Things To Consider When Selecting A Project Management Consulting Firm
The job of a project management consulting firm is not limited to helping you get
your firm's projects in proper order, but also to efficiently manage the entire project. Hiring such consulting services can save your company a great deal of money in terms of additional staffing. Selecting the right project management consulting firm is of prime importance for the successful completion of your business projects.
How to Select a Project Management Consulting Firm
Here are some tips to help you choose the right consulting firm.
* In selecting a project management consulting firm, one must establish if the firm will be able to do the job according to your specific business project requirements. You need to be very clear with the firm about the results you seek to achieve in terms of quality, quantity and time. You can use these criteria to choose a consulting firm by comparing the deliverables a firm can commit to.
* While you are in discussions with the project management firm, pay careful attention to the solutions for your business project they suggest. Check if they are attentive to your specific business requirements. Take notice of whether the solutions they're offering are 'one size fits all' or customized for your business project requirements and criteria.
* Acknowledge whether the consultant firm fits with the company culture and people in your organization, such as your key stakeholders. Find out what roles the consultant firm will be playing regarding the project. A good working relationship between the project management consultants and the people in your company is crucial for a fruitful business project.
* Decide beforehand whether you want the people from the consulting firm to identify the problems you are facing in the project or whether you will have identified the problems and want them only to provide solutions. Remember that a combination of the two is always available.
* Check for references and testimonials from previous clients. Cross check these references. Find out how much experience they have in managing business projects. Ask them if they have ever handled projects with similar requirements as yours. Look up the last project they managed. Use the quality, quantity and time constraint factors to judge their work on previous projects.
* Ask if the project management consulting firm provides detailed progress reports on all the business projects they are handling. Find out what kind of project management software they are using. It's extremely important that the technology they're using is up to date.