Key Questions to Ask Before Hiring an Enterprise IT Consultant

Are you considering hiring an enterprise IT consultant? Stop.

Selecting an inexperienced consultant can cost your business thousands of dollars and months of productivity. Not to mention unnecessary frustration. With 7 out of 10 digital transformations failing… You want to make sure you've got the right person on board.

Luckily…

By asking these important questions, you can minimize your risk and find an IT consultant that will deliver.

Learn exactly what questions you need to ask (before you hire an IT consultant) below!

What you'll discover:

• What Questions Should You Ask?
• Most Important Questions to Ask (Before Hiring)
• Yellow Flags to Avoid
• Final Tips on Selecting an IT Consultant

Why Questions Matter

Ok, but why does this matter?

Because IT projects for enterprise organizations are complex. Whether you're looking to develop an intranet, migrate to the cloud, or undergo a digital transformation – your project is likely to have lofty goals. A skilled consultant will take you on the journey to reach those goals. An inexperienced one… Will leave you in ruins.

This is especially true for complex projects like intranet development. For instance, an IT consultant needs to not only understand SharePoint migration services and how to build a robust intranet. But also how your internal systems work, your employees day-to-day workflows, content management best practices, etc. There are a lot of intricacies that go into crafting the perfect solution.

But here's the issue…

Many businesses skip right past the vetting process. They settle for the first consultant that returns a call or comes back with a quote. Then they wonder why their project went over-budget or took twice as long as expected.

Don't be that business.

What Questions to Ask (Before Hiring an IT Consultant)

Not all questions are created equal. Below are the important ones that will help you weed out good IT consultants from bad ones.

Do They Have Experience Working With Companies Like Yours?

Okay, this should be number one on your list.

You want someone who has worked with clients in your industry before. Someone who understands your company's challenges and technical requirements. Solid IT skills are great. But industry-specific experience is key.

Request case studies. Request references. Ask them what past intranet developments they've worked on. If they can't provide any details about past projects, run for the hills.

How Do They Plan on Managing This Project?

Hand waving and saying "don't you worry about a thing" is not a project plan.

While small projects may be manageable without a concrete plan. Enterprise-level development requires structure. A good IT consultant should be able to walk you through a timeline of milestones and deliverables. According to McKinsey, only 1 in 200 IT projects are considered successful.

One in Two-HUNDRED.

There are a lot of factors that go into that statistic. One thing's for sure; you want your project to NOT be part of that stat.

By asking them about their project management methodology, you can get comfortable with how they plan on keeping your project on time and on budget. Some things to consider:

• How do they measure success?
• How often will they provide you with progress updates?
• What tools do they use?
• How is this project going to be documented?

Can They Scale With You?

Here's the thing about enterprises. They don't stand still.

Let's say you hire an IT consultant to create a beautifully customized intranet with SharePoint. They knock it out of the park and deliver right on time. Great, but what happens when you want to double your employee count? Or scale your intranet to new offices around the globe?

Will your IT consultant be able to handle it?

You want someone that can scale their business with yours.

Do They Take Security Seriously?

Listen, cyber attacks are real. Data leaks happen. And compliance violations are insanely expensive.

That's why you want someone who takes security seriously.

Ask them about data encryption, access management, security best practices, and anything else that relates to security and compliance. If they don't have concrete answers or are looking to cut corners when it comes to security. Hire someone else.

What Happens After the Project Launch?

IT consultants love to let you know how they are going to build the solution. But what about after?

Employees will need training on how to use the new platform. Updates will need to be made. Bugs popped and were fixed. Once the project goes live, you should expect your IT consultant to provide some level of support and maintenance.

Again, ask questions:

• How long is support included?
• Will they provide training for end-users?
• Do they have any references from past clients regarding long-term support?

Yellow Flags When Hiring An IT Consultant

The right questions have been covered. But what about if they try to give you these answers?

They won't give you references.

Listen, if they have completed projects for other clients. You have a right to see who those clients are.

They promise the world and can complete it in 2 weeks.

IT projects take time. Especially large-scale implementations. If they guarantee a 2 week turnaround. Prepare for choppy waters.

They dodge questions about cost.

Seriously though… If they aren't willing to give you a quote or at least a ball park estimate. Run away.

They speak in IT consultant jargon.

Good consultants should be able to communicate complex ideas in a way that you understand. Every time you talk to them, feel like you need a degree in computer science? Move on.

How to Choose an IT Consultant

Ok, now that the important stuff is out of the way. How do you know who to hire?

Trust your gut.

Say you talk to 3 different IT consultants. They all seem great. They've passed all your tests and have been exceptionally professional. How do you choose?

The best approach is to weigh them all against each other. Look at their experience, how they approach projects, their pricing, references. Then make an informed decision.

Just remember…

Price isn't everything. Enterprise IT consulting can be expensive. But that also comes with the territory. By hiring a consultant that "fits your budget" you're likely to spend more money in the long run.

Wrapping Up

Hiring an IT consultant can feel daunting. After all, you don't want to make the wrong decision and watch your project go down in flames.

But if you take the time to ask the right questions upfront, you can set yourself up for success.

Here's a recap of what you should ask (before hiring an IT consultant):

• Do they have experience working with clients in your industry?
• How will they manage this project?
• Can they scale with you?
• Do they take security seriously?
• What happens after the project launch?

Good luck on your journey!