7 benefits of hiring a consultant for your IT project
Picture the scene, you’re approaching a critical stage in your IT project for which you need a very specific skill set. Your existing expert is already engaged on another ‘Business critical’ project and cannot be transferred.
There is another team member who has a little experience in the skill required but it will take too long to train them, and they are already under pressure with a full workload.
Maybe it’s time to hire a consultant? According to Oxford Economics Workforce 2020 Report: The Contingent Workforce "83% of executives worldwide say they are increasingly using contingent, intermittent, or consultant employees." The trend is global and cuts across industries.
A good consultant is not only an effective way of filling a skills-gap, there are other benefits too.
1. Objectivity
Due to bias or simply being too close to the issues to see clearly, project teams can easily become blind to problems that are often right in front of their noses. A fresh pair of eyes can pinpoint any risks or issues quickly and recommend necessary countermeasures.
2. Re-energise
Along with objectivity a consultant can bring new, fresh energy and enthusiasm to a project team. A projects lifecycle will ebb and flow as it progresses, and team energy levels peak and trough. The arrival of a consultant re-energises the team and instils a renewed sense of focus, commitment and confidence to the project.
3. Process improvements
A consultant is hired to fill a skills-gap, but they can also bring innovative ideas and new ways of working that can contribute to real process improvements and efficiencies.
4. Increase productivity
Are your project team constantly fire-fighting rather than focussing on delivery? A consultant can ease the pressure on existing project team members, allowing them to be more productive.
5. Focus and dedication
A consultant is there to focus on the project and nothing else, they can dedicate all their time to the project, without other distractions.
6. Cost-effective
A consultant dedicates virtually all of his or her time working on your project and very little time on overheads such as meetings, vacations, sick time and general office chit-chat. You only pay your consultant for the work they have done.
7. Coaching & knowledge transfer
A good consultant will make it their goal to keep up to date with the latest skills in their field. By embedding him or herself in an organisation they have an opportunity to pass on new skills and transfer knowledge to others.
Overcoming the technology hurdle
One of the hurdles to overcome when hiring a consultant for your IT project is bringing them up to speed quickly with the project management software used to manage it.
Hydra customers who employ consultants find it’s a very simple and quick process to on-board them in Hydra Cloud. It takes just a few minutes to add a consultant as a new user, and with our PMO service we do all this for you. Once added, your consultant has access to the all the project blueprints and knowledge base so they can start adding value to your project immediately.
A professional consultant may not know the details of your business, but that's not why you are hiring him or her. You are hiring the consultant for their ability to solve problems. An experienced consultant brings you specialized knowledge and skills and the right person can breathe new life into a team and reignite enthusiasm for a flagging project.
If you would like more information about Hydras PMO service, please drop us a line at info@hydra.cloud or download our PMO Service brochure.
