite sized portions for the guest. As each dish was prepared, John also provided interesting information and helpful hints about the ingredients. He talked about how to buy garlic – “it should be tight with no sprouts.” He prefers to use “the purple kind from Mexico.” “When using garlic, it’s better to chop or slice than to use a garlic press.” “Using a garlic press can change the flavor of garlic in dishes as the oils are extracted.” If students had questions about a particular ingredient, John is excellent on providing informative answers. He is extremely knowledgeable on the composition of the food item and provides suggestions on different ways to include the ingredient in other dishes.
After each dish was completed, a generous sample was provided to each student for sampling. Each one was flavorful and delicious. At the end of the evening, students were anxious to sign up for another class as it was truly an enjoyable experience.
Those interested in attending one of John’s classes should check out the Jungle Jim website (www.junglejims.com) under Cooking School. The Spring Quarter Class Brochure will be posted in the near future.
Welcome Christy
March 31, 2008
On Feedback
March 31, 2008
Recently I was confronted with a difficult decision regarding the comments section of this blog. A very negative comment was placed for approval to be placed on the site. It was written by “anonymous” and went on to express some very negative opinions of LUCRUM. At first, I approved the comment, and quickly posted my response - trying to be as diplomatic and objective as possible. Then I changed my mind, and took both down. Why? “Isn’t blogging supposed to be about freedom of expression, taking the good with the bad, and engaging in meaningful dialog.” Yes. It is about that. I believe that this site is absolutely about that. Negativity and criticism can actually serve to make us stronger by opening our eyes to areas where improvement is required. It is through these criticisms that we are able to learn and grow. Without a voice of dissent, there is a danger of, as the author put it, sitting around singing Kum Ba Ya. Criticism is welcome.
The reason for taking the post down had nothing to do with a criticism of LUCRUM, but rather the author’s use of specific client information and private information about former employees. I am not alright with that type of content on the site. Unless, that is, you can convince me otherwise. I welcome comments. I prefer when people own them by attaching their name, but anonymous is allowed. Constructive criticism is welcome. However, I ask that if you comment, please do so respectfully. Thoughts?
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