Five Steps to Hiring the Right Computer Help

If your business is like many, your profit depends largely on your computer. How can you operate efficiently without a system that tracks your customer contact information, accounts receivable, accounts payable, inventory, etc.?

No wonder you want your computer fixed fast when something goes wrong. That means bringing in outside help. And that's where you face a risky decision: Whom do you hire?

Pick the wrong consultant and your bottom line will take a hit. At the very least, delays in getting your system running will anger your customers. And a consultant with poor communication skills will frustrate your staff.

Even worse, the consultant may misuse your sensitive business data. If your profit figures and customer lists fall into competitive hands, it can compromise your entire operation. Finally, switching consultants can be very costly, especially if there placement does not know much about the software program that's already in place.

How can you minimize your risk? Follow what the experts say about getting the right guru:

1) Ask other businesses for leads

What computer consultants are used by other businesses in your region? Are the relationships happy ones? Those are perhaps the most important questions you can ask when seeking out a computer consultant; you can draw up a great "short list" of prospects just by conversing with other business owners.

Larger companies can be good sources of leads because they often have more experience in dealing with computer consultants. Try to find out the names of computer consultants used by the most successful, fastest growing businesses in your area. Then,call them. Even those consultants who will work only for large companies may give you valuable referrals to qualified assistance.

2) Ask consultants for references

"A lot of people don't ask for references," says Gloria Metrick, owner of GeoMetrick Enterprises, a computer consultancy in Okemos, Mich. "They figure the consultant will provide only the best references, so why bother? But, the fact is, you can learn a lot from current clients by asking the right questions."

Suppose you ask a reference if the consultant can perform a certain task well. The individual answers in the affirmative, but cannot elaborate with specific examples. That can be a clue that the reference is just saying nice things because of a friendship with the consultant. "On the other hand, if the reference goes into great detail, it would indicate that the consultant has, in fact,performed the task you asked about,"Metrick says.

It's also very important to compare rates. "If a consultant's fee falls well outside the range of others, find out why,"Metrick advises. There can be good reasons for a price discrepancy. "The consultant who comes in on the high side may have more experience in the industry. The person who is low-priced may just want to work locally. The important thing is to find out the reason."

3) Select a consultant who knows about both business and computers

Whoever helps you improve your data processing system must be capable of understanding why you are in business. "Many technical folks want to avoid business issues," says Nik Johnson,president of Computer Advisors in Prospect, Ky. "I wish I had a nickel for every programmer who thought the reason the client was in business was to support his game." The consultant should know why you want to collect your receivables, not just that you need the code that will do so.

It's very important that you have someone you can talk to. "If you can discuss a business situation with a computer consultant in normal English words, you will benefit two ways," Johnson says. "On the business side, you will get a good idea of whether the prospect understands profit and loss. On the technical side, the consultant who can explain a complex issue to an intelligent person with straightforward English words probably understands the data processing field."

4) Look for good people skills

Your computer consultant must have skills that go beyond the technical and into the realm of communications and training. In your interviews with consultants, find out which ones exhibit areal interest in solving the problems of your staff. Good consultants build systems that lend themselves to how your staff already is working—they don't expect your staff to change their methods to meet the needs of the computer system.

Avoid the consultant who shows resentment at speaking with your personnel. You'll have problems down the road when your staff needs technical assistance. Consultants with an attitude can create havoc with your business. They may try to control how you run your business, or they may do something without telling you what they have done. Then, when something goes wrong, you are forced to run them down and find them.

5) Go with integrity

"It's difficult to assess integrity," says Bob Avallone, president of Metapro Systems in Lexington, Mass. "But the effects of hiring the wrong person can be devastating. In one case we heard about, people had hired a consultant who walked out on the job and took the software and disks. In other cases,consultants take software and sell it without the client's permission, or they don't abide by the confidentiality agreement."

Vested interests also can be costly for the client. When a California business started having problems closing its books, the owner called in a new consultant to look at a spreadsheet program that had been designed for them. As it turned out, the first consultant had been a salesperson for the spreadsheet vendor, and had been determined to solve the business' accounting problem with that tool. The result was the business had paid the consultant $12,000 to create a general ledger, payroll and accounts receivable program that did a poor imitation of a shrink-wrapped package that would have cost $150 off the shelf.

Ask if your intended consultant has a vested interest such as a percentage of every sale made by a vendor, or even a steady salary from the company. But balance this cautionary statement against a counterweight:Vendor ties often mean that the consultant has better access to the technical support needed to complete projects. Some vendors offer extra training and technical support to consultants with whom they have an ongoing relationship. But the important thing is that such relationships are disclosed, make sense and don't hinder the selection of the best solution for your business problems.

One independent source of consultants is the Independent Computer Consultants Association (ICCA) in St. Louis. This organization has a code of ethics that requires its 1,500 members to reveal any potential conflicts of interest with clients. "Our members are required to explain any partnership they may have with vendors,"says executive director Joyce Burkard. You especially will want to know if the consultant is getting a commission for recommending a certain software program or hardware item. (This is in contrast with certification, a term which refers to a certain level of proven knowledge on the part of a consultant in a specific program such as Microsoft Access. To be certified, the consultant must pass a rigorous exam. Certification does not imply financial reward for recommending a program.)

The ICCA can be reached by calling800/774-4222 or 314/892-1675. Alternatively, you can search for consultants in your area by visiting the ICCA Web site at www.icca.org.

Following these steps will mean more time spent up front in selecting the right outside help; however, the investment required to assess the quality of a prospect will pay rich dividends in terms of company health. The wrong consultant could tie up your operations in ineffective and inappropriate programs. The right one can be a critical resource who will employ your data like a springboard to bounce your company onto a higher plateau of profits.