FAQ's

Why not go to an accounting firm?

Why not one of the Big 8/6/… ?

How are you more cost effective?

How do you develop our staff?

Whose project is it anyway?

Why not a bigger IT consulting firm? Don’t the big firms have more experience?

How are your goals and objectives different from the big firms?

I think that we can do this ourselves. Can’t we?

Education? Why?

Can you really do all that?

But, we have a staff in house….

Why not go to an accounting firm?

Accounting firms are key partners to any organization. They certify your books and give financial advice. They can aid you with tax laws and should be a part of your advisory team. But they are not business experts. Usually they understand the numbers not the businesses. How many firms have had the heart of the organization crushed by the number crunchers. We understand business. We have had P&L responsibility, not just calculated the profit or loss. We have managed departments; developed and executed strategic and tactical plans, sales plans, marketing plans, manufacturing plans, technology plans. We have hired people and served customers. And, we have the expertise in management and technology. And, we know the place of technology; like any tool, technology has to bring rewards and contributions to the customer and your organization.

Even if an accounting firm has departments with expertise other than accounting; accounting still is their main job. Numbers are their point of view. Accountants own their company and drive their company.

We give an independent point of view, a business point of view. And if you do not like our consulting advice, we don’t worry about losing you as an audit client. Our business advice has to be good and to the point. It has to help your business. We provide good business advice and good project performance: we have to be good because this is all that we have to sell. We don’t leverage an account; we serve people, our clients.

Why not one of the Big 8/6/… ?

We cannot even say how many. Who and how many depends on the last merger. The bigger that they become; the smaller that you look to them. They have practices; we have clients. You count to us. On a big project, help can be hired and it can be hired from the big guys. But, our project managers and consultants can honestly criticize the help because the help is not from our firm. And, our performance review does not depend on how many fellow employees are ‘leveraged’ into a client. Our performance review is made by the client.

How are you more cost effective?

We are cost effective because we give direct, effective advice. We have cross-functional experience so our perspective considers your whole business not just the accounting department or sales or manufacturing.

We only come in a few days per week. Except for special phases of a project, we do send people to a client 40 hours per week, week after week. If you are at a client every hour of everyday, you lose freshness and perspective and become part of the décor and sometimes part of the problem. If you are there every hour, everyday, things that should be done today can always be done tomorrow. If you are at a client by schedule and not there everyday, things have to progress to meet the schedule. Goals, milestones, budgets, and schedules are hit.

We expect your people to be a key part of the solution. If people that you already pay are working on the project, you do not have to buy as many external people. The project costs you less and your people keep the knowledge by having performed the work.

How do you develop our staff?

Your people need to work on your projects; they are already on site and know the conditions. During a project, the experience and the education that they gain will expand their potential and strengthen your company. It may be easier to hire a company to do the work for you; but, they charge you for it, their people gain the experience, and you have to call them for the answers in the future. A solution implemented in-house benefits your company, your employees, and your customers. If your company and your employees are a part of the project and the solution, expertise and strength will stay on site.

Whose project is it anyway?

Many doctors and lawyers look at you as their case. Many consultants believe that it is their project. It is your project. We think that we work for you. We try to give the best advice that we have, to give it promptly and honestly. We give you the options and the pluses and minuses to each. When we are engaged to do work, we work hard for you. But, it is your business and your project. The choices should be exercised by you, not pre-empted by us.

We provide the expertise on questions and projects that do not come up every day. We owe you the information and the logic so that when the project is completed your people know what was done and why. And, they can carry on without us.

Why not a bigger IT consulting firm? Don’t the big firms have more experience?

Not necessarily. Many make a practice of hiring bright people right out of college. No experience, no expertise. These people have as a goal set by the big firms to be ‘billable’ as much as possible, sometimes 80-100 hours per week. They learn while you pay. After 3-5 years, the ‘best’ are promoted to manager, the rest told that they are not on a career path, and a new crop hired from college. Many of the managers and partners have never work a real job a day in their lives.

We have worked the jobs that you work and have real on-the-job experience. We have been workers, managers, directors, and controllers in manufacturing, distribution, and sales businesses.

How are your goals and objectives different from those of the big firms?

We have long-term relationships with our clients. Many clients have kept us involved with them for years but not always on major projects. We have worked on projects for our clients and then come back as an external member of their team. We participate in their business and strategic plans and at the reviews and the milestones in-between. We are always up to date on where they are, where they are going and why; we help them set the plans. When we are needed to participate in the next major project, we do not have to get up to speed; we participated in the decision and the other decisions that have been made. We do not lose touch with a client just because they are not spending big money this year. Next year, the year after when they do need help, clients ask us back. In between, clients ask us for advice. When they have a question they simply give us a call; many times we don’t even charge for the time on the phone. It helps them and keeps us up with what is happening with them. Tell me that when you have called a big firm, you haven’t heard the meter start running as they said ‘hello’.

I think that we can do this ourselves. Can’t we?

Maybe you can. And, it may also be our advice. We will always recommend that your people participate in the task or project. But on projects and changes that come up once every 5-15 years, we will bring current experience and best practices to your firm. We will provide education, consulting, and advice. We will provide people to augment your organization or to provide unique skills that you do not need every day.

So, we can help.

Education? Why?

Best practices and technology can change while your people are serving your customers. We can keep your people current by setting an education plan and providing periodic education.

On projects we can also provide the education that they may not need day-to-day but do need for the new project. We help prepare your people for their project.

Can you really do all that?

Yes, we can and we have a list of clients and references that will tell you what we did with or for them.

But, we have a staff in house….

We can help your people when a unique problem needs solving. We can provide education, consulting, and advice. We will provide people to augment your organization or to provide unique skills that you do not need every day.

We can give you independent point of view. We have sometimes come in just to critique in-house plans or other consultants’ and service providers’ plans.

We sometime have only been there to assess the problem, provide options, and set the plan. The client has then executed the plan. We would return to provide expertise or provide over-sight.