How to Hire a Good IT Consultant

Be Prepared

No consultant can figure out what you want without your help. A good consultant can translate your needs into a technical solution, but they can’t tell you what you need without a clear idea of your goals. Have a detailed idea of the end goal of any IT project before you call a consultant. This will save you a lot of time and money.

Be Consistent

Make sure you have buy-in from your organization on what the end goal really is. If people inside your organization don’t agree on what the outcome should be, you’ll have a harder time succeeding.

Have a budget

If a consultant asks you “How much do you have to spend?” don’t always assume they’re trying to take advantage of you. Almost every project can be done in a variety of ways. A good consultant will scale the proposal to what you can afford.

Consider a flat-fee support plan over time and materials

Have you ever paid a consultant to fix a computer more than once? Or paid an unexpected big bill one month that blew your budget? Flat-fee managed service plans are designed to align the interests of client and consultant. Under a flat-fee plan, the consultant gets paid the same budget-able fee every month or quarter. That way, the consultant has an incentive to keep you network from having any problems. The more your network is down, the more it costs the consultant – instead of costing you.

Use a checklist for rating the consultants

Make sure to ask each consultant you interview the following questions: