Data Strategy Tools: When to get Help


The importance of a data strategy roadmap cannot be minimized.  The fact is that one document is going to guide your work life for a very long time.  It is so important that you need to get it right, but what if you are not staffed to get into the details like you know you need to?  Maybe you do not have the in house expertise in the technology that you will be using?  

Well the good news is there are 100s of companies out there that will happily take your money to help you.  Unfortunately that is also the bad news.  So with that uncertainty how do you even decide that the time is right to look outside the organization?  

Let's talk about four reasons why you should hire outside help.

  1. Expertise and experience. Consultant companies have the expertise and experience to help you develop and implement a data strategy roadmap that is tailored to your specific needs. They have a deep understanding of the latest data technologies and best practices.  Why does this matter?  Having a guide that can help you navigate pitfalls can make the difference between failure and success.  If a company can demonstrate that they have been successful navigating these issues in other organizations they could be beneficial to you.  
  2. Objectivity. Consultant companies can provide an objective perspective on your data strategy. As long as they are not beholden to any particular technology or approach, this can help you to make the best decisions for your organization.  When you are investigating a company try to get to the heart of their business model.  The good guys will even have examples where they demonstrate what they tell you.
  3. Resources and scale. Consultant companies have the resources and scale to help you implement your data strategy roadmap quickly and efficiently. They can provide you with the expertise and support you need to get the most out of your data.  The worst thing a data strategy can suffer from is the appearance that nothing is happening.  A lot of the tasks you will undertake will take more time than the business will want to spend so having the ability to move faster will be valuable. 
  4. Time to value. Consultant companies can help you to achieve faster time to value with your data strategy. They can help you to identify and implement the most important initiatives first.  Their outside perspective will help you focus your attention to the easiest objectives with the highest return.  Those fast wins will get you more understanding from the business when the harder task that take longer get started.
So now we know why you want to bring in outside help.  How do you evaluate who you bring in?  Start with experience and expertise.  You do not go to a fish restaurant and order a hamburger, and you do not go to a system implementer to manage a data strategy.  So ask about references.  The companies that you are talking to should be able to talk about their past work in a way that does not violate a NDA but still lets you know what they were able to accomplish.  And if they are as good as they claim they should have a few past clients that would be willing to talk to you directly.  It would be a big red flag if they do not.

A company's reputation should also be considered.  Maybe they are good but hard to work with?  Or maybe they are known for high price consultants that do not deliver?  By asking your piers in other organizations you could get valuable feedback about who you are dealing with.

How do they approach your current business problem?  Do they want to run in and spend hours doing "investigation" meetings with business stakeholders?  Is that just a way to add billable hours?  Do they want to rip out the old and drop in a new solution or are they willing to build around current architecture?  Do the way they manage their people line up with your organization's standards?  

And finally cost.  This is a metric that has to be evaluated no mater how well the company does in the other categories.  If the ROI is off balance because they just charge to much then it is time to pick another partner.  Remember to be transparent when you get to this point and do not be afraid to challenge their pricing.  Many companies will work on price if they see a long term engagement but you will never know unless you ask.

At the end of the day you will be responsible for the choices you make regarding why you need help and who you will get to help you.  Always keep your business objectives in view when you are making these decisions and communicate clearly with all of your business stakeholders along the way.  Remembering to do those things will make sure your decisions are successful.  

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