IS Consulting Process (IS 6005) Masters in Business Information Systems 2006 / 2007 Programme in Professional Information System Practices Fergal Carton Business Information Systems

MBS (BIS) / 6008 / Professional Business Analyst Skills Last week Segmenting consulting practice –Emphasis on services (from Helpdesk to ASP model) –Any other research on market? –Homework on Vision PPARS project Typical consulting assignments Role of consultants Perspectives on IS function Do you know more than the client?

MBS (BIS) / 6008 / Professional Business Analyst Skills This week Segmenting consulting practice Re-cap on PPARS project Vision exercise Project samples IT Consulting profession PCB case study Freedman handout Peter Keen article

MBS (BIS) / 6008 / Professional Business Analyst Skills PPARS discussion Payroll calculation relatively structured problem –How are paychecks going to be produced (level of manual intervention)? Complexity of job specifications: Erinville Maternity Hospital Example –Medical, catering, admin, Building & maintenance, … How would you go about this project again? –Use of experienced resources where interface with customer may be “sensitive” –Split into 2 projects : pay regime harmonisation and payroll –HSE has responsibility for 1 st project before 2 nd project scoped –Is one single system a pre-requisite? –Take into account funding input from Govt (context level diagram?) What did other Health Services do for Payroll (eg. UK)? What does it teach us about consulting process?

MBS (BIS) / 6008 / Professional Business Analyst Skills Segmenting the IS consulting market What services are provided? –IT strategy definition (laying out an investment plan for IT spend) –Advise on IT cost reduction –Feasibility study or business case for IT spend –Develop requirements for new system –Package selection and implementation –Software development (Design, Build, Run, …) –Outsourcing operations (ASP, Helpdesk, IT support, …) –… What markets are operated in? –Public –Commercial –SME

MBS (BIS) / 6008 / Professional Business Analyst Skills The Consulting Industry Around along time –Arthur Andersen, 1913 –McKinsey & Company, 1926 –Cap Gemini, 1968 The Global Management Consulting Industry Market was valued at $119 billion in 2004 The Global Management Consulting Industry Market is projected to grow at a 12.5% rate through 2005 source: Kennedy Information (Information source on Management Consulting)

MBS (BIS) / 6008 / Professional Business Analyst Skills Vision exercise Background, size, structure, locations Unique selling point (if one exists) Industry sectors/practice areas Offers/services within these areas

MBS (BIS) / 6008 / Professional Business Analyst Skills Vision exercise

MBS (BIS) / 6008 / Professional Business Analyst Skills Look at existing clients

MBS (BIS) / 6008 / Professional Business Analyst Skills Project samples Implementation of Oracle Financials (SSP, AP, FA, GL, OE, AR) in EMC’s international subsidiaries ERP systems selection and business process review for international company in the chemicals sector Implementation of Project Management standards for Financial Times on-line publishing department Roll-out of an accounting system for France Telecom’s regional invoicing centres Implementation of on-board EPOS and procurement systems for Eurostar’s catering operation

MBS (BIS) / 6008 / Professional Business Analyst Skills Is IT consulting a profession? IT and “Consultant”

MBS (BIS) / 6008 / Professional Business Analyst Skills Is IT consulting a profession? IT and “Project Manager”

MBS (BIS) / 6008 / Professional Business Analyst Skills PCB exercise Analysis method Output ERP vs. in-house Next steps

MBS (BIS) / 6008 / Professional Business Analyst Skills CEO view of IT function “Black hole of Calcutta” “What’s all the fuss about”? IT = operations

MBS (BIS) / 6008 / Professional Business Analyst Skills 2 basic questions How to plan and prioritise ICT investments? How to manage ICT operations?

MBS (BIS) / 6008 / Professional Business Analyst Skills Why is planning important? IT tends to evolve, not follow a plan Difficult to align IT to corporate goals Perception of poor “value” from IT IT considered “too operational” IT can constrain as well as enable IT considered a major driver of cost

MBS (BIS) / 6008 / Professional Business Analyst Skills What do consultants do? Tell you what you already know? Guarantee project completion? Take ownership of issues? Energise an existing project team? Cost you a lot of money?

MBS (BIS) / 6008 / Professional Business Analyst Skills What do consultants not do? Give the answer up front Give their services for free Make a client look bad Replace client’s own staff Get involved in politics

MBS (BIS) / 6008 / Professional Business Analyst Skills Information Systems Types of assistance –High level strategy –Feasibility study –Requirements specification –Package selection –Understanding costs of IS operations –… Know-how that you bring to the table –Frameworks to present and prioritise requirements –Trading off requirements when you can’t do everything –Technology and business awareness: best practice –Project management skills –Communication skills –…

MBS (BIS) / 6008 / Professional Business Analyst Skills Consulting process Process of consulting –Understand the requirement Why is client using a consultant? –What is the value you can bring to project? –Writing a proposal –Estimating FTE’s Project management –Project phases and tasks –Project resources –Deliverables –Profitability of contract –Communication with client

MBS (BIS) / 6008 / Professional Business Analyst Skills Topics covered The IS Consulting Business: What does the IS Consultant do? Why do organizations engage consultants? Managing Client Engagements: Making the sales pitch, writing a good proposal Requirements analysis and understanding the client goals Task definition and project resources Preparing and presenting the solution options Making the most of Client Relationships: Communication and selling on Building long-term client relationships Working your client base

MBS (BIS) / 6008 / Professional Business Analyst Skills Recommended text Rick Freedman (2000). The IT Consultant: A Commonsense Framework for Managing the Client Relationship, Jossey-Bass / Pfeiffer, San Francisco

MBS (BIS) / 6008 / Professional Business Analyst Skills Reading for 2 nd Oct Peter Keen, BPM, Future of IT ProtectedDocuments/BPMFutureofIT.pdf