Ours is truly the ultimate people business. As such, players in the IT consulting game are subject to ebullient highs and excruciating lows. Having been in the game for nearly a quarter of a century now, I’ve had my fair share of both. Yet, I still get near giddy whenever we put one of our true IT pros to work on what is often some of our clients’ greatest challenges. Conversely, whenever I see something less than true pros taking the IT field, I get (how can I put this delicately?) a wee bit chapped.
BENCH STRENGTH
True bench strength is the benchmark of any great team. However, in our business, clients are often presented with whoever happens to be available (a.k.a. on the bench) instead of who’s truly the best fit for the position. This significant problem on the staffing side of the business reaches epidemic proportions when IT comes to outsourced projects. To get revenue flowing, unscrupulous firms will grab just about anybody off the bench and stick them on a project. Of course, the piper will eventually be paid…enter, the dreaded change order.
So, how can clients avoid getting their round IT roster holes filled with square pegs? Make sure you trust the guys with the hammer. I’m Brad Lindemann, President of Ambassador Solutions, and I’m just tellin’ it like IT is.
