Consultant 101

© 2010 IBM Corporation

Consultant 101

Career Crossroads ConferenceSanta Clara University

Wolf Cramer – Business Transformation Consultant

06 February 2010

© 2010 IBM Corporation2

Successful consultants start by building trust… so a little about me.

Wolf is a certified IT consulting professional with over 14 years of experience in business analysis, project management, strategy development, process redesign, requirements management and web development.

He is an innovative leader and team player who has worked on large cross-functional, global teams for several years.

As a Strategy & Change Consultant on the Sales Transformation team in IBM's CIO, his focus has been on large enterprise IT transformation efforts specifically focused on supporting IBM’s sales channels.

Recent engagement have been related to emerging technologies (web 2.0), requirements management, content management, and web/portal efforts.

Wolf CramerBusiness Transformation ConsultantIBM

[email protected]

http://www.twitter.com/wolfchttp://wolfc.posterous.com/


WARNING – Buzzwords ahead!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/theskywatcher/2447510254/in/photostream/


What is a consultant?

� Consultants primarily act as business advisors to clients.

– Identify new opportunities.

– Accelerate the competitive performance of clients.

– Align processes to technology.

– Deliver compelling solutions to vexing issues.

� Consultants provide real business benefits to clients.

– Help them make faster, smarter decisions.

– Reduce their business risks.

– Capitalize on their core competencies.

– Increase their Return on Investment (ROI).

Key traits for Consultants_

� Trusted Advisor

� Leader

� Creative

� Analytical

� Objective

� Knowledgeable

� Strong communicator

� Relationship builder


http://www.flickr.com/photos/srivard72/2317702136/

Advisor

Collaborator

Expert

Leader

Visionary

Developer

Project

Manager

Therapist

So you’ll need to be comfortable wearing different hats.


Consultants really have a challenging set of responsibilities.

� Serve as effective business advisors, change agents, facilitators and/or leaders who are responsive to the client's needs.

� Conduct research, data collection and analysis and synthesis to prepare, present and deliver recommendations and solutions to clients.

� Use a range of methodologies, assets and work products to produce deliverables.

� Create and use intellectual capital to solve diverse, business issues in innovative ways.

� Understand technology in order to offer clients recommendations and solutions that meet their business and IT needs as appropriate.

� Participate in the delivery and implementation of solutions for clients.


Are there aids to help you survive?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/esinuhe69/2745503389/


One suggestion is to specialize in a particular consulting discipline.

CharacteristicsIBM Consulting Disciplines

Leverage systems knowledge to customize package applications, to develop custom applications that integrate with package applications or to architect and model packaged applications or data used by packaged applications

Package Solution Integration

Leverage knowledge of operations, networks and systems administration to plan, design, construct, implement or operate a complex systems environment.

IT Infrastructure

A broad range of management consulting and planning activities that aim to help companies improve or transform across the enterprise or along specific functional lines.

Strategy and Planning

Provide experience, assets, capabilities, and expertise to develop value propositions that address the business issues of the client.

Business Design

Address a broad range of activities involved in the creation andmanagement of application solutions.

Application Consulting


You can also learn more about existing methodologies and frameworks used in consulting.

Client Problem

Accepted Recommendation

Definition StructureData

GatheringSynthesis Buy-In

Client interaction and communication

Investigate

I’ve personally leveraged IBC techniques across a broad range of efforts.– Process Improvement (Architecture governance)

– Decision-Making Considerations (Innovation valuation)

– Enterprise Strategy Evolution (Content delivery)

– Environment & Culture (Research study)

– Application Features (Role-based portal)

Issue Based Consulting is a framework IBM consultants often use to investigate client challenges with unknown solutions.


What’s it take to climb the corporate ladder as a consultant?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/labbit99/3397476473/


Acquiring experience and knowledge allow you to progress your consulting career.

Senior Managing Consultant

Consultant

Senior Consultant

Managing Consultant

Executive Consultant & Associate Partners

Skills &

Know

ledge

Depth & Breadth of Experience


Questions?

Thank You!

Consultant 101

Career

Transcript of Consultant 101