June 6, 2017
In a previous blog post, The Cloud and the Death of the Technology Reseller, we discussed the changing nature of the IT industry. Businesses years ago largely depended on their own IT hardware to power their applications in order to support their business. In that climate, a value-added reseller (VAR) could assist a business with selecting, deploying, and even maintaining that equipment, but today, the cloud has changed everything. Now IT is moving towards services. Instead of buying equipment, they are buying contracts with Software as a Service providers to access these applications from the cloud. The need for IT engineers to deploy hardware is quickly evaporating.
We argue that consultants are going to replace the value-added reseller of the past, but we did not dive into what a technology consulting process might look like and how it really differs.
IT Consulting vs. Products
The first difference between a VAR and an IT consultant is that we begin our discussions with clients with their goals instead of our solutions. Rather than coming to us with a particular server or application in mind, we ask that our clients tell us their vision for their IT environment and their current challenges in getting there. From this point, we work to understand the business, how it functions, and what drives its success. Only through this in-depth understanding can we provide the right roadmap for achieving their goals.
IT Roadmaps
Our core consulting services are often packaged as roadmaps, and this is important to the technology consulting process. It is one thing to recommend a technology, but it is another entirely to actually roll out these changes. This is particularly pertinent for companies who are making major changes to their infrastructure, migrating to the cloud, or adopting a new contact/call center platform. The changes represent significant shifts in processes, strategies, and mindsets that cannot be implemented without a clear plan. That’s precisely what a technology roadmap from Mindsight provides.
With the goals of the client’s project clearly defined, our consultants break this larger initiative into smaller projects and arrange them on a timeline. There’s a large number of factors that influence how the roadmap is built, but in general, we try to minimize disruption and maximize impact as it moves along.
For an idea on how this might work, read our recent case study on a data center refresh.
Working with the Client
Mindsight brings decades of experience and advanced certifications to our technology consulting process, but ultimately, we are not calling the shots. We are merely helping our clients achieve the goals that they lay out. Our role is to speak clearly and candidly about how those goals are best achieved. As more companies move into the cloud and the market continues to saturate with service after service, a consultant who can help sift through the noise will become even more essential.
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About Mindsight
Mindsight, a Chicago IT services provider, is an extension of your team. Our culture is built on transparency and trust, and our team is made up of extraordinary people – the kinds of people you would hire. We have one of the largest expert-level engineering teams delivering the full spectrum of IT services and solutions, from cloud to infrastructure, collaboration to contact center. Our highly-certified engineers and process-oriented excellence have certainly been key to our success. But what really sets us apart is our straightforward and honest approach to every conversation, whether it is for an emerging business or global enterprise. Our customers rely on our thought leadership, responsiveness, and dedication to solving their toughest technology challenges.
Contact us at GoMindsight.com.
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