IS Consultancy Practice

IS Consultancy Practice

Course Content

Structure of the IT/IS industry and the roles of IS consulting

• Types of organisations involved, how they have evolved and where they operate
• The role of the internal consultant

Introduction, scoping and planning

• Gaining entry
• Contracting
• Stating a consultancy assignment
• Strategic analysis tools
• Meeting the client and qualifying opportunities

Business environment analysis

• Identifying problems and clarifying requirements
• Managing the customer’s needs
• Business activity modelling and process modelling
• Stakeholder analysis
• The soft systems methodology in consulting
• Solution identification

Solution definition

• ‘As is’-‘To be’ gap analysis
• Diagnosis and generation of options
• Creative thinking
• Critical success factors and key performance indicators

Proposals and contracts

• Bid management
• Invitations to tender, requests for information and requests for proposals
• Proposals
• Best and final offers
• Proposal evaluation
• Contracts and agreements
• Work packages
• Intellectual property rights

Solution appraisal

• Financial planning
• Charging
• Investment appraisal
• Evaluation and measurement of solutions

Programme and project management

• The Project Initiation Document
• Programme/project governance and PRINCE2
• Quality management
• Change control

Understanding teams

• Working in consultancy teams
• Negotiation and influencing skills
• Motivation
• Written communication and report writing
• Effective presentations

Disengagement and expansion

• Termination and withdrawal from an assignment
• Benefits confirmation
• Evaluation and follow-up

Managing the customer/consultant relationship

• The effective use of consultants
• Issues for sole practitioners
• Dealing with conflict
• The effective use of time