work to do it right. To many clients, the technology is very formidable and the consultants from whom they seek assistance, while usually very knowledgeable, very often have no feeling for the true business needs and processes embedded in the client environment. This is especially true of the large software application package providers. They are able to design and build tremendous software packages, but lack the skills necessary to really make these systems play properly within the confines of the customer environment. Users of these systems are forced to seek the assistance of ôsystem integrators,ö consulting firms who claim to have this knowledge.
A few basics are in order if one is going to be in this business. First, one must be fanatically attentive to detail. Another is a corporate culture that either produces (through rigorous internal training) and/or recruits consultants and other associated support persons who are highly qualified and able to do their work to very high standards.
Second, is the need for an exhausting and highly detail-oriented sales process that allows for the creation of a long-term bond with the client and demonstrates value at many points along the path to engagement ôclosing the deal.ö Accenture (formerly Andersen Consulting) for example, claims that 80 percent of their top clients have been with them for at least five (5) years. Unfortunately, some of the newer (and thus smaller) information system consultancies have viewed fundamentals such as these as ôuncool.ö They typically throw technology around and then move on to the next client. The big players (such as Accenture), never give up a client (King, 2001, p. 65).
Universally, they all claim that their ômethodologyö is superior (as compared to the competition) and that in order to help the client define their goals, they will need to do an up-front ôassessmentö of the situationùwhich, by the way, the client has to pay fo...