Preparation is imperative in any meeting or workshop that a consultant organises. This includes preparing and briefing participants, so that…
Life is a marathon.Software Projects are like (non-Agile) sprints. In Life – there will be up and downs on the…
How do you pick the right consulting partner for your project? The first thing to do is to evaluate your…
The two things you need to get right if you are looking to implement a CRM system. Make sure that…
There is a skill in estimating how long a Discovery will take. For mid to larger sized projects, this can…
“Here’s the list of requirements, and the team’s estimation against each item. Go and create a project plan.” There’s no…
I’ve been listening to the debate between Sam Harris’ strong views on religion with Dan Carlin, host of Hardcore History.…
“Why aren’t your consultants testing their own work? Why do I have to pay for QA?” A person who is…
1. I compare. What I’ve achieved, and what I _should_ have achieved. 2. I can be disciplined about what I…
In human relationships, there are 5 types of human responses. 1. Instructive – deciding what the other person needs, e.g.…
Circle of Influence. Manage what you _can_ control. Mitigate, accept, or avoid what you can’t. If at all possible. I…
You can’t plan life like you can plan a project. Software development projects like Microsoft CE or Salesforce or SAP……
Conflict still happen in business, even if you have contract that govern the engagement. Heavy weight contracts prescribe so much…
I use the project kick-off to great effect: – Team Introduction – Project brief (as we understand it) – Critical…
Conflict occurs when expectations are not aligned. “What I think I am getting is not what you think you are…
The two key elements that are candidates for ‘trimming’ on a project estimate at the sales stage that’s beyond the…
How to consistently and repeatedly reduce the possibility of a project being undersold in a fast-paced sales cycle? Estimating correctly…
When estimating requirements, you need to remember the ‘non-functional requirements’ as well, especially around testing. – End-to-end – Integration (PtP…
Two key competencies that make a Good QA are: 1. Attention to detail, and 2. Being a Perfectionist The next…
“QA. Friend or foe?” There are many who believe the QA element of software delivery is unnecessary, costly, and time-consuming.…
Capacity. Bandwidth. Buffer. Healthbar. I love games, and I see the whole world as a Big Game. Everything has a…
Being “Authentic” has its place. You might have strong feelings about ‘being forced to stay indoors’, the Nanny States, Big…
Someone asked me why I was following people on Twitter that I disagree with, in the areas of ethics, morality,…
“What does it mean to be a consultant? How should we behave?” I was running inductions for new consultants the…
I saw a contract job ad for a Salesforce admin that has excellent BA skills. My experience tells me that…
I’ve known Project Managers who are just paper shufflers, finger pointers, gantt chart fillers, and milestone update naggers. They provide…
Why would businesses not want to support remote working when: 1. it’s cheaper than paying for offices and related overhead…
I think that it takes a lot more skills to work in a small consulting partner than a bigger one.…
There’s a difference between working in a larger consultancy and a smaller one. In one, you’re probably dedicated to a…
The consulting life is like normal life, just playing at x2 speed. Or more. That means a roller coaster of…
Staying on the “Be Professional” topic for consultants: Should you ‘friend’ a client on Facebook or other social media? Controversially,…
I run inductions for new hires for a Tier 1 Consulting Company, and was discussing with a Programme Director the…
“I woke up with an idea on how to solve the problem so have been working since about 4am… and…
I believe that the job of a Project Manager is a lot more than ‘Managing a Project to timescales and…
There are two general engagement types when you work for a consultancy: Project Engagement, and Staff Augmentation (sometimes crudely referred…
Our experiences shape who we are, and how we see the world. “Emotion and cognition, undefined and unexplored, drive every…
“I have better things in life to focus on instead of blow-drying my hair – three kids, school run, work,…
When a consulting partner is engaged to implement a software solution, we assume the client knows what they are doing.…
I pay attention to the small things. – the questions my lead consultant is asking – the subtle body language…
Feast and famine. Ups and downs. Winters and summers. I believe that the Consulting career prepares you for real life.…
Consulting Partners are required to quote against a set of requirements in a Statement of Work. These are generally acquired…
Writing requirements is easy. Writing GOOD requirements, tight User Stories, detailed Design Documents that: – is easily understood – is…
I believe that Hybrid model is the most appropriate methodology for Consulting engagements. Here’s why I think so. Consulting Partners…
“I almost killed myself trying to get the project live in China. So many obstacles. The Great Firewall. Language. Culture.…
Consultants worry about their utilisation rate. It’s pegged to their bonus at the end of the year, and along with…
Consultancy project teams are assembled based on availability, capability, and rate. As a client, you might be promised “the best,…
“Wait, your sales team promised xyz. What you’re saying now is not what I am expecting.” If you hear this…
“You’re the expert – we pay you to make our problem go away.” Many businesses think that hiring consultants is…
One of the reasons for companies engaging Consulting Partners when implementing a system is getting that kick in the butt…
“Here’s what I want – go forth and build.” Consulting engagements doesn’t really work that way. When clients engage a…
The word “consultants” sometimes conjure up mixed feelings from the ‘end-user’ community. “Consultants charge a lot”, you say “And sometimes…
Apart from a poor attempt at doing puns (I normally leave that to hubby!) that is exactly what a Salesforce…
Ok, it’s not real ‘peril’ if you ignore these elements. It’s not like you’re going to crop down a cliff edge…
When I was around 8, Nostradamus set me off on the path that led to where I am now. He…
I was reading an excellent article written on Vantage Consulting‘s blog yesterday: “Finding the Right Salesforce Partner for your Business“.…
4.2 million Salesforce jobs by 2024? That’s the latest from IDC Salesforce Economy Whitepaper released in October 2019. That figure…
I’ve done both, and I’ve found each to have their own merit. Consultancy projects can be quite high-octane, very dynamic…