Giant consulting firms. This is the gold coast of computer consulting, in both cost and prestige. Some of the names are familiar--Electronic Data Systems, IBM, Boeing Information Services, and the Big Six accounting firms. Andersen Consulting, a business unit of Andersen Worldwide, by itself has 45,000 people in 47 countries and last year posted revenues of $2.9 billion in the Americas and $5.3 billion worldwide. The 11,400 member companies in the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA), which represents this top tier, are engaged in everything from business-process reengineering to custom software development and systems integration.
These services are expensive; hourly rates are in the $200-to-$350 range. Is the cost worth it? Maybe. "If a management team requires the imprimatur of a big name, they're probably well served by someone like a Big Six firm that has installed a standard practice many times," says independent consultant Steve Epner. "That gives you confidence that you'll reach the end of the path successfully with a working system."
But fellow independent Gordon MacDonald is more skeptical. "What the end user doesn't understand is that you're not hiring Andersen Consulting, say, but the two people they send over to your shop. At first you meet the partners and the gurus; then you get the kids just out of school to do the work. What counts is the skills of those individuals. It comes down to basic economics. Most consultants make and keep more money than most employees. So if someone who works for Andersen is very good, they tend to migrate to the outside consulting world."
Bob Cohen, communications director for the ITAA, defends his members, dismissing MacDonald's critique as competitive spin. "This business is all about customer relationships," he says. "Nobody wants to damage them by not properly staffing their projects."
Jay Finegan (incfinegan@aol.com) is a senior writer at Inc.
Resources
Looking for some outside expertise to help with office automation? A worthwhile starting point is the Independent Computer Consultants Association (ICCA), a St. Louisbased trade group with 1,500 geographically diverse members, most of whom have at least 10 years of experience. Most members will do an initial consultation free of charge. To identify an ICCA member in your area, or to find one with the specific skills you require, tap into the organization's Web site ( www.icca.org). It contains a complete membership listing, with links to each consultant's home page or E-mail address. By and large, those home pages provide all the contact information you'll need, plus a complete rundown on the members' areas of expertise. The ICCA's phone number is 314-892-1675 or 800-774-4222.
The same group runs the Computer Consultants Forum on CompuServe. Post any computer-related question in the forum's comments section, and you'll get informed answers, usually within 24 hours. There's no charge to join the forum. When you start up CompuServe, click on the traffic light at the top, follow the directions, and enter the word consult. When the forum's Web site pops up, follow the instructions for posing questions. Not a CompuServe user? No problem. Call 800-848-8199 and request a free start-up kit. The first 10 hours are free, which will probably give you enough time to get the computer advice you need, at least initially, and there's no obligation to keep the service.
Another major trade organization, the Information Technology Association of America (ITAA), runs a lively Web site ( www.itaa.org). The group's 400 direct and 11,000 affiliate members, all involved in information technology, are listed alphabetically, and most entries include home-page links. Additionally, the site features numerous articles about industry trends and issues. The ITAA's phone number is 703-522-5055.
Maybe you need a high-tech temp to augment your in-house expertise for a computer project. The National Association of Computer Consultant Businesses (NACCB), which has 310 members in the temporary-staffing industry, posts information at its Web site ( www.naccb.resourcecenter.com). There you'll find a membership roster, with home-page links, and the group's code of workplace standards. Bear in mind, though, that you can't use the NACCB to find a consultant unless you are an NACCB member. The NACCB's phone number is 800-313-1920.
STEVE EPNER, BSW Consulting, 1050 N. Lindbergh Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63132; 314-991-8505 70
ARTHUR FINK, 190 Danforth St., Portland, ME 04102; 207-774-3465; arthur@ime.net 70
DEBBI L. HANDLER, Data Access Solutions, 35 Rodeo Ave., Suite 1, Sausalito, CA 94965; 415-331-9993; 76702.613@compuserve.com 70
L&D COMPUTER CONSULTING, Leonard Shostak, P.O. Box 7177, Garden City, NY 11530; 800-770-0424; info@ldcomp.com; www.ldcomp.com 70
LETOWT ASSOCIATES, Ricki Letowt, 22 Nostrum Rd., Norwalk, CT 06850 70
GORDON MACDONALD, GMDS, 12914 W. 76th Terr., Shawnee, KS 66216; 913-888-8164 70
MOTHERWEAR, Prakash Laufer, 320 Riverside Dr., Northampton, MA 01060; 800-950-2500 70
FREDERIC M. WILF, Saul, Ewing, Remick & Saul, 1055 Westlakes Dr., Suite 150, Berwyn, PA 19312; 610-251-5082; fwilf@saul.com 70
