The competent management of any business project, as a rule, requires special skills in planning, auditing, developing and setting key objectives, and identifying and solving important problems. Not every company has the time, resources, and dedicated staff to do the job. In this regard, the best solution would be to outsource to a software development consulting company. Providers of such services accurately define all such tasks and immediately see all the problems of the project submitted for analysis. The presence and decision of professionals significantly increase business efficiency and promotes rapid development and profit growth.
Below is a detailed description of what the PMO service is, and how it helps to manage projects in any company, regardless of its field of activity, size, number of employees, turnover, operating profit, degree of IT equipment, and management’s attention to the transfer of activities to the Internet space.
What services are included in software development consulting?
Each process of software development consulting implies the provision of services from a specialized company in compliance with the following basic stages of this work:
- Providing information and drawing up technical specifications from the customer. At this stage, an employee authorized by the company must draw up a detailed list of goals and objectives so that the consultant can properly plan the service and provide it in full. The content of the task determines the quality of the work, as well as the expected result.
- Drawing up a work plan. This section is already carried out by the consultant himself. The document of the established form indicates all stages of the service provided with the designation of the terms, the main analytical and production operations for organizing project management, the deadlines for completing each individual stage of work, as well as the planned budget of the customer, who must invest in the development of the project. It often happens that after the implementation of the work plan, the customer prolongs the contract, and then the consultant provides new planning.
- Project implementation. At this stage, the main work operations are performed, which include not only consulting but also project management, creation of program codes, security systems, encryption, as well as the implementation of the created product and its cold appetizer, followed by the identification and correction of errors to improve functioning efficiency.
- Project implementation control. This work operation constantly accompanies all analytical and program activities of the company’s team. For the successful conduct of business, during the implementation of the project, periodic audits, monitoring, and compilation of statistics are required. All this information allows you to timely adjust the interaction algorithm, make changes to program codes, and perform other types of work, which will significantly reduce the risk of loss of profit, and customer churn and ensure sustainable business development.
The logical conclusion of the consultant’s work is the release of the project, that is, a fully or partially redesigned business management and control system. This analytical product allows the enterprise to reach a new level, and the achievement of such goals is indicated at the planning stage. A complete renovation of the project is possible only if you choose the right methodology for interacting with the customer and investing all the planned funds.
The main goals of software development consulting
From the name, it is clear that consulting is the process of transferring valuable information from a professional to a customer. This amount of useful information provides some benefit for the person to whom this information is transmitted. Thus, every company cannot afford to hire a full-time IT specialist who will receive a salary and work only on demand. When contacting a third-party company for outsourcing, after the conclusion of the contract, the consultant provides the services described below:
- Conducting an audit and evaluation of the project proposed for analysis, identification of errors and inaccuracies, and setting the main tasks and goals.
- Drawing up a complete detailed plan for the provision of services with reference to specific dates or hours, as well as a description of each step. The plan also always specifies an end date for the full release of the code.
- Assistance in the implementation of new program code, as well as specially developed applications in the project management system or business processes. This also includes tuning, testing, cold start, debugging, and monitoring the normal operation of the software.
- Ensuring full control over the operating activities of the enterprise during the implementation of the project for which consulting services were ordered.
- Conducting master classes, training presentations, as well as direct lessons for full-time employees of the enterprise who are involved in managing business processes.
With properly organized consultations, the quality of a new IT product, the level of its security, the simplicity of the interface, the attractiveness of web design, and many other functions are significantly increased. The resulting product will fully satisfy the tasks set, differ in efficiency, and also not fail in the process of its implementation and operation.
What professional qualities should a good IT project management consultant on outsourcing have?
Not every programmer or IT specialist can become a good consultant in the management and implementation of outsourced projects. To successfully complete the tasks, quality control, monitoring, organization of each stage of work, and planning, the following essential skills, and procedural qualities are required:
- Personal inclinations of a leader, experience in personnel management.
- Skills in managing similar projects as a development team leader.
- Competently delivered speech, the ability to find a common language with different people.
- Ability to negotiate, quickly make important decisions, find the essence of the problem, and organize well-established communications between various project participants. Here it is also important to be able to establish the right dialogue not only with ordinary employees but also with top managers of the enterprise.
- One of the main requirements for a consultant is a thorough knowledge of the implemented and controlled software.
- The consultant must have a diploma in higher professional education. It is allowed to involve management managers at the acceptance, professional marketers, or IT specialists in the provision of these services.
- A professional consultant must also have additional certificates of completion of advanced training courses in the field of control, monitoring, and project management. These documents must be internationally recognized by PMI, OPEN CA, or other reputable institutions.
In addition to the above skills, the consultant must also have an analytical mindset, have a long experience in this area of activity, and thoroughly master the principles of time management, business planning, and other important functions that will greatly increase efficiency when introducing a new product.
Basic problems that are solved when attracting an IT project management consultant
The effectiveness of attracting an IT project management consultant has been proven more than once in practice, and the efficiency of the enterprise has increased literally before our eyes. Outsourcing will solve the following pressing problems for the company:
- Correct errors and inaccuracies in the formulation of the main tasks.
- Respond in a timely manner to changes in the course of the company’s development.
- Ensure effective management of the personnel involved in the implementation of the project in such a way as to avoid downtime and overlaps.
- Significantly reduce the risks that each enterprise takes on, which affects the price of the final analytical product or service for the customer.
- Increase the competitiveness of the company in comparison with similar enterprises in the market.
- Provide or enhance full control over all business processes at any stage.
- Adjust the timing of a software release or offering based on objective reasons.
Thus, with a competent consultant and outsourced project management manager, each business owner can be confident in the performance of their investments and the expected growth in profits, which guarantees a sharp leap forward for the company in terms of competitors.
Tips for Choosing the Right Consulting Company
It should be noted that today dozens of consulting companies offer their services on the market, and each of them positions itself as the best. To choose real professionals, you need to consider the following tips:
- Distribution of terms of reference to several companies.
- Checking reviews, the presence of the official website of the company, as well as advertising. Examining the portfolio of a consulting company for similar projects.
- Evaluation of modern methods and approaches to project management.
- Checking the company’s full-time employees for diplomas and work experience.
Companies with a good reputation and high reviews almost never need to advertise themselves, as positive reviews from other customers speak for themselves. It is the opinion of other business leaders or competitors about working with a particular consulting company that should be the main governing factor when choosing a reliable partner.